RI leaders announce $40.7 Million to expand behavioral and mental health services
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Senator Jack Reed, Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Congressmen Seth Magazine and Gabe Amo announced today that Rhode Island will be the recipient of $40.7 million in federal funding over the next two years to improve access to behavioral and mental health services.
According to a release, the funding will be administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) for the Certified Community Behavioral Health Center Program, or CCBHC.
The release stated that the CCBHC model provides integrated mental health, substance use disorder, behavioral health, and medical care as well as 24/7 access to crisis intervention services.
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics aim to swiftly treat any patient in need of care, regardless of diagnosis or insurance status.
According to the release, the state was awarded a $1 million planning grant to lay the groundwork for expansion into the CCBHC Demonstration program.
The federal funds were made available under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a major public safety and mental health package that Senators Reed and Whitehouse helped pass in 2022 and was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
