North Carolinians Express Satisfaction with Mental Health Services Amid Ongoing Improvements
As efforts to bolster North Carolina’s crisis care system continue, a recent survey indicates that residents are largely content with the mental health and substance use services provided by Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs). Conducted annually by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) as part of the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant requirements from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the survey highlights the positive impact of recent investments in the state’s mental health care infrastructure.
2025 Survey Results Show High Satisfaction Levels
The latest statewide survey, which ran from August 14 to September 24, 2025, gathered nearly 8,000 responses through various methods, including in-person paper surveys, web-based questionnaires, and provider-administered telephonic or audio/video surveys. Available in both English and Spanish, the confidential and voluntary survey collected feedback from adults, youth, and families who receive services in North Carolina.
Despite the overall positive feedback, Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai noted, “While these results are encouraging, they show we still have plenty of work to do. Improving access to affordable care and strengthening our provider workforce are among our top priorities to build a crisis to care system that gives everyone someone to call, someone to respond and somewhere to go.”
Survey Highlights and Areas for Improvement
Satisfaction with services remained stable at 95% for adults and children/families, although youth satisfaction dropped to 87%—the lowest since 2019. Concerns were also noted in the area of youth treatment planning, which saw a decrease to 83% satisfaction. Nevertheless, adults reported increased satisfaction across all survey areas compared to the previous year.
In the Child/Family Survey, most categories experienced slight declines, with General Satisfaction and Cultural Sensitivity holding steady at 95% and 99%, respectively. However, satisfaction ratings for Outcomes and Functioning fell by 4 and 6 percentage points, settling at 75%.
Telehealth Services and Challenges
The survey also explored telehealth services, revealing that 41.2% of respondents or their children had used telehealth within the past six months. Youth utilized telehealth most frequently at 45.5%, with 60.2% of youth and 63.7% of child respondents finding it more beneficial than in-person visits, compared to 44.9% of adults. Key barriers included availability, technology discomfort, and a preference for face-to-face interactions.
Strategic Initiatives and Future Plans
LME/MCO providers are encouraging service recipients to participate in surveys to assess service quality and identify improvement areas. Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, Kelly Crosbie, stated, “This kind of feedback will only serve to inspire us to work even harder. Expanding services into rural areas is crucial to ensuring everyone in North Carolina can receive the treatment and support they need in a format that is most comfortable to them.”
The past two years have seen NCDHHS expand its crisis care network with nine new Behavioral Health Urgent Cares (BHUC) and two Facility-Based Crisis (FBC) centers, including a flexible BHUC and FBC for youth and adults at the Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Center in Concord. These efforts aim to increase the state’s capacity for behavioral health urgent care by more than 50%.
Collaborating with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work, NCDHHS launched a Public Service Leadership Program to promote social work careers and enhance workforce retention. Additionally, the Licensed Workforce Loan Repayment Program, initiated in December 2025, offers $20 million to recruit and retain licensed professionals in rural and underserved areas.
Addressing the opioid addiction crisis remains a priority, with the state supporting the UnshameNC campaign to destigmatize opioid addiction and raise awareness about medications for opioid use disorder. The expansion of Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) includes 11 new physical sites and the first three mobile units, extending OTP services to six additional counties, totaling 102 OTPs across 57 counties as of July 2026.
In April, NCDHHS allocated $5.7 million to 12 community-based organizations to expand substance use disorder services in high-need areas. NCDHHS remains committed to ensuring all North Carolinians have access to necessary care, with more information available on NCDHHS’ website.
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