NJAMHAA - 2021 Advocacy Piece

8 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics When Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) first were developed in 2017, they were hailed as the service delivery model of the future. They have lived up to the expectations, providing a full continuum of care that ranges from detox and mental health crisis services to care management assistance with social determinants of health and everything in between, including primary medical care. New Jersey now has 12 CCBHCs, seven operating under the federal demonstration program and five established under Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration CCBHC expansion grants. Individuals with serious mental health and substance use disorders have acute comorbidities that demand more case management and care coordination, integration of primary health care, more highly credentialed staff, direct treatment for co-occurring disorders, and more ongoing care. The CCBHCs, with enhanced electronic health record capabilities and extensive community collaborations, deliver all of this. Federal funding for these programs has repeatedly been at risk, and has had lapses in funding over the past few years. Federal funding has just been extended for three years, but that offers stability only to those operating under the demonstration program. Given the history of funding lapses over the past few years and the risk of discontinued funding for expansion grant programs, New Jersey must ensure this highly effective programmodel is sustained and continues to expand across the State. Electronic Health Records Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are critical to the shared, timely data needed by CCBHC and other models of integrated care, allowing for improved care coordination. They are a necessity in following best practices in treatment, to efficiency in billing and measuring outcomes, and to being able to effectively collaborate and maintain, or move toward integrated and value-based care. In 2019, Congress made incentives, long available to medical healthcare providers, accessible to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment providers. In recent years, New Jersey has also made funding available to SUD treatment providers for implementing and upgrading EHR systems. Providers of mental health services have been overlooked at both levels. These significant expenses are one more example of costs not supported by current reimbursement rates. Appropriations are needed to ensure New Jersey’s community providers are properly equipped with this most essential tool and adequately prepared for the emerging trends in health care. Establish a sustainability and expansion plan for New Jersey’s CCBHCs. POLICY PRIORITY Appropriate $10 million for mental health providers and renew the $6 million appropriation for substance use treatment providers to upgrade, implement and maintain interoperable EHRs. BUDGET PRIORITY Dan arrived at Oaks Integrated Care’s Florence Klemmer Group Home with a pending arson charge and unmet mental health needs, which caused increasing behavioral issues. The staffworked with Dan to develop coping skills and provided individual and group therapy, which enabled him to begin believing in himself and to thrive. With his newly found confidence and will to succeed, he became very involved in school – including successfully running for class president – and his grades improved. He also obtained employment at a local coffee shop. Dan remained at Klemmer for almost a year and thenmoved on to an independent living program. He is continuing to succeed in school and at his job, and he plans to attend college and pursue a career in social services. A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR DAN