ALABAMA CONTINUES STATEWIDE TRANSITION TO
CERTIFIED COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC MODEL
Expanding into Two New Areas of the State
Montgomery, Ala. — The Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) is proud to announce two additional community mental health centers have been approved to transition to the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model, an integrated approach to behavioral healthcare designed to expand access to mental health and substance use treatment services.
Mountain Lakes Behavioral Healthcare, which serves Jackson and Marshall counties, and Highland Health Systems, serving Cleburne and Calhoun counties, received approval from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in October 2025 and April 2026, respectively. The two organizations join AltaPointe and Wellstone in adopting the CCBHC model.
“Our department has set a bold vision for the future with CCBHCs, which offer a ‘no wrong door’ approach to behavioral healthcare,” said ADMH Commissioner Kimberly Boswell. “The transition to and expansion of the CCBHC model moves us closer to a system where every Alabamian has access to high-quality, coordinated and more efficient mental health and substance use treatment services.”
CCBHCs are specially designated clinics that must provide services to anyone seeking help for a mental health or substance use condition, regardless of their place of residence, ability to pay, or age. They reduce wait times and strengthen coordination among behavioral health, physical healthcare and social services. The model offers significant advantages for Alabama’s community mental health system.
“The move to the CCBHC model is a major step and allows us to expand access to mental health and substance use treatment services, strengthen our Mobile Crisis response system, and introduce enhanced primary care screening and monitoring services. Our CCBHC will help to ensure timely, comprehensive care and to better address whole-person health needs,” said Myron Gargis, Chief Executive Officer, Mountain Lakes Behavioral Healthcare.
Mickey Turner, Chief Executive Officer, Highland Health Systems, said, “Becoming a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) significantly strengthens the quality and accessibility of behavioral health services in our community. We will be able to further reduce barriers to care, improve outcomes, and ensure that individuals receive the support they need. It will strengthen community partnerships and, most importantly, help us better serve those in need by creating a more responsive system of care that promotes recovery, stability, and overall well-being.”
CCBHCs are required to provide nine core services:
• Crisis Services
• Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Use Services
• Person- and Family-Centered Treatment Planning
• Community-Based Mental Health Care for Veterans
• Peer, Family Support, and Counselor Services
• Targeted Care Management
• Outpatient Primary Care Screening and Monitoring
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services
• Screening, Diagnosis, and Risk Assessment
By integrating these core services into a comprehensive model of care, providers can better address the whole-person needs of individuals and families. The process to become a CCBHC can take anywhere from six to eighteen months depending on staffing levels, infrastructure, and the services currently offered by each community mental health center.
Expanded community-based services help reduce barriers to treatment, including transportation and access challenges in underserved areas. The Alabama Crisis System of Care is a key part of the CCBHC model, providing Crisis Center access and mobile crisis services 24/7, 365 days a year.
Altapointe, which serves southwest and east Alabama, and WellStone in northeast Alabama both moved to the CCBHC model in 2024. “Transitioning to the CCBHC model has transformed our service to the community. We now reach historically underserved populations, remove barriers to care, and provide expanded crisis and evidence-based services,” Tuerk Schlesinger, AltaPointe Health CEO. “CCBHC has been a gamechanger in north Alabama. Moving forward, we hope this model continues to grow so everyone can access the mental health care they need when they need it,” said Jeremy Blair of WellStone.
To learn more about CCBHCs, please visit mh.alabama.gov/certified-community-behavioral-health-clinics/ or contact the Office of Public Information at
publicinformation.dmh@mh.alabama.gov, 334-242-3417.
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