North Carolina Launches Initiative To Improve Public Behavioral Health Crisis Services

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has launched a behavioral health crisis solutions initiative to reduce emergency department utilization and wait times for inpatient psychiatric and addiction treatment placement. Through this initiative, DHHS plans to expand the use of walk-in crisis centers, short-term residential treatment options, telepsychiatry, and care planning in order to divert people with behavioral health issues in crisis from emergency departments.

DHHS outlined the problem and the state’s goals in a white paper, “Mental Health & Substance Abuse Crisis Solutions Initiative.” DHHS reported that a review of claims data revealed . . .