The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is reaching out to the public for feedback on its newly crafted Suicide Prevention Action Plan. This strategic outline, spanning from 2026 to 2030, is born of the urgent need to bolster mental health care provisions across the state. Interested parties have until July 9, to review and comment on the proposals detailed within the plan, as described in a press release from the NCDHHS.
Collaborative in spirit, the effort marshals the strengths of NCDHHS, The North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s Office of Violence Prevention, and the Department of Public Instruction. It enumerates several strategies, chief among them are the creation of a statewide coordinated infrastructure, the implementation of safe storage practices, an expansion of mental health training into unconventional locales,, and ensuring that at-risk demographics receive timely and effective outreach. According to the state's Center for Health Statistics, the specter of suicide looms as one of the top ten causes of mortality for those aged 10-65.
Dev Sangvai, the NC Health and Human Services Secretary, emphasized the urgency of the matter. "We have to ensure people receive care when they need it, before they reach a crisis, especially among groups that are more vulnerable, like our teenagers, young adults and veterans," he explained in the plan's announcement, as per the NCDHHS.
Considerably, dire statistics shadow North Carolina's military veterans. Their suicide rates from 2018 to 2022 average out to a harrowing 2.7 times higher than those of non-veterans. Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services, noted, "Public input is essential to strengthening and shaping the continuum of mental health care in North Carolina." Her statement further solidifies the department's commitment to grassroots engagement in these pressing health concerns. Moreover,, special attention is being paid to African American youth through a partnership with the UNC Suicide Prevention Institute and Village of Care, tackling the disproportionate rates of their suicide-related hospital visits.
Resources for those in need are extensively available via the NCDHHS Suicide Prevention website, which offers support for issues ranging from depression to substance misuse. Moreover, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides an accessible lifeline to individuals in distress, through call, text, or chat, with resources particularly tailored for Veterans, Spanish speakers, and the LGBTQ+ community. The Peer Warmline similarly offers a channel for individuals to connect with Peer Support Specialists who can relate through shared experiences of mental illness or substance use disorders.
In moments when immediate intervention is necessary, NCDHHS crisis services can deploy mobile crisis teams, or direct individuals to community crisis centers. Here, they can find aid from licensed professionals without the added stress of an emergency room visit, presenting an alternative for those seeking immediate, yet compassionate, mental health care.
