North Carolina seeks end to court oversight of mental-health settlement
State and federal officials say North Carolina has substantially complied with the 2012 agreement governing community services for people with serious mental illness.
RALEIGH — North Carolina and the U.S. Department of Justice have jointly asked a federal court to end oversight of a 2012 settlement governing the state’s treatment and housing of people with serious mental illness.
The motion does not itself end the settlement or federal monitoring. The district court must approve the request before oversight concludes.
The agreement led North Carolina to expand the Transitions to Community Living program, which provides housing assistance, community-based treatment, supported employment, crisis services and help moving out of institutional settings.
The settlement arose from concerns that adults with serious and persistent mental illness were being placed in adult care homes or psychiatric institutions when they could receive services in community settings.
Federal officials have now determined that North Carolina substantially complied with major requirements of the agreement, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
NCDHHS reported that more than 4,150 people are living in stable, community-integrated housing through the program. The agency said screening and outreach have also diverted more than 6,700 people from placement in adult care homes.
If the court approves the joint motion, responsibility for continued oversight would shift more fully to the state.
NCDHHS said services would continue after federal monitoring ends. The department identified housing, person-centered services, peer support, employment, crisis services and transition assistance as continuing priorities.
Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai said the state’s commitment to community-based care is not contingent on the continued existence of the settlement.
The department plans to hold a virtual town hall explaining how Transitions to Community Living will operate under state oversight. A date had not been announced when the state issued its Sept. 11 release.
Ending federal monitoring would represent a major accountability transition for a program shaped by nearly 15 years of litigation, state appropriations and outside review. It would not eliminate the state’s obligations under federal disability law or establish that every North Carolinian who needs community-based services is currently receiving them.
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.
