New Fabrizio Ward Poll: 3 in 4 Voters Back Expanding Funding for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics

An overwhelming majority of voters across the political spectrum support increased investment in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), according to a new poll by Fabrizio Ward.

In a survey of 1,000 registered voters, 74% of swing voters (voters who vote for candidates in both major parties) and 56% of Trump voters support expanding federal and state funding for CCBHCs. Overall, 75% of respondents said they support expanding federal and state funding so more people can access high-quality mental health and substance use care through CCBHCs, with clear majorities across the political spectrum in support.

Additional key findings from the poll include:

• 95% of all voters believe it is important for people to have access to quality care for mental health and substance use care.
• 69% of all voters said they are more likely to support a candidate who backs efforts to expand CCBHC funding.
• 69% of all voters and 64% of swing voters are more likely to vote for candidates who support expanding CCBHC funding.
• 67% of all voters believe it is difficult to access mental health and substance use care.

“Republican and Democratic voters alike are united in recognizing the need to improve access to comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment and care,” said Chuck Ingoglia, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. “Mental wellbeing is not a partisan issue, and this poll reaffirms that fact. It clearly shows that voters across the political spectrum want their elected officials to prioritize access to care.”

The poll is the first of its kind to survey voters nationally on their views around the innovative CCBHC model, which was first implemented in 2017 to expand access to comprehensive mental health and substance use care — including crisis care — outside of emergency departments. To be eligible for dedicated funding, CCBHCs are required to provide nine core services, including specialized care for veterans and structured collaboration with other community partners to ease pressure on emergency departments and law enforcement.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate recently introduced the bipartisan Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act (S.3402 / H.R. 8487), which marks a significant milestone in efforts to expand access to life-saving care through CCBHCs nationwide. The bill would ensure that CCBHCs can provide more services to seniors and people with disabilities by formalizing the model into Medicare, and it also builds off existing requirements around care coordination to give all CCBHCs the option of adding additional primary care services, which helps cut down on people needing to go multiple places for different types of care.

“We appreciate the bipartisan support we’ve received from lawmakers to make CCBHCs available to more people in more communities, and we look forward to continuing our work with members on both sides of the aisle to expand access to mental health and substance use treatment and care,” said Reyna Taylor, Vice President, Policy & Advocacy.

Greater investment in this transformative model will significantly increase the system’s capacity to give people care, when and where they need it. It also reflects a broader commitment to ensuring every community has access to high-quality mental health and substance use care — and that the CCBHC model remains strong for years to come.

Methodology

• Fabrizio Ward conducted a survey April 23-26, 2026, of 1,000 registered voters nationally on behalf of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Click here for full methodology.