In 2020 JAMHI Health & Wellness was awarded federal Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) expansion funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). As Southeast Alaska’s local longstanding private non-profit community mental health center, JAMHI was one of only two organizations in Alaska to receive this funding which is designed to expand mental health and substance use disorder services to ANYONE in need of care, including those with private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, those who self-pay or have no insurance, as well all active duty or former active duty military or veterans.
A Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic is a new form of provider within the Medicaid program, established by the Excellence in Mental Health Act. CCBHCs are designed to provide whole-person care by integrating physical health with a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use disorder services to people who are vulnerable. Whole-person care means considering all aspects of a person’s health, including their physical, mental, and behavioral health, as well as their socioeconomic status, housing situation, and other social determinants of health which can exacerbate health issues.
During the first year as a CCBHC expansion site JAMHI served nearly 200 additional people experiencing serious mental illness, mild or moderate mental illness, substance use disorders and physical health concerns. We expanded behavioral health services to youth, adolescents and families at our new JAMHI Family location and established the first ever Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team in Juneau. In year two we intend to establish a new Mobile Community Outreach Team (MCOT). When someone experiences a behavioral health emergency, is in emotional distress or is having suicidal thoughts, they can call a 24-hour crisis center and a caring, trained professional will provide support and triage. If needed, the mobile crisis outreach team, consisting of a master’s level clinician and MCOT specialist will respond directly to the individual’s home or anywhere throughout the community to provide care and support. The goal of this service is to help stabilize people in the most clinically appropriate, least restrictive and most cost-effective setting: our community.
For Alaskans with substance use disorders, JAMHI Health & Wellness offers medication assisted treatment services for people with opiate or alcohol addiction. This form of treatment uses medicine to supplement counseling and behavioral therapies to provide a whole-person approach to treating substance use disorders, increasing the likelihood of long-term recovery.
The CCBHC designation has also provided increased services for our local military members and veterans. We assist with housing, employment, transportation, food resources and obtaining military documentation. For veterans, the service is provided regardless of discharge type or era served.
There are nine types of behavioral health services that a CCBHC is responsible for providing:
- Screening, assessment, and diagnosis
- Primary care screening and monitoring
- Crisis care mental health services
- Person-centered treatment planning
- Outpatient mental health and substance use services
- Targeted case management
- Psychiatric rehabilitation services
- Peer support, counseling, and family support services
- Veteran services
This means that everyone we serve is screened for behavioral health needs and a full spectrum of services from primary to specialized care is provided in the most coordinated way.
A primary purpose of being a CCBHC is integrating physical and behavioral health services. We do this by providing physical health screenings and assessments while also offering weight loss and smoking cessation programs. A full complement of primary care services is provided at JAMHI Salmon Creek. Primary medical care services are available to ANYONE who needs access to high quality, affordable health care.
Like all JAMHI Health & Wellness services, behavioral health services at all JAMHI locations are affordable. All services provided regardless of someone’s ability to pay and all are provided on a sliding fee scale.
As an Alaska CCBHC, JAMHI Health & Wellness provides a full array of comprehensive services to anyone in need, often with same-day access; services that are trauma-informed, emphasize recovery, wellness, physical health and whole-person service integration. For a full list of services, or to learn how we can help you on your path to recovery, health & wellness call JAMHI Health & Wellness Salmon Creek Clinic at (907) 463-3303.
Learn more about CCBHCs with this link to the National Council on Mental Wellness CCBHC Success Center:
https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/ccbhc-success-center/