What are community mental health centers?
Community mental health centers (CMHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) receive federal funding to provide behavioral health services to all members of their communities, regardless of ability to pay. They serve Medicaid and uninsured patients and offer sliding-scale fees based on income.
Services typically offered
- Individual and group therapy
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management
- Crisis intervention and emergency services
- Substance use counseling and treatment
- Case management and care coordination
- Services in multiple languages
How to find a community mental health center
The HRSA Health Center Finder (findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov) locates FQHCs near you. SAMHSA's treatment locator also includes community mental health centers. BehavioralHealthGuide.org includes community mental health centers in search results — filter by "sliding scale" or "Medicaid accepted" to surface these options.
What to expect
CMHCs serve higher-acuity populations and may have longer initial wait times than private practices. Bring documentation of income for sliding-scale fee assessment. Services are provided by licensed clinicians — the same credentials as private practice therapists.