The need for mental health and substance use disorder services among Californians has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, while access to services continues to be limited by structural and systemic barriers. Those who seek Medi-Cal behavioral health services often face a confusing array of benefits and service providers operating across three different systems responsible for delivering and paying for care.

Funders and policymakers continue to explore ways to meet the growing and unmet need across the state, and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) have emerged as an approach for improving access and quality of care. This straightforward brief, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics in California Explained, summarizes the CCBHC model, history, and impacts, and outlines opportunities in California.

It also includes a map with the clinic names and cities of the 19 CCBHC locations in California.