Tag Archive for: #ncdepartmentofhealthandhumanservices

The Local Skinny! State Of NC Focusing On Crime Prevention

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– information courtesy of the N.C. Department of Public Safety

The N.C. Department of Public Safety and the Department of Health and Human Services recently released a timeline of violence prevention initiatives that reflect the whole-of-government partnership launched last year with the formation of the state’s first Office of Violence Prevention.

“We must continue to work to make our communities safer and reduce crime by investing in the programs and interventions proven to work,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “Last year we launched the Office of Violence Prevention to foster collaboration between public health and law enforcement professionals across North Carolina to reduce violence and make our communities safer.”

Siarra Scott has been named acting director of the office, which brings together law enforcement, public health officials, community groups and other state and local partners to apply a public health approach to violence prevention. It’s an approach endorsed by a new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General and adopted by a growing network of local Offices of Violence Prevention springing up in communities across the state.

“June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month, and we know that from 2019 to 2021, children in North Carolina were more likely to die as a result of firearm misuse than a car accident,” Scott said in a press release. “I’m honored to partner with leaders across the state who are looking for new ways to ensure the safety and health of our communities.”

Cooper created the Office of Violence Prevention through Executive Order 279. The office is a partnership between the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Law enforcement and public safety officials cannot walk this path alone,” said N.C. Public Safety Secretary Eddie M. Buffaloe Jr. “Our partnership with DHHS is helping the state identify the root causes of violence in our communities and plan an effective response that leverages criminal justice, healthcare, social services and economic resources.”

“Violence and poor health outcomes are fundamentally driven by many of the same factors — lack of food, transportation, housing, and other basic needs,” said N.C. Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “Working together we can save lives by ensuring all North Carolinians have access to healthcare, social services and other critical resources. Using a data-driven approach and collaborating on strategies that work, we are increasing firearm storage options and improving access to critical resources, including mental health and substance use-disorder services.”

The report highlights 2023 and 2024 accomplishments that include:

  • Establishing the Office of Violence Prevention and a 24-member Community Violence Advisory Board through Executive Order 279.
  • Launching and growing  NC S.A.F.E., a public awareness campaign that promotes safe storage of firearms. Efforts include the distribution of almost 50,000 firearm storage devices to North Carolinians.
  • Leveraging federal funding to support hospital and community-based violence intervention programs and working to extend Medicaid funding to cover violence interruption services.
  • Partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to revive federal Project Safe Neighborhood funding for violence prevention.
  • Improving access to healthcare for more than 600,000 North Carolinians through Medicaid expansion.
  • Collaborating across state agencies to provide re-entry services for formerly incarcerated people, as established by Executive Order No. 303, directing whole-of-government coordination of services.
  • Advancing suicide prevention initiatives, including collaboration with local firearm safety teams, suicide prevention teams and faith leaders.

To learn more about the partnerships that are helping North Carolina develop a comprehensive response to violence, view the timeline of North Carolina Violence Prevention Activities.

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The Local Skinny! NCDHHS Prepares For Medicaid Expansion

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-information courtesy of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced Oct. 1 is the anticipated start date for Medicaid expansion, which could make more than 600,000 state residents eligible to participate in the insurance program.

Medicaid expansion in North Carolina would increase the eligible population to adults aged 19-64 who have incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level on Oct. 1. The General Assembly still must act by Sept. 1 to set the wheels in motion.

The expansion would give health care coverage to single individuals making under about $20,000 a year. Likewise, a family of three earning under about $34,000 combined will now be eligible. Beneficiaries will get care the same way as existing Medicaid beneficiaries and be eligible for the same comprehensive benefits and copays as other non-disabled adults in Medicaid, according to information from DHHS.

“We are thankful for leadership and partnership in passing Medicaid Expansion which will save lives, increase access to care and bring billions of dollars to North Carolina,” said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “Moving forward now sets the department on a path to be able to get health care coverage to thousands of people as soon as possible.”

NCDHHS has opened for public comment the State Plan Amendment for Medicaid Expansion’s Alternative Benefit Plan, a legal document required to be submitted to the federal government.

Interested individuals may submit public comment at medicaid.ncdhhs.gov/medex-state-plan-amendment-new-medicaid-expansion-20230726/download?attachment.

