WellStone Receives Grant to Support Expanded Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Services

HUNTSVILLE, AL – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a four-year grant to WellStone this week, allowing the nonprofit organization to implement the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model for care delivery. 

The CCBHC model ensures access to 24/7/365 crisis care, along with care coordination with  hospitals, law enforcement, and schools. The grant will also allow WellStone to expand its services,  providing “one-stop shop” opportunities for clients. For instance, individuals will be able to receive  their mental healthcare, substance use treatment, and primary health screenings onsite. There are other high-quality programs resulting from the grant, including medication-assisted treatment  (MAT) to counter the ongoing overdose crisis. 

“I am thrilled about the CCBHC model of care,” said Jeremy Blair, WellStone CEO. “This grant will  allow us to create a much-needed mobile crisis team in Huntsville, enhance our services to  veterans, and provide additional services. Our goal is to make sure each person that wants to  receive our services has multiple paths to receive those services and begin toward their individual  path of recovery.” 

WellStone, along with state and local partners, has worked hard to complete North Alabama’s continuum of crisis care with a new, state-of-the-art facility for WellStone Emergency Services (WES); masters’ level therapists who serve as co-responders with crisis-trained Huntsville police officers; and most recently, crisis-trained counselors who field local calls from the new 988 suicide and crisis line. Thanks to the SAMHSA grant, WellStone will begin implementing the 24/7/365  mobile crisis unit, as well as other CCBHC-related programs, in October.