November 18, 2025
Three states to launch first-of-its-kind pilot project expanding behavioral health clinics
Ballmer Group has committed $72 million to improve access to mental health and substance use treatment and care through an innovative pilot project to expand Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in Illinois, Kansas, and Michigan.
The grant, awarded to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and its teaming partner, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), will support a first-of-its-kind initiative to strengthen community-based care, expand the behavioral health workforce, and ensure more people get the help they need—when and where they need it. This effort will result in approximately 125 new CCBHCs, support 30,000 providers in new or improved positions, and serve 625,000 patients annually, ensuring sustainable, high-quality care for those in need.
Why Ballmer Group is Investing Now
Ballmer Group’s investment reflects a deep belief in the power of state governments and their provider partners to drive lasting behavioral health reform. As the federal government opens a new pathway for states to expand CCBHCs, philanthropy has a unique role to play: creating the time, space, and capacity for public systems to succeed.
“Philanthropy can help accelerate implementation at scale,” said Andi Smith, Executive Director for Washington State and National Behavioral Health at Ballmer Group. “We can help create the conditions where state leaders, providers, and partners can coordinate their work, learn from one another, and fully maximize this federal opportunity.”
This grant is part of Ballmer Group’s broader commitment to economic mobility for children and families—recognizing that access to effective behavioral health care is foundational to stability and opportunity.
What is a CCBHC?
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) provide a wide range of mental health and substance use services. They are open to everyone, regardless of diagnosis or insurance. CCBHCs have made it easier for people to access treatment, helped states respond to the overdose crisis, and built partnerships with law enforcement, schools, and hospitals to improve care and reduce hospital visits.
CCBHCs offer a new and improved way to address behavioral health in our communities, as evidenced by patient experience. They deliver comprehensive and integrated services that each community needs. This approach also makes staff and practitioners happier: CCBHCs bring more healthcare staff to the community, reducing workloads and preventing burnout.
Why CCBHCs Matter Now More Than Ever
Workforce shortages and changes in healthcare coverage make access to care increasingly difficult. As of August 2024, an estimated 122 million people in the U.S. lived in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, according to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis.
CCBHCs strengthen the workforce by investing in training, retention, and integration of care teams. They also:
Serve everyone, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
Offer comprehensive, coordinated services spanning mental health, substance use, crisis care, and connections to primary care and social support.
Reduce mental health hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
Launched as a federal demonstration in 2017 with 66 clinics in eight states, the CCBHC model has since expanded to 500 clinics serving more than 3 million people across 46 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. This new Ballmer Group initiative will help states scale, sustain, and strengthen this proven model through focused technical assistance and collaboration among public agencies, providers, and national partners.