Department Initiatives

Child Behavioral Health Dashboard

The Child Behavioral Health Dashboard was developed to give service providers, policymakers and stakeholders the information they need to make more data-informed decisions about child behavioral health in North Carolina. The dashboard brings together data from multiple sources and includes key metrics on behavioral health diagnoses among children and adolescents, risk factors and utilization of Emergency Departments, mobile crisis services and Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs) for behavioral health care.

Children with Complex Needs

Children with Complex Needs are ages 5 and under 21, with a developmental and/or intellectual disability and a mental health disorder diagnosis who are Medicaid eligible and at risk of not being able to return to or maintain placement in a community setting. The Department is developing a process to identify these children and link them to diagnostic testing and appropriate services.

Climate Change

The Department is among several state agencies working together to address climate change at the direction of Governor Roy Cooper through Executive Order 80: North Carolina's Commitment to Address Climate Change and Transition to a Clean Energy Economy.

Community and Partner Engagement

NCDHHS has launched a Community and Engagement Plan and website to ensure the voices of North Carolina communities and families continue to be at the center of the department’s work.

Early Childhood

All North Carolina children should get a healthy start in life and be able to develop to their full potential in safe and nurturing families, schools and communities. DHHS is leading work on a statewide Early Childhood Action Plan to improve outcomes related to young children’s health, safety and well-being, and developmental and academic readiness, for children ages 0-8.

Healthy Opportunities

All North Carolinians should have the opportunity for health. Access to high-quality medical care is critical, but research shows up to 80 percent of a person’s health is determined by social and environmental factors. DHHS is focusing on improving the health and well-being of all North Carolinians by tackling these factors, with an initial focus on housing stability, food security, transportation access and interpersonal safety.

Home and Community-Based Services

North Carolina supports serving individuals with disabilities in the most integrated settings possible based on what is clinically appropriate as defined by the individual’s person-centered planning process.

Inclusion Connects

Inclusion Connects is an NCDHHS initiative to connect people with I/DD to more choices and more access to services and supports. The initiative is a collaboration among NCDHHS divisions, including the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services and Medicaid, to provide resources for connecting individuals with I/DD to services and supports available to live, work and play in their chosen communities.

Inclusion Works

Inclusion Works is an NCDHHS Initiative to promote Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD). Everyone has a right to work in an integrated setting for fair pay if that is their choice. Inclusion Works offers services and support to help individuals with I/DD find and maintain jobs in the community at competitive wages.

Infant Plan of Safe Care

Refers an infant who may have been exposed to substances during pregnancy to Care Coordination from Child Welfare, including services and linkages that the infant and family may benefit from.

Investing in Behavioral Health and Resilience

A comprehensive plan to strengthen North Carolina’s mental health and substance use disorder treatment system.

Mental Health Town Halls

Improving Behavioral Health and Resilience is a top priority for the NCDHHS. In alignment with our mission to improve whole-person health, NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley is committed to speaking with individuals in communities across the state about North Carolina’s behavioral health needs and key department initiatives through mental health town halls. We hope to visit as many counties as possible in the coming months and encourage residents to attend and join in the conversation.

NC Innovations Waiver

The Medicaid Innovations Waiver helps Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities live a more independent lifestyle.

Notice Informing Individuals About Nondiscrimination and Accessibility Requirements

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. DHHS does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

Public Participation Plan

NCDHHS recognizes that all citizens of North Carolina have the right to access government services and contribute to government decisions. The Public Participation Plan aims to improve communication, create meaningful dialogue, and enhance transparency in decision-making with the public. This plan provides a framework from which to guide the public participation process of health and well-being initiatives at NCDHHS. It establishes a model for effective public involvement and shares best practices for increasing attendance by raising awareness, removing barriers and engaging new audiences. It also highlights the agency’s efforts toward inclusive outreach. Read the Public Participation Plan.

Strategic Priorities

NCDHHS is focusing on three priorities through 2024:

Investing in behavioral health and resilience;
Supporting child and family well-being; and
Building a strong and inclusive workforce.

These priorities are grounded in whole-person health and equity and cut across a broader strategic plan that NCDHHS uses to drive effective operations and measure the impact of services provided throughout the state.

Telehealth

Telehealth is an important tool in providing access to healthcare for all North Carolinians. NC DHHS is invested in providing resources to health care providers and all consumers to increase equitable access to care and utilization of telehealth across the state. For health care providers there are technical assistance, education and resources available to support telehealth implementation and utilization within your organization. For consumers, there are resources on how and when to use telehealth and its benefits.

Transitions to Community Living

The Transitions to Community Living Initiative provides eligible adults living with serious mental illnesses the opportunity to choose where they live, work and play in North Carolina. This initiative promotes recovery by providing long-term housing, community-based services, supported employment and community integration.