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Services

Healthcare Advisory

CCBHC certification, FQHC support, and behavioral health funding strategy — with the federal compliance infrastructure to back it up.

Practice
Healthcare Advisory
Scope
CCBHC, FQHC, behavioral health
Engagement
Retainer or project fee
Healthcare nonprofit advisory — NPI Strategies

Overview

Healthcare strategy demands its own playbook.

FQHCs, CCBHCs, and behavioral health organizations operate in a funding environment that generalist consultants don’t understand — federal designation systems, cost-based reimbursement, SAMHSA program requirements, HRSA compliance reporting, and health-system community benefit structures that don’t work like standard foundation grants. The strategy is different. The compliance is different. The relationships are different.

We work exclusively in this sector for healthcare clients — not as an add-on to a generalist practice. That means we know which SAMHSA funding mechanisms are opening, what HRSA is prioritizing, and which health-system foundations in your region have community benefit dollars available. We bring that knowledge to bear on your specific designation status and funding mix.

For organizations pursuing CCBHC certification, we manage the full pathway — criteria mapping, service documentation, state designation coordination, and the funding strategy that makes the certification financially viable from day one. For FQHCs and look-alikes, we handle 330 grant strategy, HRSA compliance, and community health needs assessment processes that most development offices run reactively rather than strategically.

Organizations call us when

  • A CCBHC designation or SAMHSA application window is approaching
  • A health-system foundation partnership is possible but community benefit language is unclear
  • Federal or state reporting is piling up and the internal team lacks bandwidth
  • A new CEO from the clinical side needs a development and funding strategy

At a glance

Deep in one sector.

15+
FQHCs, CCBHCs, and behavioral health organizations served
$30M+
In federal and foundation healthcare grants secured
100%
Of CCBHC engagements include federal compliance coordination
3
Dedicated healthcare sectors: FQHC, CCBHC, behavioral health

How we work

Four disciplines, every engagement.

  1. Map the funding landscape

    Federal, state, and foundation funding opportunities specific to your designation and sector — with realistic timelines and compliance requirements laid out before you apply.

  2. Position for designation

    CCBHC certification prep, FQHC look-alike assessment, and community benefit narrative development — the positioning work that determines what you can access.

  3. Broker the partnerships

    Health-system foundation relationships, community benefit negotiations, and hospital partnership structures that expand your funding base beyond direct grants.

  4. Sustain the compliance

    Ongoing federal reporting, grant compliance, and designation renewal — the infrastructure that keeps your funding relationships in good standing.

In the field

This service, in practice.

All case studies →
VNS Health Behavioral Health
Featured · Federal Grants · Behavioral Health

$4M

A first-attempt federal win, stood up on schedule, managed through the full four-year award.

VNS Health set out to launch a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic in the South Bronx. NPI led the SAMHSA application, the 12-month implementation, and the three-year grant management partnership that followed.

Read VNS Health Behavioral Health’s story

Questions

Common questions.

What is a CCBHC and what does certification involve?
A Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic is a federally designated model for comprehensive behavioral health services. Certification involves meeting criteria across eight service domains, establishing cost-based reimbursement systems, and navigating state-specific designation processes. We manage the full certification pathway.
Do you work with FQHCs and FQHC look-alikes?
Yes. Federally Qualified Health Centers and look-alike organizations are a core sector. We support 330 grant applications, community health needs assessments, and HRSA compliance reporting.
Can you help with SAMHSA and HRSA grant applications?
Yes. SAMHSA behavioral health grants and HRSA primary care grants are the federal funding mechanisms we write most frequently for healthcare clients. We manage the full application cycle including compliance documentation.
What does "health-system foundation partnership" mean?
Hospital foundations and health system community benefit programs often fund community health organizations through partnership agreements. We identify, cultivate, and negotiate these relationships — which can be more flexible than direct grants and don't require competitive applications.
What does this cost?
Monthly advisory retainers for ongoing support; project fees for discrete engagements like certification prep or a single federal application. We scope on the first call.

Start a conversation

Tell us where the designation stands.

A 30-minute call with a senior advisor. We'll tell you whether CCBHC certification, a federal grant, or a health-system partnership is the right next move — and what the realistic path looks like.

Book a 30-minute call