Northern Kentucky-based Northkey Community Care is among four community mental health clinics participating in a federal initiative to expand access to behavioral, mental health care and medical services.
The initiative called the Demonstration Program for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) is within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and is already helping Kentuckians in need. As part of the demonstration program, providers will receive an enhanced federal funding match for treating Medicaid patients.
Governor Andy Beshear, in making the announcement Monday, called the program “a significant advancement in the delivery of behavioral health care in Kentucky.”
“Kentuckians grappling with multiple issues such as depression, anxiety and addiction need access to care,” Beshear said. “These clinics bring behavioral and physical health services under one roof and tailor services to the needs of the individual and improve health outcomes.”
The four community mental health centers that have been funded, after completing a rigorous certification process that qualifies them to deliver care in this expanded way, include NorthKey Community Care, New Vista in Central Kentucky; Seven Counties Services in Jefferson County; and Pathways Inc. in Northeast Kentucky.
These designated CCBHCs are part of a broader national program in which only 10 states were selected to participate. It was established to show the effectiveness of a service delivery and payment health care model that streamlines multiple types of care.
Kentucky’s selection was influenced by the state’s “tremendous progress with caring for these vulnerable individuals,” the Governor said. “We believe that health care is a basic human right.”
“These sites will allow us to move beyond a system that often requires multiple providers and impedes communication and care coordination, said Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. “This is a huge step forward in building a recovery-oriented system of care in Kentucky.”
Individuals may contact these clinics by phone or through their websites. Additional information may be found at samhsa.gov.
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
