Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY — As part of an ongoing effort to transform North Carolina’s behavioral health crisis response system, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with Alliance Health and Promise Resource Network to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Peer Respite Center in Wake County.

MEDIA ADVISORY — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office will hold a press conference at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, to announce the launch of the new capacity restoration program at the Pitt County Detention Center. NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley will be joined by Senator Jim Burgin, Pitt County Sheriff Paula Dance and Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the NC Sheriff’s Association Eddie W. Caldwell Jr. during the press conference and brief Q&A with credentialed media after.

MEDIA ADVISORY — The Dix Park Conservancy is unveiling a new art installation on Dorothea Dix Park on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, at 10 a.m. with a reception that credentialed media and members of the public are invited to attend. North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley will also be speaking to celebrate the public art called “Get Well Soon,” created by Raleigh-based artist and licensed mental health counselor Lamar Whidbee. The piece is installed at Dix Park’s Spruill Building, part of the now-closed mental health facility established in 1856.

MEDIA ADVISORY — To increase awareness about problem gambling and its effects on individuals, families and communities, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with East Carolina University to conduct vital research into the emerging trends and impact of problem gambling, as well as looking at historically marginalized and understudied populations in North Carolina.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announces $5 million to help providers build capacity and implement the Collaborative Care Model in primary care offices across the state. Through the Collaborative Care Model, primary care providers work with an integrated behavioral health case manager and a psychiatric consultant to monitor and treat patients for mild to moderate behavioral health conditions. The need for integrated medical and behavioral health care is greater than ever as rates of anxiety and depression have substantially increased following the COVID-19 pandemic.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced $2.9 million in federal funding to help increase crisis counseling services for people impacted by Hurricane Helene. The funding is part of the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program administered by the U. S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is available to states to address behavioral health care needs and support relief for people in disaster-impacted communities.

READOUT — North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley traveled to Henderson and Buncombe counties Thursday to survey damage and meet with people impacted by Hurricane Helene. Secretary Kinsley was joined by Senators Jim Burgin and Julie Mayfield and began the day meeting with people who have relocated to one of the state-operated shelters in Fletcher, N.C. The group then traveled to the Henderson County Department of Public Health and spoke to Health Director Dave Jenkins and Social Services Director Lorie Horne. The visit to Henderson County concluded with a stop by the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Center in the Blue Ridge Commons Shopping Center. Beginning tomorrow, people impacted by Hurricane Helene who are not currently an FNS participant will be able to apply for assistance to buy food for their families.

PRESS RELEASE — Whether directly or indirectly, millions of people in North Carolina have been impacted by Hurricane Helene. Natural disasters are traumatic for individuals, families and communities, and there is no right or wrong way to feel. After a hurricane, it’s even more important to get mental health support if you believe you or a loved one may need help, and to stay in contact with family and friends as soon as your access to communications is restored.

READOUT — NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley toured Mitchell and Yancey counties with Governor Roy Cooper on Tuesday, surveying storm damage, meeting with community members and thanking first responders at the Burnsville and Spruce Pine fire departments. The trip concluded with a visit to Sibelco Quartz Mine, a top employer of Mitchell County with about 500 employees. While speaking with members of the media, the Secretary shared updates from the department’s work in collaboration with local, state and federal partners to get the needed care and resources to the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by Hurricane Helene.

MEDIA ADVISORY – North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley is attending the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) 2024 INSPIRE Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 1 p.m. in Asheville, N.C. ARC will announce $11.5 million in funding for 39 projects in nine states, including North Carolina, to support substance use recovery initiatives. Secretary Kinsley, a member of the Substance Use Disorder Advisory Council, will participate in the announcement and a SUD Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem panel discussion moderated by ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin.

MEDIA ADVISORY — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services along with FIT Wellness, part of the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program (NC FIT), invites credentialed media on a tour and panel discussion on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 10:30 a.m. at the FIT Wellness clinic in Raleigh. This event highlights efforts to expand access to behavioral health services for people involved in the justice system, as an estimated 50% of people in prisons and jails in North Carolina identify as having a mental health need and 75% identify as having a substance use disorder.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services this week announced a funding opportunity for providers to support recruitment and retention for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). The investment is part of a series of initiatives to support DSPs, who provide vital services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and play a critical role in the state’s behavioral health workforce. The department is also developing a free online DSP certification program in partnership with the North Carolina Community College System and building a digital platform to support networking and connect DSPs to employment opportunities.

PRESS RELEASE — During Suicide Prevention Week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced the release of a new report, Transforming North Carolina’s Behavioral Health System: Investing in a System That Delivers Whole-Person Care When and Where People Need It. The report outlines the state’s expansive and strategic efforts to transform the public behavioral health system to deliver high-quality, equitable, accessible care that meets people where they are in their communities.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is holding a public webinar to mark World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10, 2024. This comes as Governor Roy Cooper proclaims the week of Sept. 8 as Suicide Prevention Week in North Carolina. Suicide is a significant public health issue that affects people across all socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds.

PRESS RELEASE — Governor Roy Cooper declares Aug. 31 Overdose Awareness Day in North Carolina — a day to remember those lost to overdose, honor their families and renew our commitment to ending the crisis.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced a $4.5 million investment in the NC Child Treatment Program, a statewide initiative to train mental health providers in trauma-informed treatment models for children with complex behavioral health needs. NCDHHS is investing to expand access to proven behavioral health treatments so young people and their families receive the support they need sooner, and in the communities where they live and learn.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recently launched the North Carolina Strategic Housing Plan to help maintain, increase and better utilize affordable supportive housing for people with disabilities across the state. This plan addresses housing needs for individuals with disabilities, including those who are currently receiving or eligible for NCDHHS-funded services as well as those who are experiencing homelessness, currently residing in congregate settings or at risk of entry into these settings.

MEDIA ADVISORY — The federal 988 Director Monica Johnson and leaders from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are visiting North Carolina Thursday to tour the 988 Call Center (REAL Crisis Center) in Greenville, tour a Community Crisis Center (Recovery Innovations) and later host a roundtable discussion in Durham to learn more about and highlight the success of North Carolina’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Peer Warmline. North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley and NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services Director Kelly Crosbie will accompany Director Johnson to both sites.

PRESS RELEASE — The NC Department of Health and Human Services this week celebrates the second anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In the past two years, 988 crisis counselors in North Carolina have responded to nearly 190,000 calls, texts and chats, providing critical access to mental health and substance use crisis support. In its second year of service, the number of North Carolinians contacting 988 each month has nearly doubled.  

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.