Topics Related to Public Services

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 — In response to Hurricane Helene, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is providing one-time disaster supplement benefits to help households already receiving Food and Nutrition Services in 23 counties. This supplemental payment was automatically loaded onto participants’ Electronic Benefit Transfer cards Sunday and are now available for use. There is no action FNS participants need to take to receive the benefit. The total benefit is more than $16 million that was issued to 68,000 households and 135,000 FNS participants in western North Carolina. The benefit will bring FNS recipients up to the maximum benefit level they can receive for their monthly benefit for one month.

PRESS RELEASE — On Sept. 26, 2024, Congress extended the deadline allowing victims of recent Food and Nutrition Service benefits theft to apply for replacement benefits. The deadline for requesting replacement of stolen benefits is now Dec. 20, 2024. The federal provision allowing for replacement of stolen benefits was previously set to expire Sept. 30, 2024.

PRESS RELEASE — The NC Department of Health and Human Services this week celebrates the second anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In the past two years, 988 crisis counselors in North Carolina have responded to nearly 190,000 calls, texts and chats, providing critical access to mental health and substance use crisis support. In its second year of service, the number of North Carolinians contacting 988 each month has nearly doubled.  

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services continues to respond to the recent increase in syphilis and congenital syphilis cases with NC Medicaid now covering point of care rapid testing for syphilis and HIV. This new coverage, effective Jan. 1, 2024, allows Medicaid recipients to access rapid testing directly from their Medicaid-enrolled provider.

PRESS RELEASE — Today, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced new actions leveraging the state’s Medicaid program that will encourage hospitals to relieve a potential $4 billion in existing medical debt for approximately two million low and middle-income North Carolinians and ease the burden of medical debt in the future.

PRESS RELEASE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is launching its Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Tailored Plans, a new kind of NC Medicaid Managed Care health plan, on Monday, July 1.

MEDIA ADVISORY — In partnership with the Alamance County Government, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, RHA Health Services, and Vaya Health, the Alamance Behavioral Health Center will offer an array of mental health services, substance use recovery support, and services for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

PRESS RELEASE — Today, Governor Roy Cooper hosted Administrator of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services Cindy Long to celebrate the launch of SUN Bucks, the state’s newest food assistance program to help prevent child hunger. Governor Cooper thanked six philanthropic partners in North Carolina who are contributing generously to support SUN Bucks, joining leaders from the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) and the NC Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) to successfully launch the program.

MEDIA ADVISORY — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a Spanish-language webinar on Thursday, June 6, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., to discuss the new NCDHHS Community and Partner Engagement Initiative with North Carolina community advocates, partners, leaders and other members of the Hispanic and Latinx community. The public, media and interested organizations are invited to participate in the discussion.