"Access to behavioral health care should not depend on your zip code, but for far too many American communities, getting high-quality and affordable mental health and substance use disorder care is out of reach," said Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP, NACHC president and CEO. "With its historic $240 million investment in behavioral health care services in 400 Community Health Centers, the Biden-Harris administration is taking a significant step toward improving equity in mental health and substance use disorder care."

Read the US Health and Resource Administration's (HRSA) press release about funding to "launch and expand behavioral health care services in 400 Community Health Centers."
Health centers have long been at the forefront of treating mental and behavioral health in America because they are accessible, community-based, and comprehensive. Demand for behavioral health care at health centers is high and growing (Commonwealth Fund, March 2024). In 2020, the nation's health centers served three times as many patients seeking behavioral health services as they did in 2010.

NACHC has continuously advocated for policies to support health centers' ability to fully integrate behavioral health services with primary care settings. The mental health services provided by health centers can vary based on the needs of the community where facility sites reside. Health centers offer a wide range of integrated mental and behavioral health services for children and adults, such as:

• comprehensive individual or group counseling
• intensive outpatient services
• addiction and recovery services
• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
• school-based therapy
• crisis services

These services are patient-centered and often delivered while working in harmony with community partners (hospitals, counselors, pharmacies, and others) to support the full range of health needs of patients. Health centers utilizing interdisciplinary teams coordinate care and case management to diagnose, treat, and care for individuals with trauma, sleep disorders, abuse, depression, anxiety, or alcohol or drug use, among other mental health conditions.

• Nationwide behavioral health staff in health centers grew by 8 percent to make up 11% of the overall care team in 2022. These providers include licensed clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, substance use disorder staff, and other mental and licensed mental health providers.
• Health centers are uniquely positioned to provide integrated mental health and primary health care services directly in a community-based setting. They are known for their emphasis on cultural competence and because they provide services regardless of a clinic user's ability to pay. Investing in the behavioral health capacity of health centers - the largest primary care network in the US - is a critical component of meeting the soaring demand for services in this nation.