PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall on Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss how people can support their mental well-being, find resources and get help for themselves or someone else experiencing a mental health crisis.
Topics Related to Mental Health
READOUT — North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai traveled to western North Carolina today to participate in a Day of Service in coordination with Governor Josh Stein and other cabinet leaders. Recovery efforts continue to assist the more than four and a half million people who live in the 39 counties included in the federal disaster declaration following Hurricane Helene.
PRESS RELEASE — As Kody H. Kinsley closes out his tenure as North Carolina’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, the department celebrates the lasting accomplishments achieved under his leadership. Guided by his vision to make the health system easier to navigate for families and more effective at promoting health, Secretary Kinsley drove collaboration across the department and with broad coalitions of external partners to deliver on foundational changes that will improve health for generations to come.
PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office are partnering to offer additional services for defendants with mental illness whom the court has determined Incapable to Proceed to trial. Building on the success of NC RISE in Mecklenburg County, the program in Pitt County is part of the department’s continued work to ensure the right behavioral health care is available at the right time for all North Carolinians. The Mecklenburg County Detention Center will also be expanding its program and services for ITP defendants from 10 to 25 beds. Additionally, the Pitt County Detention Center and Mecklenburg County Detention Center programs will be regional and will accept ITP defendants from other counties.
PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced a $1.5 million investment to expand behavioral health services in school-based health centers across the state. This funding is a critical step in ensuring children have access to the right care at the right time by providing behavioral health support that meets families where they are — in schools and communities.
PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced a $4 million investment to expand and professionalize family peer support services statewide. This initiative is designed to improve outcomes for children and families by ensuring that families navigating complex systems have access to support and guidance from someone who truly understands their journey. The investment will strengthen the behavioral health workforce by offering support for 40 new Certified Family Peer Specialists that combined will help nearly a thousand families each year.
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.
PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced a $20 million investment made possible by the NC General Assembly in Non-Law Enforcement Transportation, a promising practice of providing trauma-informed transportation for people in mental health crisis who need to be transported from emergency rooms to residential treatment. In the past, much of this transportation was provided by law enforcement; but non-law enforcement transportation provides a safe, therapeutic alternative for people already in mental health distress.
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.
PRESS RELEASE — The NC Department of Health and Human Services this week completed the successful hiring of seven regional directors who will provide vital support to North Carolina’s 100 local departments of social services. These regional directors will work closely with county DSS directors and their agencies to enhance leadership, build capacity and strengthen service delivery to improve outcomes for children and families across the state.