CCBHCs - Care that Connects with Kevin Trippett (CEO, Westbrook Health Services)CCBHCs - Care that Connects with Kevin Trippett (CEO, Westbrook Health Services)
The Association Spotlight Series
Kevin Trippett talks through how the CCBHC model is reshaping behavioural health care at Westbrook Health Services, from whole-health coordination to crisis support. The conversation focuses on practical changes in funding, staffing, and rural service delivery across West Virginia.
21:00•6 Oct 2026
CCBHCs and Whole-Health Care: Kevin Trippett on Changing Behavioural Health in West Virginia
Episode Overview
- CCBHCs replace fee-for-service with cost-based reimbursement, giving organisations financial stability to retain and recruit staff.
- Care coordinators support clients across behavioural, physical, and social needs, linking them to services such as food banks, transport, and primary care.
- New urgent care hours allow people in crisis to receive same-day medication support, reducing reliance on emergency rooms.
- Crisis "living room" spaces and 24/7 mobile crisis teams work with law enforcement to provide appropriate mental health responses instead of arrest.
- The model enables expansion of services into highly rural counties, addressing transport barriers and increasing access to care.
“We’re really looking at a whole health model, not just a behavioural health model with our care coordination teams.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction and mental health challenges in rural communities? This episode of The Association Spotlight Series brings in Kevin Trippett, CEO of Westbrook Health Services, to talk about how Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are changing the game in West Virginia. You’ll hear Kevin break down, in clear and practical terms, how moving from a fee‑for‑service model to a cost‑based prospective payment system has given Westbrook real stability.
That stability means more staff, better recruitment, and the chance to design services that truly match community needs rather than just chasing volume. A big focus of the conversation is care coordination. Kevin explains that CCBHCs create “an individual that a client can have as their guide through the services that they need,” supporting not just behavioural health, but physical and social needs too.
From linking people to food banks and transport through to primary care, dieticians and wellness coaching, Westbrook is leaning into “a whole health model, not just a behavioural health model.” For anyone interested in substance use disorder or co‑occurring conditions, the urgent care clinic and crisis "living room" are standout features.
Kevin describes how same‑day medication support for people in crisis and comfortable crisis spaces backed by peers and a crisis team are helping keep people out of A&E and away from unnecessary arrests, while allowing police to focus on crime.
You’ll also get a sense of the podcast’s practical, no‑nonsense style: this is a straight‑talking chat between a CEO and an industry host, aimed at providers, policy folks, and anyone curious about how better funding and smarter design can improve care in rural areas.
If you’re interested in how structured models can strengthen recovery support for people dealing with mental illness and substance use, this one might spark some ideas – where could a CCBHC approach make a difference in your community?
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