Building on the success of a program in Mecklenburg County, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the development of pilot community-based programs to restore the capacity of people who the courts determine are Incapable to Proceed (ITP) to trial.
People who are deemed ITP receive services which restore a person’s ability to understand trial proceedings and move forward in the justice system. Until now, only state hospitals provided these services even though the number of people needing services has increased. The increase in demand for both capacity restoration and mental health services has overwhelmed state hospitals.
In December, NCDHHS began a pilot with the Mecklenburg County Detention Center called NC RISE to provide services to people deemed ITP in custody. To date, the average time to restore capacity in this detention-based program is 43 days. The restoration time in the state hospitals, which is intended for patients who require higher levels of care, is more than 180 days. Similarly, the community-based programs will deliver the monitored treatment services to help people proceed to trial more quickly.
This is one piece of the overall strain on behavioral health care in North Carolina and across the nation. Capacity restoration can often be delivered in less clinical settings, keeping state psychiatric hospital beds available for people who need higher levels of care.
“Many of the people in need of capacity restoration do not need intensive care from a state hospital and would be better served in their community,” said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “This program is an important step forward that will help deliver the right level of care to all North Carolinians when and where they need it.”
The new community-based programs will be available in Mecklenburg, Wake and Cumberland counties. Capacity restoration services include behavioral health treatment, education about the court process and coordination of general health care. Community- and detention-based capacity restoration programs are a key element in the “Investing in Behavioral Health and Resilience” plan released in March by Governor Roy Cooper. The plan proposed $1 billion to strengthen North Carolina’s behavioral health system, improve access to crisis response services, extend access to care and improve outcomes using technology.
“The NC RISE program at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center has been one of the most innovative programs to assist with the behavioral needs of our justice involved citizens,” said Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden. “The program has proven to be an impactful addition to our existing program portfolio in just a few months. It gives me great comfort knowing that Mecklenburg, Wake and Cumberland counties will endeavor to meet the needs of their communities by implementing the successful and inspirational community-based programs.”
In collaboration with the Alliance Health managed care organization, three providers with experience in capacity restoration were selected to deliver these services — Atrium Health, CommuniCare and Fellowship Health Resources. Mecklenburg County will host one of the community-based capacity restoration programs, operated by Atrium Health.
“The Atrium Health Behavioral Charlotte team is very excited to partner with the state and Alliance Health as we pilot a new innovative program designed to provide capacity restoration within the community,” said Atrium Health Director Gregory Covington. “Our team will leverage its forensic and behavioral health resources to deliver quality service to this patient population in a less restrictive setting.”
This initiative addresses one of NCDHHS’s top three priorities — behavioral health and resilience. It furthers the state’s comprehensive plan to offer capacity restoration services at all levels of care, including in the community. These pilots will also benefit North Carolina’s legal and behavioral health systems.