Community Mental Health Centers

About This Program

Community Mental Health Centers provide outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment on a sliding-fee scale, meaning costs are adjusted to what you can afford based on your income and household size. At the lowest income levels, the fee may be a few dollars per session or nothing. These centers are required to serve all residents of their designated catchment area regardless of ability to pay. Services commonly available at community mental health centers include individual therapy and counseling, group therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, case management for people with serious mental illness, assertive community treatment for people with the most serious and persistent mental health conditions, crisis services, and peer support programs. Community mental health centers often serve as the primary treatment resource for people with serious mental illness — schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression with significant functional impairment — who need ongoing clinical support. They also provide lower-barrier access to counseling for people dealing with situational mental health challenges, trauma, grief, or relationship difficulties who cannot afford private therapy rates. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act requires health insurers to cover mental health and substance use services comparably to medical and surgical coverage. If you have insurance but are struggling to access covered mental health services, contact your state insurance commissioner — parity enforcement has improved but violations still occur.

Eligibility Requirements

Related Programs