Community behavioral health clinics were established in 2014, and expanded in 2018.
The clinics, which are funded through Medicaid programs or federal grants, must provide 24/7 call lines, mobile crisis response and crisis stabilization.
Little research has been done on the geographic distribution of community behavioral health clinics, the study’s authors wrote.
The study was written by researchers at New York University and the University of Missouri in Columbia.
Here are five findings to note:
- The percentage of the U.S. population served by any certified community behavioral health clinic increased from 20% in 2019 to above 60% in 2024.
- The percentage of counties served by any community behavioral health clinic increased from around 10% in 2019 to 40% in 2024.
- Four states —- North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware and South Carolina — have no certified community behavioral health clinics.
| - In 2024, around 25% of the population was served by Medicaid certified community
behavioral health centers, and around 54% were served by expansion centers. Some areas are served by both types of clinics. - Researchers found geographic differences in where community behavioral health centers are located, but these differences did not fall along partisan lines, according to an Oct. 4 news release.
Read the full study here.
