Mississippi CMHCs Authorized To Operate Primary Care Clinics

Beginning in July 2014, Mississippi’s 14 regional community mental health centers (CMHCs) will be authorized to create and operate primary health care clinics to treat public behavioral health service consumers and their caregivers or families. The authorization is due to legislation (Senate Bill 2829) signed by Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant on March 31, 2014. Although the goal of the legislation is to improve access to health care services, no funding was appropriated to help CMHCs create a primary care clinic.

The provisions of Senate Bill 2829 address regional mental illness and intellectual disability (I/DD) commissions. In Mississippi, the . . .