Welcome to the newsletter for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics in Georgia.

This newsletter is dedicated to providing valuable information, resources, and updates on DBHDD’s enhanced focus on community-based care. In each edition, we will share the latest news, research, and best practices in behavioral health. We hope you find this newsletter to be a valuable resource, and we welcome your feedback and suggestions.

- CCBHC State Project Director, Sarepta Archila, LPC

We heard from a lot of folks about the need for a specific area for CCBHC candidate staff in Georgia to connect. We are developing a CCBHC Georgia Member Area on the website. To gain access to this page, you will need to complete the form with your contact information for pre-approval using the button below. Once approved, a link to create a member profile to enter the member area will be emailed to you. 

If you have questions or have trouble accessing the Member Area please email connect@ccbhcgeorgia.org.

A conversation with Greta O'Dell

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Director

Q: Tell us about NADD Accreditation and what this means for your community.

A: It is estimated that over one million people in the US have a dual diagnosis of Intellectual Disability and Mental Illness.  The National Association for Dually Diagnosed (NADD) created the accreditation program to improve the quality and effectiveness of services provided to individuals with a dual diagnosis. 

"Central Georgians can rest assured that the programs and staff who are providing treatment and support are highly trained and committed to best practices for serving individuals who have intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses."

While a program can receive accreditation, it is required as part of the accreditation for a minimum of 10% of the staff to receive certification. A provider staff can receive certification separately from an accredited program. Both the accreditation and the certification programs are interrelated quality improvement programs that focus on accreditation for agency programs, a competency-based certification program for clinical staff, and direct support professionals. I looked at accreditation as an opportunity to strengthen our programs and discovered that River Edge is exceeding the standards set forth by NADD.

Q: What was the process?

A: River Edge Behavioral Health first became a member of the National Association of Dually Diagnosed (NADD). Membership is available to agencies or individual persons through the website www.thenadd.org. Our agency downloaded the standards which are free to anyone interested in the program, and reviewed our internal processes to ensure they aligned with the NADD standards.

REBH spoke with the NADD staff on several occasions prior to our scheduled survey to gather additional information about the process. 

REBH leadership discussed and decided on which programs to apply for accreditation with NADD, and completed the NADD application. During the survey, conversations at every staff level of our organization as well as the opportunity to tour programs and see interactions between staff and individuals served. The survey evaluated the policies and practices and offer consultation when needed to achieve best practices. River Edge was granted a three-year accreditation of the following programs: Outpatient Services, IDD Day Supports, IDD Residential Supports, Adult Crisis Stabilization Unit, and IDD Community Housing scoring 53 out of 54 possible points.

Q: What does this mean for CCBHC certification?

A: The mission of NADD is to advance mental wellness for persons with developmental disabilities through the promotion of quality mental health care. This mission aligns with the CCBHC model of ensuring access to coordinated care that treats the person as a whole, meaning individuals can receive an array of social, medical, and behavioral services. NADD also indicates that programs within the CCBHC meet the high standards established by NADD for providing services to individuals with dual diagnosis.

The National Association Of State Directors Of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) Directors Forum and Mid-Year Conference Recap

We are pleased to share a recap of the recently concluded NASDDDS Directors Forum and Mid-Year Conference held on June 14-16, 2023, in Portland, Oregon.

A key highlight of the conference was the insightful presentation by Allen Morgan, Director of I/DD Field Operations at the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

His session, "Bridging Multiple Systems: Innovations in Support," focused on the enhancement of home and community-based services (HCBS) for individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) who also have mental or behavioral health needs. 

Allen effectively highlighted the necessity to scale promising practices to enable the success of these individuals in their communities. He also spoke to Georgia’s unique approach to improving the access and quality of mental health and substance use treatment for individuals dually diagnosed with BH/DD via NADD Accredited CCBHCs.

Georgia is the first state in the nation to integrate IDD care (via NADD accreditation) into the CCBHC model. This innovative approach can be game-changing considering folks with IDD are 2-3 times more likely to also have a mental illness than the general population. 

Some key highlights from the presentation on the partnership in Georgia:

The NADD organization aims to elevate care for the roughly 35% of individuals with an IDD diagnosis who also experience mental health challenges. NADD Accreditation requires programs to meet competency-based professional standards and promote ongoing professional and program development. NADD provides support, education, and Certification for staff working in NADD Accredited programs.

We were proud to see Allen, alongside industry professionals like Beth Krehbiel of Washington State's Developmental Disabilities Administration and Stacy Nonnemacher of NASDDDS contribute to the constructive dialogue surrounding our shared mission. These interactions have strengthened our commitment to fostering connections that can revolutionize the quality and person-centeredness of care for people with I/DD and BH needs.

As more people learn about CCBHCs, they are wanting to know about the benefits. This overview video details the types of services, the process of becoming a CCBHC, and personal stories about their impact. We hope you can use this as a resource in presentations or conversations in your community around the CCBHC model. Click the image below to watch the video.

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