Will CCBHCs Survive the Political Climate?

Let’s name what so many of us are feeling: the political landscape is unpredictable, the funding landscape is volatile, and the stakes for behavioral health have never been higher.

If you lead, support, or partner with a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), you’ve likely found yourself asking:

How do we keep this model going when the ground keeps shifting beneath our feet?

It’s a fair question — and one that doesn’t have a neat, single-line answer. But here’s what I know in my bones:

CCBHCs were built for moments like this.

They were never meant to be temporary fixes. They were built to do the hard things — to serve the folks who fall through the cracks, to coordinate care across fractured systems, and to deliver services in the face of overwhelming need and underwhelming resources. They are designed to be the bold infrastructure our behavioral health system has long needed — and they can not only survive this political moment, they can lead us through it.

To move forward, we need courage, strategy, and a fierce commitment to innovation.

They’ve already proven their impact. Lower ER visits. Better retention. Real lives changed.

But let’s be honest: proving something works isn’t enough. We have to fight to sustain it — and that takes more than data and goodwill. It takes strategy.

1. Stop Relying on a Single Lifeline

One of the biggest risks right now is overdependence on one funding stream. Many CCBHCs are still operating like the original grant-funded pilot, but that’s not sustainable. The clinics that are going to make it through this moment are the ones who are diversifying — weaving together Medicaid reimbursement, commercial payers, grants, and value-based contracts to stabilize the foundation.

2. Use Data Like a Megaphone, Not a Mirror

Your outcomes matter. But not just because they sit neatly in a dashboard. The real power of data is in its ability to tell a story people can’t ignore.

• Are fewer people cycling through crisis services?

• Are you reaching folks who were previously invisible in the system?

• Are your clients — and your team — feeling more hopeful?

  
  

Bring the numbers. But don’t forget the faces. Data opens the door. Stories get people to stay.

3. Get Loud, Get Organized

Survival in this climate means getting strategic about advocacy. The time for being polite and quiet is over. Whether you’re a single-site CCBHC or part of a statewide system, building relationships with policymakers, Medicaid directors, and even commercial payers is no longer optional.

We need collective voices, policy briefs that translate impact, and site visits that bring the work to life. Remember: your clinic is someone’s success story in the making. Make it easy for the people in power to see that.

4. Lean Into Innovation, Not Scarcity

I’ve seen too many organizations respond to funding uncertainty by pulling back — trimming staff, pausing new initiatives, or stepping away from bold ideas.

But innovation is the very thing that’s kept many CCBHCs moving forward.

Now is the time to double down on the tools and workflows that make your clinic more agile:

• Measurement-based care that helps clinicians focus on what works.

• Integrated tech that reduces administrative drag.

• Flexible workforce models that increase access without burning people out.

  
  

This isn’t about doing more with less. It’s about doing smarter with less — without sacrificing quality or care.

5. Mission and Margin Are Not Enemies

CCBHCs are purpose-driven by nature. But we’re not exempt from the realities of running a business. To keep showing up for the people who need us most, we need to think like both clinicians and CEOs. That means understanding your margins, getting clear on what’s driving results, and leading with both heart and strategy.

The Future Is in Our Hands

CCBHCs are not just a model — they’re a movement. A movement toward care that is coordinated, inclusive, evidence-based, and built around the people it serves.

And movements like this? They don’t disappear. They evolve.

If we meet this moment with courage, clarity, and collective action, I believe — with my whole heart — that CCBHCs won’t just weather this storm. They’ll become the standard for what behavioral health care should be.

Let’s lead like it matters. Because it does.