CCBHCs Served 3.4 Million People In 2025, Up 13% Since 2024

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) provided mental health and substance use care to an estimated 3.4 million people nationwide in 2025, up 12.9%. As of December 31, 2025, there were 539 CCBHCs operating across 48 states and territories, including the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, an increase of 8.9%.

Among CCBHCs responding to the 2026 survey, 86.2% reported serving more people since becoming a CCBHC. This longer-term growth is separate from the 13% national increase from 2024 to 2025. Responding CCBHCs collectively reported serving 1,814,158 people in the year before they became CCBHCs, compared with 2,582,687 people in 2025, a 42.4% increase. Because CCBHCs began operating in different years, the comparison reflects growth since individual organizations became CCBHCs rather than year-over-year growth. Rural CCBHCs reported a 46.2% increase over the same organization-specific comparison, from 377,846 people before becoming CCBHCs to 552,214 in 2025.

The increase in utilization was greatest among children and youth, with 57% of CCBHCs reporting an increase in the number served and 22% reporting an increase of approximately 20% or more. Nearly half of CCBHCs, 47.9%, reported growth in the number of uninsured people served, and 41.8% reported growth among people who had lacked a source of outpatient care in the years before coming to a CCBHC.

The findings are based on a nationwide survey conducted between January and April 2026. The survey was sent to 539 CCBHCs that either held state certification or had an active Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant as of December 31, 2025. Of those, 414 responded, for a 76.8% response rate, and reported serving a combined 2,582,687 people during calendar year 2025. Based on those responses, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing estimated that all 539 CCBHCs nationwide served approximately 3.4 million people as of December 2025.

CCBHCs are behavioral health clinics that receive funding through federal SAMHSA grants or state Medicaid programs to provide a set of nine required outpatient mental health and substance use treatment services. CCBHCs are required to serve anyone in need of behavioral health care, regardless of age, ability to pay, or place of residence. As of June 2026, 33 states had implemented or were working to implement the model through the federal Medicaid demonstration or an independent Medicaid authority. CCBHCs participating in the federal demonstration are reimbursed through a prospective payment system.

The report authors concluded that the findings demonstrate the CCBHC model’s ability to expand access to behavioral health care while strengthening service delivery and coordination across systems. They described the model as a scalable framework for expanding access, improving quality, strengthening community partnerships, and addressing the needs of people with mental health and substance use conditions.

The full text of 2026 CCBHC Impact Report was published on August 4, 2026, by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. A free copy is available (accessed August 12, 2026).For more information, contact: Sophia Majlessi, Assistant Vice President, Public Relations, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 1400 K Street Northwest, #400, Washington, District of Columbia 20005; 202-621-1631; Email: SophiaM@TheNationalCouncil.org; Website: https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/