CCBHC Expansion Grant Application Guide

The SAMHSA CCBHC Expansion Grant Process

The SAMHSA CCBHC Expansion Grant (CFDA 93.829) is a competitive federal grant program that funds the establishment and expansion of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. Unlike formula-based programs such as CSBG, CCBHC expansion grants are awarded through a competitive application process where proposals are scored by peer review panels and funded based on merit. In recent cycles, SAMHSA has awarded approximately $1 billion across roughly 150 grants, with individual awards typically ranging from $4 million to $8 million over a 4-year project period.

The application process involves multiple phases: monitoring for the NOFO release, obtaining state CCBHC certification, preparing application components, assembling the complete application package, and submitting through Grants.gov. Each phase has specific requirements and timelines that must be managed carefully. A missed deadline at any stage — state certification, SAM.gov registration renewal, or Grants.gov submission — can disqualify an otherwise strong application.

Understanding the NOFO

SAMHSA publishes the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for CCBHC expansion grants on Grants.gov, typically during the spring or summer. The NOFO is the authoritative document specifying all application requirements, review criteria, funding amounts, and deadlines for a given cycle. Every detail in your application should be traceable to a NOFO requirement.

Key NOFO Elements to Review First

• Eligibility requirements: The NOFO specifies which organization types may apply, what state certification status is required at the time of application, and any geographic or population-specific preferences. Read this section first to confirm your organization qualifies before investing in the full application.
• Review criteria and scoring: SAMHSA publishes the exact criteria peer reviewers will use to score applications, including point values for each section. Structure your narrative to explicitly address every criterion. Reviewers score what they can find in your application, not what they assume about your organization.
• Award parameters: Maximum and minimum award amounts, project period length, cost-sharing requirements, and any limitations on budget categories. Typical CCBHC expansion awards are $4M to $8M over 4 years, but confirm the specific amounts in each NOFO.
• Required documents and page limits: The NOFO specifies every required document, format requirements, and page limits. Exceeding page limits or omitting required documents results in rejection without review. Pay close attention to these technical requirements.
• Deadlines: Application submission deadline, state certification deadline (if applicable), letters of support deadline, and any pre-application requirements such as Letters of Intent.

State Certification Timeline

State CCBHC certification is a prerequisite for submitting a SAMHSA expansion grant application. This is one of the most critical timeline dependencies in the entire process. If your state has not yet established a CCBHC certification process, or if your clinic has not yet been certified, you must address this well before the grant application deadline.

• Begin 6–12 months before expected NOFO: Contact your state behavioral health authority to understand their CCBHC certification process, timeline, and requirements. Some states have standing certification processes; others certify clinics only in response to SAMHSA grant cycles.
• Complete self-assessment: Review the SAMHSA CCBHC Certification Criteria against your current operations. Identify gaps in service delivery, staffing, documentation, and EHR capability before beginning the formal certification process with your state.
• Submit certification application: State certification processes typically take 3 to 6 months from application to approval. Some NOFOs allow applications from clinics with certification "pending" with a state concurrence letter, but fully certified clinics have a stronger competitive position.

Required Application Components

A complete CCBHC expansion grant application typically includes the following components. The specific requirements may vary by NOFO, but this represents the standard application package.

Project Narrative

The project narrative is the core of your application and is where peer reviewers spend most of their time. A strong project narrative demonstrates that your organization understands the CCBHC model, has the capacity to implement it, and can achieve measurable outcomes. The narrative typically addresses:

• Statement of need: Document the behavioral health needs in your service area with specific data — prevalence rates for mental illness and substance use disorders, unmet treatment demand, crisis service gaps, health disparities, and the impact of these needs on your community. Use local data, not just national statistics.
• Proposed approach: Describe how your clinic will deliver all 9 required service categories, including which services will be provided directly and which through DCOs. Detail your evidence-based practices, care coordination model, and how you will meet the "no one turned away" requirement. Be specific about implementation timelines.
• Target population: Define the populations you will serve, including estimated numbers, demographics, geographic distribution, and any special populations such as veterans, individuals involved in the criminal justice system, or youth in transition.
• Performance measurement: Describe how you will track and report on the 21 CCBHC quality measures, your EHR capabilities for data extraction, and how you will use quality data for continuous improvement. Reference specific measures by name and number.

Staffing Plan

The staffing plan must demonstrate that your clinic will have the personnel necessary to deliver all required services. SAMHSA reviewers look for:

• Specific positions: List every position funded by the grant, including FTE allocation, qualifications required, and role in service delivery. Include psychiatrists/psychiatric NPs, licensed clinicians, peer support specialists, care coordinators, and crisis staff.
• Recruitment timeline: For positions not yet filled, provide a realistic hiring timeline. Behavioral health workforce shortages are well-documented, and reviewers will scrutinize whether your recruitment plans are achievable. Identify backup strategies if initial recruitment fails.
• Cultural and linguistic competency: Demonstrate that your staffing plan reflects the cultural and linguistic needs of your service population. Include specific strategies for recruiting bilingual staff, staff from underrepresented communities, and staff with lived experience.
• Training plan: Describe how new and existing staff will be trained on CCBHC certification criteria, evidence-based practices, quality measure data collection, and care coordination protocols.

