In an effort to enhance mental health crisis response, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has launched a new initiative aimed at streamlining assistance through Mobile Crisis Teams. This $1.5 million pilot program with Trillium Health Resources is designed to provide a real-time dispatch process that improves the speed and efficiency of the response to mental health emergencies.
The Mobile Crisis Dispatch (MC Dispatch) is currently active in ten eastern North Carolina counties, aligning with Governor Josh Stein’s Executive Order 33, which advocates for a stronger mental health crisis system. By ensuring quicker access to mental health care, MC Dispatch aims to alleviate the burden on law enforcement resources.
“This initiative will connect people in crisis to the care they need by making sure they receive the appropriate level of response more quickly and efficiently,” noted NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. The streamlined process is intended to foster a more coordinated system of care.
Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Disorders, emphasized, “During a mental health crisis, seconds can make a difference. This new platform will help mobile crisis teams respond quicker. These highly trained counselors can come to a location of the caller’s choosing and will ensure they get the help they need.”
Managed by REAL Crisis Intervention, Inc., the state’s 988 service provider, MC Dispatch connects individuals in crisis with the necessary support. When a call is made to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline within the pilot area, the service will either dispatch a mobile crisis team or link the caller to a provider and other local resources. Partnerships with Integrated Family Services and Easterseals PORT Health strengthen the initiative within the pilot counties.
To evaluate the program’s effectiveness, the MC Dispatch platform tracks key metrics, including:
- Response times and adherence to service-level agreements (SLAs)
- Client demographics and payer information
- Request resolution outcomes
- Travel distances for responses
- Disposition outcomes and follow-up actions provided
The pilot program is initially operating in Duplin, Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Lenoir, Nash, Sampson, Warren, Wayne, and Wilson counties, with plans to expand to 27 eastern counties by the end of April. The ultimate aim is to extend MC Dispatch statewide, improving accessibility and coordination of mental health services across North Carolina.
This initiative is part of a broader $835 million investment by the NC General Assembly in 2023 to enhance mental health care throughout the state.
Read More Here
