North Carolina receives nearly $7 million for 988 and behavioral-health services
Three federal grants will support the state’s crisis line, regional mobile crisis teams and substance-use treatment for pregnant and postpartum women.
North Carolina has received nearly $7 million in federal grants to expand its 988 crisis response, strengthen mobile crisis teams and provide substance-use treatment for pregnant and postpartum women.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services announced the three grants Monday. The funding comes from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The largest award, totaling $5.2 million, will be used to improve responses to calls, text messages and online chats placed through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. DHHS said the money will help the state respond to increased demand, expand capacity and improve connections among 988, local 911 systems and mobile crisis services.
The department also received $750,000 to enhance existing mobile crisis teams serving Bertie, Halifax, Hertford and Northampton counties.
Mobile crisis teams respond to people experiencing behavioral-health emergencies in community settings. The system is intended to provide an alternative or supplement to responses involving hospital emergency departments or law enforcement when those interventions are not necessary.
A third award of $1.08 million will support integrated substance-use and maternal mental-health treatment for pregnant and postpartum women and their families.
The three awards total approximately $7.03 million, although DHHS characterized the combined funding as almost $7 million.
Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai said the 988 funding would help expand services, improve outcomes and increase public awareness of the crisis line.
The grants arrive as North Carolina continues to revise its behavioral-health crisis system and the connections between state agencies, local service organizations, emergency communications centers and health care providers.
Because the awards are federal grants rather than recurring state appropriations, the announcement does not establish permanent state funding for the expanded services. DHHS’ release did not specify the duration of each grant, the state’s long-term cost for maintaining expanded capacity or whether future state appropriations will be needed after federal funding ends.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available around the clock by telephone, text or online chat.
Editor’s note:
This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