Service Delivery Plan

The service delivery plan maps your clinical operations to the 9 required service categories. For each category, describe:

• How the service will be delivered (directly, via DCO, or hybrid)
• Which staff or DCO partners will provide the service
• What evidence-based practices will be used
• How care coordination with other service categories will work
• Expected service volume and capacity

Quality Improvement Plan

SAMHSA requires applicants to describe a comprehensive quality improvement (QI) framework. This is not a generic QI statement — it must be specific to the 21 CCBHC quality measures and demonstrate that your clinic will use data to drive clinical improvement. Key elements include:

• QI committee structure: Describe who participates in quality improvement, how frequently the committee meets, and how QI findings are reported to leadership and the board.
• Quality measure monitoring: How will you track the 21 CCBHC measures in real time? What EHR reports or dashboards will you use? How will you identify measures that are below target and initiate improvement cycles?
• PDSA cycles: Demonstrate familiarity with Plan-Do-Study-Act or similar rapid-cycle improvement methodology. Provide examples of how you have used (or will use) these methods to improve clinical outcomes.
• Client feedback integration: How will client experience data and satisfaction surveys inform your QI process?

Budget Narrative and Justification

The budget narrative must justify every line item in your proposed budget and demonstrate that costs are reasonable, necessary, and aligned with the project plan. SAMHSA reviewers look for consistency between the narrative and the budget — if your narrative describes hiring a care coordinator, the budget must include that position with an appropriate salary.

For detailed guidance on CCBHC budget structure, allowable costs, and PPS rate considerations, see the Budget & PPS Rate Structure page. Budget narratives must also demonstrate compliance with 2 CFR 200 cost principles.

Letters of Support and DCO Agreements

Letters of support strengthen your application by demonstrating community buy-in and partnership commitments. SAMHSA typically requires:

• State certification letter: A letter from your state behavioral health authority confirming CCBHC certification or certifying the application is pending with state concurrence.
• DCO commitment letters: Written commitments from each Designated Collaborating Organization describing the specific services they will provide, the terms of the partnership, and their qualifications. These should be more specific than generic letters of support.
• Community partner letters: Letters from hospitals, law enforcement, schools, housing authorities, and other community organizations confirming their commitment to care coordination with the CCBHC.
• Past performance references: If your organization has managed previous SAMHSA grants or other federal awards, include performance data and references demonstrating your capacity to manage a multi-million-dollar, multi-year project.

Grants.gov Submission Process

All SAMHSA CCBHC expansion grant applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. The submission process has specific technical requirements that must be addressed well before the deadline.

Pre-Submission Requirements

• SAM.gov registration: Must be active and current. Registration renewal takes 7–10 business days; initial registration can take 3–4 weeks. Verify your SAM.gov registration status at least 30 days before the deadline.
• Grants.gov AOR designation: Your organization must have an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) registered in Grants.gov with the authority to submit on behalf of the organization. This registration must be linked to your SAM.gov UEI.
• Workspace setup: SAMHSA applications use the Grants.gov Workspace feature. Create your workspace early, invite collaborators, and begin uploading documents at least one week before the deadline. Last-minute technical issues are common and can prevent submission.

Submission Checklist

Use this checklist in the final days before submission to ensure completeness:

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance) completed with all required fields
• SF-424A (Budget Information) with all budget periods populated
• Project narrative within page limits and addressing all review criteria
• Budget narrative justifying all proposed expenditures
• Staffing plan with all required positions and FTE allocations
• Quality improvement plan addressing 21 CCBHC quality measures
• State CCBHC certification letter or concurrence letter
• DCO commitment letters and/or executed agreements
• Letters of support from community partners
• Biographical sketches for key personnel
• Organizational chart
• All documents in PDF format and under Grants.gov file size limits

Writing a Competitive Narrative

SAMHSA peer reviewers evaluate hundreds of applications in a short period. Your narrative needs to be clear, well-organized, and directly responsive to the review criteria. Here are strategies that differentiate funded applications from unfunded ones:

• Mirror the review criteria structure: Organize your narrative using the same headings and sequence as the review criteria. Reviewers should be able to map each section of your narrative directly to a criterion without searching. Use the exact language from the criteria in your headings.
• Lead with data, not aspirations: Every claim about community need should be supported by specific data points. Instead of "our community has significant behavioral health needs," write "our service area has 42,000 adults with serious mental illness, of whom only 18% are currently receiving treatment (State BH Needs Assessment, 2024)."
• Be specific about implementation: Vague plans score poorly. Instead of "we will provide crisis services," describe your crisis response model, staffing levels, response time targets, mobile crisis deployment area, and coordination with 988 and local emergency services.
• Address sustainability honestly: SAMHSA wants to know how your CCBHC will continue after grant funding ends. If your state has a Medicaid CCBHC demonstration, describe your path to PPS reimbursement. If not, describe other revenue strategies. Reviewers appreciate honest sustainability plans over unrealistic projections.
• Demonstrate past performance: If your organization has managed previous federal grants, include specific performance metrics. If this is your first SAMHSA award, describe analogous management experience (state contracts, other federal awards, Medicaid managed care) that demonstrates fiscal and programmatic management capacity.

Award Sizes and Budget Planning

SAMHSA CCBHC expansion grants typically range from $4 million to $8 million over a 4-year project period, translating to approximately $1 million to $2 million per year. The exact award ceiling and floor are specified in each NOFO. When planning your budget, consider:

Post-Award Expectations

If funded, CCBHC expansion grantees must be prepared for significant reporting and compliance obligations from day one. SAMHSA expects grantees to begin service delivery within the first 6 months of the award and to submit regular performance and financial reports throughout the project period. Key post-award requirements include:

• Annual GPRA data collection and reporting to SAMHSA
• Quarterly SF-425 financial status reports
• Annual progress reports on quality measures and service delivery targets
• Participation in SAMHSA-sponsored learning communities and technical assistance events
• Maintenance of CCBHC state certification throughout the project period

For detailed guidance on reporting requirements, see the Reporting & Quality Measures page. For compliance requirements that apply from day one, see the Compliance & Certification Criteria page.