UNE’s Center for Excellence in Public Health plays key role in expanding behavioral health services in Maine
As the demand for behavioral health services increases in Maine, researchers at the University of New England have an integral part in the initial implementation and expansion of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) in the state.
Toho Soma, M.P.H., M.S., and Carry Oostveen, Ph.D., M.S., senior research associates at UNE’s Center for Excellence in Public Health, are evaluators for CCBHCs at Sweetser, based in Saco, and Community Health and Counseling Services (CHCS) in Bangor. The partnership between UNE and those organizations began in 2021 when each agency received federal funding to support the development and implementation of a CCBHC in Brunswick (Sweetser) and Bangor (CHCS).
Part of the funding requirement is a rigorous evaluation to track and monitor the CCBHC’s implementation and performance. Utilizing preliminary evaluation data and programmatic lessons learned, both agencies submitted successful applications and secured an additional 4 years of funding to further improve and advance their newly implemented behavioral health services model. Sweetser also recently received funding to start a CCBHC at their Sanford location.
“We have a very strong community connection with all the projects that we do,” Soma said. “We regularly go to the field offices of these agencies to observe and really be part of their team. It allows us to collect meaningful data for our evaluation process.”
The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic is a new service delivery model for behavioral health services that prioritizes timely access to a wide range of mental health and substance use services. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, CCBHCs “serve anyone who walks through the door, regardless of their diagnosis and insurance status.”
The model also promotes care coordination through collaboration with other community agencies and programs.
“Care coordination is essential,” said Joey Rossignol, clinical director at Sweetser’s CCBHC in Brunswick. “If we don't have the resources a client needs internally, we will work with other providers in the community that might provide it.”
Care coordination is one of six criteria a behavioral health provider must meet to be officially certified as a CCBHC by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a federal organization that administers the grant funding for these programs.
The demand for behavioral health services increased exponentially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the CCBHC model allowed providers to streamline how clients find the services they need.
“It’s like one-stop shopping,” said Justin Chenette, senior director of public relations and advancement at Sweetser. “CCBHCs act as a starting point for someone to get the help they need immediately, even if they don’t know what kind of help they are looking for.”
The data that Soma and Oostveen are collecting for Sweetser and CHCS will ultimately inform how Maine implements its own CCBHC model to enhance access to and support the coordination of behavioral health services. The next step is for Maine to become a federally-funded CCBHC demonstration site, which could happen as early as this year.
Meanwhile, UNE's reputation as a crucial resource in this effort is gaining statewide recognition.
“As other behavioral health agencies across the state apply for CCBHC grants, they are reaching out to the Center for Excellence in Public Health to conduct the evaluation,” Oostveen said. “And I think that’s a sign that we’re doing good work.”