Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is launching its Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Tailored Plans, a new kind of NC Medicaid Managed Care health plan, on Monday, July 1.

PRESS RELEASE — Natural disasters and incidents of mass violence continue to impact individuals, families and communities. NCDHHS today launched a new, multilingual Disaster and Behavioral Health Resources Communications Toolkit to provide communities with tips, guidance and resources to support mental and emotional health before, during and after a disaster.

MEDIA ADVISORY — In partnership with the Alamance County Government, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, RHA Health Services, and Vaya Health, the Alamance Behavioral Health Center will offer an array of mental health services, substance use recovery support, and services for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the distribution of $6,250,000 to seven counties to provide youth substance use prevention within their communities. NCDHHS applied for and was awarded the funding through the U. S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, as part of its National Drug Control Strategy. North Carolina was one of only 12 states to receive funding for its efforts to invest in behavioral health care prevention.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services this week announced a $1.35 million investment to begin piloting trauma-informed mobile crisis and crisis co-responder services. These services will deploy teams who are trained and experienced to respond to people experiencing a behavioral health emergency, including mental health professionals and peer support specialists who can de-escalate crisis situations and provide appropriate support. This investment is part of the department’s ongoing effort to transform the behavioral health crisis response system to ensure North Carolinians have someone to call, someone to respond and somewhere to go for care. These pilots focus on the second piece of that crisis response system: someone to respond.

MEDIA ADVISORY — Leaders from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and state legislators will join the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities on Thursday, May 2, for a town hall to discuss key priorities for North Carolinians with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including choice and access to community-based services.

MEDIA ADVISORY — North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley will be the keynote speaker at the second annual ‘Why Us Kids?’ rally in Franklin, NC. The event was created by Gracie Parker, an 11-year-old youth mental health activist who shares her lived experience to raise awareness of the ongoing youth mental health crisis and advocate for school-based, trauma-informed support services for students of all ages across the state.

PRESS RELEASE — As part of an ongoing effort to transform North Carolina’s behavioral health crisis response system, the NC Department of Health and Human Services today announced a $22 million investment to expand community crisis centers and peer respite care across the state. This investment will increase North Carolina’s capacity for community-based crisis treatment by 20%, helping to ensure people experiencing a behavioral health crisis have alternative options to emergency departments or community and state psychiatric hospitals when seeking care.

MEDIA ADVISORY — Leaders from the NC Department of Health and Human Services, NC Department of Public Instruction and State Board of Education will join a roundtable with Guilford County Schools on Wednesday, April 24, to discuss the importance of school-based resources in improving physical and behavioral health outcomes for North Carolina children and families. NCDHHS received a historic $835 million to transform behavioral health care in North Carolina, with $80 million specifically focused on children and family well-being. Of that funding, this year, NCDHHS is investing $7 million in services like school-based telehealth to ensure children have better access to behavioral health support and treatment.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) today jointly announce an agreement in the Samantha R. et al. vs. NCDHHS and the State of North Carolina litigation. This development signifies the commitment of both organizations to ensure all North Carolinians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have the resources they need to live healthy, independent lives in communities of their choosing.