In Raleigh, North Carolina officials, alongside First Lady Anna Stein, are deploying a new initiative designed to bolster support for individuals with severe mental health issues who frequently encounter the criminal justice system. According to a press release by the NCDHHS, this pilot program will introduce Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) teams with a budget of $9.5 million to aid in successful community reintegration and minimize recidivism.
The teams are being established across five counties: Pitt, New Hanover, Wake/Durham, Buncombe, and Mecklenburg, aiming to extend existing Assertive Community Treatment services by concentrating on diverting at-risk individuals from potential criminal activity. Services provided by the FACT teams will encompass mental health care, assistance with housing and daily living, educational support, substance use disorder therapy, and connections to other professional help as necessary. In a statement obtained by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, First Lady Anna Stein remarked, "I am pleased our state is making a targeted investment to make sure people with severe mental health conditions get the help they need."
Emphasizing the multi-faceted nature of the program, Dev Sangvai, North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary, highlighted the benefit of the holistic approach. "This new approach will improve outcomes for people with serious mental health needs by ensuring they have the resources and care they need to succeed in their communities," Sangvai said, "Providing them with housing, transportation, and health care will reduce the chances they will return to jail or prison. This improves not only their health and well-being but also public safety," as per the NCDHHS.
The FACT teams are multidisciplinary in scope, including psychiatric professionals, nurses, peer support specialists, substance use and vocational experts, and a forensic navigator. Additional collaboration will bring in faith leaders, and family members, to support clients. Kelly Crosbie, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services told the press, "Recovery isn’t ‘one size fits all.’ For people with mental health and substance use issues, justice involvement adds another layer of complexity. FACT teams deliver the right support at the right time, helping people rebuild their lives with dignity and hope."
Each of the aforementioned teams will receive an annual fund of $636,000 for three years, with the monies managed by the local management entity/managed care organization (LME/MCO) in each respective area. Providers like Strategic Interventions, Carolina Outreach, and RHA Health Services have been selected to operate these teams, which are expected to be functional by late 2025 or early 2026. This initiative is part of a wider investment by the NC General Assembly to cultivate a mental health care system that tailors to all North Carolinians based on their individual needs.
