Special to IFN
RALEIGH — In conjunction with Suicide Prevention Week, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services released 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.
The N.C. General Assembly last year invested $835 million to strengthen the state’s behavioral health system — a historic commitment to improving the health, well-being and day-to-day lives of North Carolinians and their families. The new report details the sweeping changes NCDHHS has made over the past seven years and continues to make using these investments, including strengthening the state’s system of care for people experiencing a crisis, expanding treatment options for children and youth with complex needs, improving outcomes for people involved in or at risk to enter the justice system, and supporting the behavioral health workforce.
“Too often, an underfunded behavioral health system leaves people behind in their most vulnerable moments, particularly children facing mental health challenges and other crises,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “That must change and we have an opportunity to make a transformational investment in North Carolina that addresses people’s critical needs and strengthens families and communities. I appreciate the collaborative work of state health leaders to ensure we have a comprehensive plan to transform behavioral health services across our state to help more people.”
“By investing in behavioral health, we are expanding access to care and saving lives,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “This is what real change looks like – our workforce, our communities and our state leaders coming together to transform our system to provide care when and where it’s needed most. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that every North Carolinian can access mental health and substance use services.”
The report also outlines the department’s work over the last several years to lay the foundation for a reformed behavioral health system, including expanding Medicaid to 600,000 people without health care coverage, transitioning to Medicaid managed care to better integrate physical and behavioral health, and launching the specialty Tailored Plans for people with behavioral health needs, intellectual and developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries. The report demonstrates how these initiatives enabled NCDHHS to more readily allocate and distribute funding directly into communities to ensure investments began serving North Carolinians as quickly as possible.
“By working hand-in-hand with our community partners and leveraging the $835 million in investments, we are making real progress toward building a system of care that helps people recover,” said Kelly Crosbie, director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. “As we mark Suicide Prevention Week, this report underscores our commitment to ensuring that help is always available and that every North Carolinian has the opportunity to live a healthier, happier life.”
Key Investments and Early Outcomes
The report highlights how NCDHHS’ strategic priorities align with Gov. Cooper’s $1 billion roadmap for behavioral health and resilience announced last year. Nearly half of the $835 million has been used to increase Medicaid payment rates for providers across the behavioral health, I/DD and TBI service continuum. This increase — the first in more than decade — will significantly improve access to integrated care for nearly three million North Carolinians, enable more providers to deliver services in a variety of settings, and make certain that care is more affordable and accessible for everyone.
The remaining investments are focused on four priority areas:
♦ Strengthening the Crisis System — The department has committed $131 million to build a behavioral health crisis response system that ensures all North Carolinians have someone to contact, someone to respond and a safe place to go for help when experiencing a mental health crisis. Early investments include creating 12 behavioral health urgent care facilities, which will increase the state’s capacity by more than 69%, and adding 114 new beds in community crisis centers, a 32% increase in capacity across the state.
♦ Enhancing Services for Children and Youth — Targeted investments of $80 million are focused on expanding services for children with complex behavioral health needs and providing families with the support they need. Funding is helping to support a continuum of services available in homes, schools and communities to ensure children have options for in-home treatment or can return home as soon as possible. Solutions like the DSS Emergency Placement Fund announced in February are helping provide placement options for children at risk of inappropriate boarding in local Division of Social Services offices.
♦ Supporting Justice-Involved Individuals — NCDHHS is investing $99 million to expand services that help individuals with mental health and substance use conditions avoid incarceration, receive treatment while incarcerated and successfully re-enter their communities. Programs like detention center-based capacity restoration are already showing success, restoring capacity four times faster (when compared to state psychiatric hospitals) which allows individuals to proceed more quickly through the legal system.
♦ Building a Stronger Behavioral Health Workforce — NCDHHS is directing $115 million to train, recruit and retain a diverse and skilled behavioral health workforce. Early investments include support for Direct Services Professionals and Peer Support Specialists, as well as funding to expand access to the NC Psychiatry Access Line for pediatric, maternity and social service providers.
NCDHHS’ ongoing work to transform the behavioral health system is made possible through the leadership of Gov. Cooper and the General Assembly; partnerships with community organizations across the state helping to expand access to services; and most importantly, the commitment of North Carolina’s behavioral health workforce to continue improving outcomes for the people and families they serve.
Looking ahead, the department plans to leverage the $835 million investment to further expand services and build an integrated behavioral health system that works for all North Carolinians.
LEARN MORE
Read the Full Report HERE.