Jan. 10—GOSHEN — Oaklawn announced Thursday its designation into a federal program designed to make access to mental health and substance use care easier.
Vice President of Access and Crisis Services Kelli Liechty said the designation is something they’ve been working on since 2021, when the nonprofit received a $3 million Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Planning Grant.
“This is a new model that’s sweeping its way across the nation in response to the growing need for those who have a substance abuse disorder or mental health needs,” she said. “(It’s) really in response to provide centers a standardized definition of what services they should provide, and how they should provide them in order to deliver high-quality care in their community.”
It came out of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act in 2014.
In 2021, Oaklawn received a two-year grant from SAMHSA to begin transforming its services into the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model. They used it to launch the intensive case management team, crisis services and open access.
“We really used that grant to get some of the services going, to meet some of those metrics,” Liechty said.
The State of Indiana also gained access to federal funding to implement the model statewide. In June, Indiana was one of 10 states selected to join the Medicaid demonstration program, and Oaklawn is one of eight organizations in the state to pilot this new model, achieving its official designation Jan. 1, allowing for additional funding.
CCBHCs serve anyone seeking services regardless of residence or ability to pay, with a focus on providing comprehensive care that closes the gap.
Liechty said the result is a more financially sustainable model for Oaklawn.
With the new designation, funding for crisis care, which has previously been through the grants will now be through Medicaid.
“This is what we have been working for,” she said. “This is really exciting for Oaklawn. I think it validates the work that we’ve been working toward for the last several years, because we’ve been doing this work with grants, hoping for this new funding model.”
CCBHCs must provide certain core services and meet rigorous quality standards including 24/7 crisis services, reduced wait times for new clients, helping high-acuity clients thrive in the community, enhanced services for veterans and greater collaboration among providers.
“This model has the power to completely transform our mental health system,” said Laurie Nafziger, Oaklawn president and CEO. “We’re thrilled that Oaklawn has the opportunity to leverage these resources to benefit the Elkhart and St. Joseph County communities.”
Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.