The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced on February 5, 2021 that it has awarded Sweetser a $2.9 million grant to develop a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCHBC) in midcoast Maine. The award will expand services Sweetser delivers in Sagadahoc, northern coastal Cumberland County, and parts of Lincoln and Androscoggin counties.
Sweetser is one of the first two providers in the state of Maine to be recognized as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic.
SAMHSA released grants to 134 clinics in the nation, enabling them to implement comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment by becoming a CCBHC. The grants are funded from the $4.5 billion allocated to SAMHSA as part of the COVID-19 relief package passed in December. With the addition of this grant funding, there are now 340 CCBHCs across the country – nearly a 50% increase from just days ago.
National Council for Behavioral Health President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia said: “This funding will dramatically improve the health and welfare of people in hundreds of communities across the country. CCBHCs provide vital services by increasing access to evidence-based substance use and mental health treatment services, including 24/7 crisis care. Now, thanks to the commitment made by these clinics, people in 40 states, plus D.C. and Guam, will be able to access a CCBHC. We also thank SAMHSA for their support and recognition of the value CCBHCs provide, particularly for vulnerable individuals. This is an incredible step forward for health care in America, and we look to continuing our work to highlight the opportunities provided by the CCBHC model in every community across the country.”