This last year was a period of incredible change for people and communities, and as such, Jefferson Center has evolved to be responsive to these changes. Transitioning out of the pandemic phase of COVID-19, building new ways to deliver care, and emerging from the Great Resignation. To support this evolution, Jefferson Center secured a grant to work toward certification as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic or CCBHC, and we are excited about the future.
The CCBHC is a designated entity that offers a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services. CCBHCs serve anyone who walks through the door, regardless of their ability to pay. And while this sounds a lot like what we already do every day, there are some key enhancements.
For Jefferson Center, the CCBHC status allows us to expand integrated medical-behavioral healthcare models, increase access to comprehensive care, and reach more people in at-risk and underserved communities.
The CCBHC addresses care from a whole-person approach, integrating behavioral health and physical health care into treatment. Specifically, the CCBHC offers the full range of behavioral health services and screening for basic health conditions, working together with primary care physicians to address the needs of the whole person and improve health outcomes.
The CCBHC grant is a vehicle for implementing new outcome measurement tools that have been adopted nationwide as the gold standard. These new national standards allow us to compare performance and outcomes with other CCBHCs based in Colorado and nationwide. We can better understand where we are making an impact, where we are excelling, and where we may be falling short.
Reducing behavioral health disparities is another key focus of the grant by focusing on three target populations: veterans, LGBTQIA+, and Latinx. Additional resources will go toward reaching folks in underserved communities in new and responsive ways. This includes increasing outreach and engagement, improving access to care, and providing navigation to help people connect with mental health care and other necessary resources.
Our vision at Jefferson Center is a community where mental health matters and care is accessible to all. As the needs of our communities evolve, we are committed to understanding these changes and being responsive to meeting those needs in new ways, continuing to uphold our legacy and commitment to supporting the mental health and well-being of those we serve.