Sound, one of King County's largest and most comprehensive providers of behavioral healthcare, announced that it was awarded a highly competitive Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) planning, development and implementation grant. Sound was the only King County provider awarded the four-year grant, of six that applied for it, and is only one of seven recipients in the entire state of Washington. CCBHCs are specially designated clinics that provide a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services and must meet rigorous standards to be awarded. 

The nearly $1-million-per-year grant will establish comprehensive coordinated care to meet the mental health, substance use, co-occurring disorder and physical health needs of the BIPOC, LGBTQ and other underserved communities. Sound's new 10,000-square-foot facility in Bellevue, located at 13555 Bel-Red Road, will serve as the program site. Under grant requirements, 500 unique individuals will be served annually, for a total of 2,000 unique individuals served through the life of the grant.

To qualify, CCBHCs must offer integrated evidence-based substance use disorder and mental health services, including round-the-clock crisis response and medication-assisted treatment. They must provide timely access, quality reporting and coordination with social services, re-entry and education systems. 

"The CCBHC model is in complete alignment with Sound's commitment to providing quality integrated behavioral healthcare," said Katrina Egner, Executive Vice President and Chief Programs Officer at Sound. "CCBHCs are proven to be an effective framework for providing the accessible, recovery-focused care our clients need."

As the state of Washington takes its own steps toward adopting the CCBHC care delivery model and becoming a CCBHC state, Sound's findings may be used in developing a blueprint and best practices for the industry in the years to come. CCBHCs benefit the community because they greatly improve access and accessibility to high-quality, evidence-based integrated behavioral healthcare. They benefit providers because of the potential to increase reimbursement rates that ensure greater financial sustainability.

"This is significant news," said Patrick Evans, President and CEO of Sound, "and marks the future of behavioral healthcare. I believe our history of innovation, commitment to evidence-based integrated care and comprehensive offerings uniquely qualifies us. This announcement is a key component of our transformation into a more sustainable provider of healthcare services, positioning Sound to be the model behavioral healthcare organization of the future." 

This follows a number of recent strategic changes Sound has put into place as it transforms post-COVID and works to create a more sustainable and viable healthcare business. The organization has consolidated locations, creating more streamlined and efficient operations; completed the sale of Cascade Hall, a 64-bed residential treatment facility, to King County; is reconfiguring its Primary Care practice and continues to evaluate other lines of business that are no longer sustainable in the current funding and reimbursement environment. 

About Sound

An independent, private nonprofit for more than 50 years, Sound has served the most complex addiction and behavioral health issues in our community, providing high-quality, comprehensive whole health services throughout the region. Sound is currently providing expanded telehealth services and provides primary care in a number of locations. The organization is an early adopter of Reaching Recovery, an evidence-based clinical model that promotes high levels of client engagement, improves outcomes and enables providers to better measure a client's recovery. Sound stands at the forefront of the healthcare field, accepting the most difficult cases and exploring new approaches to care. Our goal is to help individuals and families achieve the highest level of independence possible by providing whole health solutions, including addiction treatment, mental health, vocational, supportive housing and many other services. To learn more, visit www.sound.health.