04.30.20

Cantwell Announces Nearly $6M in Grants for Washington State Community Behavioral Health Clinics

Clinics in Centralia, Port Angeles, and Yakima will each receive almost $2 million in funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced today that three Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in Washington state will receive a combined total of nearly $6 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Cascade Community Healthcare in Centralia, Peninsula Behavioral Health in Port Angeles, and Comprehensive Healthcare in Yakima will each receive roughly $2 million in funding to expand their operations. 

“This funding will help expand mental and behavioral health services in critical counties and communities around Washington state where federal help can make a major impact,” Senator Cantwell said. “We know how important mental health treatment and care is for overall wellbeing, and this is certainly true during and after the COVID-19 crisis. I’m proud to have supported the bill that made this possible and worked with these providers to help them access funds to expand their programs.”

More information on how each clinic plans to use their funding is available below:

  • Cascade Community Healthcare will use its funding to enhance services available to Lewis, Thurston, and Pacific counties. They will enhance care coordination, including primary care, vaccinations, and substance-use disorder treatment, focusing on children and adults experiencing mental illness and emotional disorders, as well as individuals with low English proficiency.
  • Peninsula Behavioral Health will use the funding to enhance services it provides to individuals with serious mental illnesses in Clallam County, helping the clinic to invest in staff, infrastructure, training, and technology. The clinic serves a high rate of Native Americans and veterans.
  • Comprehensive Healthcare serves over 10,000 migrant seasonal farmworkers, as well as members of the Yakama Nation. The clinic will use the grant funding to expand Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Methadone and add opioid MAT services. They plan to provide four Mental Health First Aid trainings as well as Critical Incident Stress Debriefings to the community free of charge. They also plan to increase their school-based services by 50 percent and increase services to American Indian/Alaska Native populations by 20 percent. 

The funding for the clinics comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Since Congress created the grant program for CCBHCs, Senator Cantwell has worked with her colleagues to ensure clinics in Washington state are eligible for funding and has worked with clinics throughout the state to help them apply and get funding through the program.

“Receiving this CCBHC grant from SAMHSA will be transformational for Peninsula Behavioral Health and for behavioral healthcare in our community,” said Wendy Sisk, CEO of Peninsula Behavioral Health. “We are looking forward to expanding our evidence based practices and providing cutting edge treatment to the residents of Clallam County. These funds will allow us to provide more comprehensive care to those who need it most. We are excited to be a Community Behavioral Health Center of Excellence!”

“We’re pretty excited that this opportunity came to our state. It’s in the works. We knew it was a long shot to apply, and we are thrilled with the news. It fits with our long-term strategic plan, and it’s a win not only for our behavioral health agency but a win for Lewis County as well,” said Dr. Richard Stride, CEO of Cascade Community Healthcare.

“Utilization of these funds will allow us to increase access to services for individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorders. While this grant is specific to Yakima County, globally, this is going to help with sustainability and increase capacity in all of our service areas across the organization,” said Dr. Jodi Daly, President and CEO of Comprehensive Healthcare. “Some examples of expanding services under the program include improving the quality of care through enhanced specialty training in provision of culturally appropriate services to subpopulations including veterans, the LGBTQ community, and adolescents with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. We will be able to increase access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) adding Buprenorphine and Naltrexone MAT services, provide free mental health training to our communities, and expand our school-based services as well as other vital behavioral healthcare programs.”

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