Are You CCBHC-Ready? Preparing for the 2026 SAMHSA Funding Cycle

March 04, 2026
1:00 PM ET

Are You CCBHC-Ready? Preparing for the 2026 SAMHSA Funding Cycle

As the 2026 SAMHSA funding cycle approaches, behavioral health organizations are facing a critical question: are we truly ready to pursue or advance CCBHC status?

This practical, no-fluff webinar brings together experts from Mend and INCITE Consulting Solutions to help leaders assess readiness, identify gaps, and take informed action before the Notice of Funding Opportunity is released. Whether your organization is exploring CCBHC designation for the first time or looking to strengthen its position for improvement or advancement funding, this session focuses on what actually drives successful applications.

Designed for executive, clinical, operational, and grant leaders, the discussion centers on real-world readiness signals, common pitfalls, and the preparatory work that separates confident applicants from those scrambling at the last minute.

What You Will Learn

  • How to determine whether pursuing CCBHC status aligns with your organization’s strategy and capabilities
  • What defines a prime candidate, including readiness indicators across services, staffing, operations, finance, and data
  • The essential preparation organizations can complete now to move quickly once the NOFO is posted
  • For existing CCBHCs, how to remain positioned for improvement or advancement funding while avoiding common application missteps

Featured Speakers

  • Kathy Dettling

    Senior Consultant, Behavioral Healthcare Integration | INCITE Consulting Solutions

    At INCITE, Kathy serves as a subject matter expert in clinical practice and organizational health. With nearly 40 years of experience in the behavioral health field, including 26 years in community mental health and more than a decade as a consultant, she supports organizations with sustainability, grant readiness, clinical workflows, and workforce strategies. Kathy has extensive experience working with SAMHSA grantees and CCBHC initiatives, helping agencies expand access, strengthen crisis and stabilization services, and implement evidence-based, data-informed care.
  • Emma Smith

    Vice President, Operations and Program Management | INCITE Consulting Solutions

    At INCITE, Emma is part of the leadership team and oversees all company portfolios and programming, building core processes in project management. Externally, she is the senior consultant for grants and new initiatives. Emma has over 25 years of experience in project management, including budget development and monitoring, oversight of government contract and cooperative agreement deliverables, grant writing, subcontractor supervision, and a variety of training and technical assistance activities. Her background includes primary and behavioral healthcare integration; substance use; tobacco control, chronic disease prevention, and other evidence-based wellness programming; community engagement; and quality improvement. 
  • David Henderson

    Director of Marketing | Mend (Moderator)

    David Henderson is Director of Marketing at Mend, where he leads strategic initiatives to advance patient engagement and access in mental and behavioral healthcare. With deep experience in healthcare technology and a passion for closing care gaps, David champions solutions that help providers improve outcomes and reduce barriers to treatment. Outside of work, he brings curiosity and creativity to his professional approach, combining empathy with practical marketing that drives real impact.
Event Sponsored By:
About Mend Mend is behavioral healthcare’s AI readiness layer for patient engagement—helping organizations reduce missed visits, close operational gaps, and ensure patients are prepared while staff know exactly what to do next. For more information, visit www.mend.com.

Registration for this executive web briefing has been provided at no charge courtesy of Mend.

An OPEN MINDS Circle account is required, which you consent to OPEN MINDS creating on your behalf if one does not exist.

Unable to attend? Still register! At the conclusion of the event, all registrants will receive a recorded copy of the executive web briefing and presentation slides.

Are You CCBHC Ready? Preparing for the 2026 SAMHSA Funding Cycle

3/4/20261:00pm EST1 hour
As the 2026 SAMHSA funding cycle approaches, behavioral health organizations are facing a critical question: are we truly ready to pursue or advance CCBHC status?

This practical, no-fluff webinar brings together experts from OPEN MINDS, INCITE Consulting Solutions, and Mend to help leaders assess readiness, identify gaps, and take informed action before the Notice of Funding Opportunity is released. Whether your organization is exploring CCBHC designation for the first time or looking to strengthen its position for improvement or advancement funding, this session focuses on what actually drives successful applications.

Designed for executive, clinical, operational, and grant leaders, the discussion centers on real-world readiness signals, common pitfalls, and the preparatory work that separates confident applicants from those scrambling at the last minute.

What You Will Learn

• How to determine whether pursuing CCBHC status aligns with your organization’s strategy and capabilities
• What defines a prime candidate, including readiness indicators across services, staffing, operations, finance, and data
• The essential preparation organizations can complete now to move quickly once the NOFO is posted
• For existing CCBHCs, how to remain positioned for improvement or advancement funding while avoiding common application missteps