What is the CCBHC Mentorship Program?
As the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model is increasingly adopted across the country, it is critical to elevate the best practices and lessons learned of experienced CCBHCs. Time and again, we’ve heard from those early in their journey asking, “How have others approached this?” The CCBHC Mentorship Program has been designed to promote innovation and collaboration amongst CCBHCs through access to a broad community of peers.
Through the mentorship program, newly established CCBHCs are paired with experienced CCBHCs to support them along the early stages of meeting CCBHC criteria and navigating transformational organizational change. In addition, all participants are connected to a community of peer CCBHCs where they can seek guidance and insights.
The CCBHC Mentorship Program is an annual program designed to:
- Foster peer-to-peer sharing and relationships amongst CCBHCs.
- Establish a mechanism for CCBHCs to exchange ideas and crowdsource solutions.
- Elevate the best practices and lessons learned from established CCBHCs.
Who is eligible?
Mentees:
- First-time CCBHC expansion grantees, awarded in 2021
- Clinics joining the new CCBHC demonstration in KY and MI
- Clinics who will be onboarding as CCBHCs in the next year under state-driven CCBHC implementation efforts in KS, NV, MN, OK, IL or MO
Mentors:
- CCBHCs whose states were selected to participate in the federal demonstration program and/or have received a CCBHC Expansion Grant prior to 2021
What are the program dates?
The CCBHC Mentorship Program is a no-cost, peer-to-peer initiative, pairing new CCBHC grantees with established sites to share best practices in CCBHC implementation. The application period for the 2021-2022 cohort has closed. Please check back in Summer 2022 for new opportunities to participate in this program.
What are the benefits of participating?
The greatest benefit of the CCBHC Mentorship Program is the community. Peer CCBHCs offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise to tap into as you undergo your journey as a CCBHC. The mentorship program promotes community engagement through paired mentor teams for one-to-one connection, quarterly program convenings and a virtual platform for peer-sharing and crowdsourcing solutions for your questions along the way.
What are the program commitments?
Program participants commit to the following:
- Collaborative partnership with your matched mentor/mentee. Mentor teams are allowed flexibilities in frequency, type and approach to engaging with each other, but commit to meeting for at least an hour every month.
- Being organized and prepared around areas of needed support. Mentees should coordinate with their project teams to identify specific topics of focus prior to connecting with mentors and commit to structured, maximized time together.
- Attendance at quarterly virtual events with all program participants designed to cultivate peer sharing on best practices and lessons learned.
- Seeking and sharing knowledge with their CCBHC peers through virtual platforms.
What are last year’s CCBHC Mentorship Program participants saying?
Mentees
“We have really enjoyed the mentorship program, and [our mentor] has been very helpful in providing experiential knowledge and engaging in great discussions on common challenges as well as things that having been moving in the right direction for us as a new CCBHC. Our partnership has been a pleasure. Many thanks to [our mentor]!” – 2020-2021 CCBHC Mentee, New Jersey
“I’ve been very pleased to have had our mentor. They have been warm, receptive, and motivated to be helpful, making our first year of the grant much more comfortable and informed. [They] have provided incisive guidance and have always offered to address our questions and needs in a very person-centered manner. I feel our grant performance has definitely benefited from our mentoring relationship, and I encourage others to avail themselves of the same opportunity. Many thanks to the National Council for developing and providing this welcome opportunity!” – 2020-2021 CCBHC Mentee, North Carolina
“Our mentor was willing to share her knowledge and resources and was very helpful to our agency as we become a CCBHC. They took the time to answer questions, check in with us, and were so helpful when we decided to apply for the last SAMSHA grant to assist us, giving us resources and information. Our agency cannot thank [our mentor organization] enough for being the best mentor. Without them, the process would have been much more difficult!!!!” – 2020-2021 CCBHC Mentee, Minnesota
“[Our mentor was] always readily available when I had questions. They were ready to meet with me and address the questions and problems I was encountering. With their help, I was able to build a strong CCBHC foundation.” – 2020-2021 CCBHC Mentee, California
Mentors
“This was a great opportunity to partner with other [clinics] to further the CCBHC cause. CCBHC grant work seems so busy, and I was a little uncertain about adding in another commitment; however, it was not much more than an hour per month. While I didn’t feel like a CCBHC expert, having two mentees made it feel more like a space for all of us to share information and learn from each other. Sharing experiences and hearing from the other agencies was helpful in coming up with new ideas for our own project.” – 2020-2021 CCBHC Mentor, Michigan
“I would encourage prospective mentor agencies to join the program because even if you feel like you’re too new to the CCBHC model yourself, you have more to share than you may recognize, and working with another agency, particularly one in a different area of the country or in a different type of setting, can help solidify and enhance your own knowledge. We all need to work together to sustain and grow the progress we are making as CCBHCs across the U.S.” – 2020-2021 CCBHC Mentor, Michigan
Where can I get more information?
Any other questions? Contact the National Council CCBHC team: CCBHC@TheNationalCouncil.org.