Coming Into Compliance with New 

Criteria & Attestation Guidance 

Webinar

8/21/2023

Kate Schlatter, CCBHC-E Program GPO

Mary Blake, CCBHC-E Program Coordinator

Center for Mental Health Services

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration
Agenda

• Guidance for CCBHC-IA grants

o Those who are certified by the state

o Those who have accepted attestations by SAMHSA

• Guidance for CCBHC-PDI grantees

o Those who are applying for CCBHC certification from their state

o Those who are submitting attestations to SAMHSA 

• Q&A

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Agenda Overview
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Guidance for CCBHC-IA Grant Recipients

All CCBHC-E program grant recipients are required to 

comply with the 2023 revised CCBHC certification criteria 

by July 1, 2024. This includes CCBHC-IA grantees.

CCBHC-IA 

Grant 

Recipients 

Certified 

by the 

State

Submit updated documentation to your GPO 

demonstrating compliance with the revised criteria 

by July 1, 2024.

You must submit this documentation even if your 

state re-certification timeframe is on a different 

schedule.

Submit your documentation to your GPO via eRA 2-

way correspondence.
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Guidance for CCBHC-IA Grant Recipients, Cont’d.

All CCBHC-E program grant recipients are required to comply with the 2023 revised 

CCBHC certification criteria by July 1, 2024. This includes CCBHC-IA grantees.

CCBHC-IA 

Grant 

Recipients 

Not 

Certified 

by the 

State

Submit attestation demonstrating compliance with the 

revised criteria to your GPO via eRA 2-way correspondence 

by July 1, 2024.

If your next attestation (based on three-year time frame for 

community needs assessment updates) is not due until 

after July 1, 2024, your attestation only needs to 

demonstrate compliance with updates/changes in the 

revised criteria.

If your attestation expires prior to July 1, 2024, you may 

want to consider attesting, to the extent possible, to the 

revised Criteria. If you are using the initial criteria and plan 

to include some areas that conform to the revised criteria, 

please note this in those areas of your attestation
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Guidance CCBHC-PDI Grant Recipients

By the end of year one (9/29/2023), CCBHC-PDI Grantees are 

required to be in compliance with the CCBHC Certification 

Criteria.

Grantees must submit the required documentation demonstrating 

compliance in PDF format via the eRA Commons Terms Tracker.

There are two different groups a grantee may fall into, and their 

submission differs depending on which group they are in. 

• Grantees/CCBHCs not certified by their states 

• Grantees/CCBHCs that are certified as CCBHCs by their states

In addition, all PDI grantee will have to comply with the revised 

Certification Criteria by July 1, 2024. 
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PDI Grantees Certified As CCBHCs By Their States

Submit the materials that you sent to your state for your most recent 

certification to demonstrate compliance with the certification criteria, as well 

as a copy of the certificate.

• If you are unable to provide the full application that you submitted to the 

state (i.e., if you submitted your application online or if the application file 

is too large), please submit an executive summary or other key information 

provided in your application demonstrating your CCBHC’s compliance.

• If your state only required you to report on some of the CCBHC certification 

criteria because aspects of the criteria are covered under other 

accreditation or certification requirements, please note this when you send 

your materials.

• If you were certified by your state more than 2 years ago, please indicate 

when you are due for recertification and note any changes in your CCBHC 

status that have occurred since you were last certified.
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PDI Grantees Certified By Their States, Cont’d.

• Please include a copy of the state’s concurrence or statement of certification.

• Include copies of relevant supporting documentation (i.e., policies, 

procedures, checklists), as necessary, to demonstrate how your clinic is 

operationalizing compliance with the criteria. At a minimum, please submit 

the following attachments:

o All Designating Collaborating Organization (DCO) agreements, if any, 

identifying the specific CCBHC services to be provided by the DCO and, 

clarifying how the CCBHC will work with the DCO in compliance with 

Certification Criteria requirements (Certification Criteria Definitions).

o Organizational Chart for CCBHC Leadership (Program Requirement 1).

o Staffing and Training Plans (Program Requirement 1).

Please note that SAMHSA’s review of your materials is completely separate from any 

state certification process and does not make you eligible for state certification. 

After reviewing your submissions, SAMHSA may follow up with additional questions 

or requests for material.
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PDI Grantees Not Certified By Their State

Submit an attestation describing how your CCBHC complies with the 

Certification Criteria. While SAMHSA does not require grantees to submit the 

attestation and supporting documents in a specific format, your attestation 

should:

• State which version of the certification criteria (either the initial 

certification criteria or the 2023 revised CCBHC certification criteria) serves 

as the basis for the attestation;

• Fully and succinctly describe how your CCBHC meets each criterion and list 

the relevant supporting documentation;

• Clearly indicate areas/elements of the attestation, if any, that are compliant 

with the other version of the certification criteria; and
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PDI Grantees Not Certified By Their State, Cont’d.

• Include copies of relevant supporting documentation (i.e., policies, 

procedures, checklists), as necessary, to demonstrate how your clinic is 

operationalizing compliance with the criteria. At a minimum, please submit 

the following attachments:

o All Designating Collaborating Organization (DCO) agreements, if any, 

specifying the specific CCBHC services to be provided by the DCO and, 

clarifying how the CCBHC will work with the DCO in compliance with 

Certification Criteria requirements (Certification Criteria Definitions).

o Organizational Chart for CCBHC Leadership (Program Requirement 1).

o Staffing and Training Plans (Program Requirement 1).
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PDI Grantees Not Certified By Their State, Cont’d.

• SAMHSA recommends that you review the full criteria as well as 

the compliance checklist for the relevant version as you prepare 

your attestation. SAMHSA encourages grant recipients to limit the 

attestation narrative to no more than 30 pages (not including any 

attachments of supporting documentation). If it is not possible to 

do this in 30 pages or less, please contact your SAMHSA GPO for 

guidance.

• GPO acceptance will be provided when the GPO has found that the 

attestation sufficiently describes how the CCBHC fully meets the 

CCBHC Criteria.

Please note that SAMHSA review and acceptance of your 

attestation does not constitute certification as a CCBHC.
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Requirements for Compliance with the Revised Criteria
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Questions & Answers
SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance 

abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

 

www.samhsa.gov

1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) ● 1-800-487-4889 (TDD)

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Thank you

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