Topics Related to Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today published the 2024-25 Olmstead Plan to improve community inclusion for people with disabilities. Designed in partnership with key stakeholders and people with lived experience across the state, the plan advances the work to ensure people with disabilities have the resources they need to live and thrive in the communities of their choice. 

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the launch of Inclusion Connects, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state to better connect people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families with community-based services which are essential to supporting their health and well-being.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is hosting three resource fairs where adaptive equipment and resources to make recreational and leisure activities accessible to people of all ages will be showcased.

PRESS RELEASE — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed March Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. This marks the 37th anniversary of the Congressional designation of National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and acknowledges the nearly 200,000 people living in North Carolina who have intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD). The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities are dedicated to coming together to address societal barriers so individuals can reach their full potential and be fully included in their communities.

PRESS RELEASE — As sports betting becomes legal in North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Health Human Services is increasing its efforts to prevent, treat and help those experiencing harms related to problem gambling. This comes as Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced today its partnership with CHESS Health and Trillium Health Resources to provide critically needed support for North Carolinians working toward recovery from substance use disorders. Through this partnership, NCDHHS will make available CHESS Health’s proven eRecovery program to help thousands of North Carolinians struggling with substance use disorders to achieve long-term recovery.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released a draft of its 2024-25 Olmstead Plan designed to assist people with disabilities to reside in and experience the full benefit of inclusive communities. The plan is open for public comment through March 7, 2024. NCDHHS encourages all interested individuals and organizations to provide comment on the draft plan. The final, two-year plan will be published in April and implemented in calendar years 2024 and 2025.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is investing $5.5 million into the FIT Wellness program, part of the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program in the UNC School of Medicine, to improve reentry services for the justice-involved population. FIT Wellness delivers psychiatric and physical health care services along with connections to community supports such as housing, transportation and phones for people in the state prison system who have Serious Mental Illness.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released the request for proposal to hire the organization that will help manage the Children and Families Specialty Plan. The first-of-its-kind statewide health plan will ensure access to comprehensive physical and behavioral health services for Medicaid-enrolled children, youth and families served by the child welfare system. The CFSP is one initiative among many at work to improve youth behavioral health in North Carolina.