The New Mexico Human Services Department soon to be the Health Care Authority (HSD/HCA) has been selected to participate in a four-year federal Medicaid Demonstration program to expand outpatient behavioral health services through the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model.

CCBHCs are specially designated clinics that provide a comprehensive range of outpatient mental health, substance use disorder, and primary care screening services, serving youth and adults of all ages. These clinics must serve anyone who walks through the door, regardless of age, insurance, diagnosis, or ability to pay, and are held to stringent criteria regarding timeliness, quality, and coordination of services.  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, announced yesterday that New Mexico will join nine other states in the federal Medicaid Demonstration program. This was the culmination of a multi-year project spearheaded by the HSD/HCA Behavioral Health Services Division (BHSD), in partnership with the HSD/HCA Medical Assistance Division, the Children’s Youth and Families Department (CYFD), New Mexico behavioral health providers, and countless other stakeholders.  

“New Mexico’s selection will bolster our capacity to improve and expand access to comprehensive behavioral health care, including substance use disorder treatment" said Nick Boukas, Director of HSD/HCA BHSD.  “We are grateful and appreciative for the level of collaboration and support from our State partners, providers, and stakeholders as we advance this important initiative from concept to reality to serve New Mexicans through a comprehensive continuum of services, aligned with New Mexico’s needs.”

The Demonstration program provides reimbursement through Medicaid for services that CCBHCs provide at higher, more competitive rates aligned with the cost of providing services. This sustainable funding also ensures CCBHCs can provide a comprehensive range of services rather than fragmented services driven by separate billing codes.

BHSD, in collaboration with the CYFD, has provisionally certified six providers as CCBHCs, giving them the option to participate in the program when it launches on January 1, 2025: 

·        University of New Mexico Health System in Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties

·        All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center in Bernalillo County

·        Carlsbad Life House in Eddy County

·        Families & Youth Innovations Plus in Doña Ana County

·        Santa Fe Recovery Center in Santa Fe and McKinley Counties

·        Mental Health Resources in Curry County

For more information, visit the New Mexico Recovery Project @nmrecovery.org

To access HHS press release, click HERE

Questions about CCBHCs Email NM-CCBHC@NMRECOVERY.ORG