DHHS officials have stated that Medicaid expansion “will be transformative for access to health care in rural areas, for better mental health and for veterans, working adults and their families while bringing billions in federal dollars to the state.”

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The Local Skinny! 988 Suicide And Crisis Line Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary

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-information courtesy of the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services

The three-digit suicide and crisis lifeline number – 988 – recently celebrated its first anniversary and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services officials say trained crisis counselors field about 5,000 calls each month.

The number – 988 – connects North Carolinians via call, chat or text to a trained counselor who will listen, offer support and provide community resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, according to information from DHHS. The service is provided through a state-federal partnership between NCDHHS and the U. S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration.

“988 has made it easier and faster for those in a mental health or substance use crisis to get the help they need,” said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “It is a critical step forward in strengthening our crisis system throughout the state.”

Every person who connects with 988 is offered support. The call center provides trained crisis counseling and connects callers to help in their local community based on each caller’s specific needs. Callers are connected in real-time to specialized, community-based crisis responders 24/7, if that level of support is needed.

Since its launch in July 2022, there has been a 31 percent increase in North Carolinians reaching out for support – 60 percent are new callers and 40 percent are repeat callers looking for additional support.

Early indicators suggest 988 is highly effective, showing 90 percent of individuals with thoughts of suicide reported improvement in how they were feeling by the end of their call. Operational improvements are also evident. North Carolina’s average speed to answer is 19 seconds, while the national average is 41 seconds (at the start of last year, the national average was 2 minutes and 39 seconds).

“We are encouraged by the significant increase in connections to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. “We’re seeing 988 help more and more people in real time, which means more people are getting the care they need when they need it. That makes 988 a powerful tool for addressing our mental health and substance use crisis.”

Callers who reach out to 988 have the option to connect with specialized crisis lines providing support services to Veterans and their families, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults (e.g., the Trevor Project Line), and to Spanish-speakers. Text and chat services are reaching individuals of all ages, particularly adolescents and young adults, with 39 percent of chats and texts coming from individuals 13-24 years old. With the recent addition of 24/7 Spanish chat and text services, 988 is expanding its reach into Spanish-speaking communities. As part of that broader commitment to health equity, NCDHHS continues to refine its 988 marketing to reach communities across North Carolina, tailoring campaigns for youth, older adults, rural communities, people with disabilities and Black and Indigenous People of Color.

NCDHHS is also pursuing additional ways to enhance 988. Using data obtained throughout the last year, and feedback from people with lived experience, NCDHHS is launching a supplemental service line that will enable 24/7 peer support services for individuals who contact 988 and prefer to speak to someone with lived experience. This peer “warm line” will connect these individuals to a Certified Peer Support Specialist — someone living in recovery with mental illness and/or substance use disorder. By incorporating peer support into 988, the NCDHHS “warm line” promotes an anti-stigma approach to mental health and substance use, and it expands the evidence-based services 988 can offer.

Governor Roy Cooper’s proposed $1B Behavioral Health and Resilience plan proposes additional investment in 988 and other community-based crisis services including:

  • Mobile Crisis Teams: Immediate, on-site support for people experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis
  • Facility-Based Crisis Centers and Drop-in Centers: Community-based crisis centers for individuals experiencing a behavioral health or substance use crisis
  • Statewide Transportation Services: Transportation services to psychiatric facilities that do not involve law enforcement

988 is available to anyone, anytime. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Individuals who speak Spanish can now connect directly to Spanish-speaking crisis counselors by calling 988 and pressing option 2, texting “AYUDA” to 988, or chatting online at 988lineadevida.org or 988Lifeline.org.

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The Local Skinny! COVID Has Not Gone Away

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There aren’t as many people still following the CDC guidelines that call for mask-wearing in public, but there remain some for whom “COVID fatigue” has not affected.

Schools, hospitals, doctors’ offices and other places that once required temperature checks and masks before entering have loosened those protocols.

Dr. Tracei Ball, a spokesperson for NC Department of Health and Human Services, encourages everyone to stay current on COVID vaccinations to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

As long as it’s around, people are susceptible, so it’s imperative to stay protected, Ball said.

Ball is chief medical officer for OnCall Mobile Medical and Wellness in the Charlotte Metro area, and she told Bill Harris on Wednesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! that even though COVID no longer steals the headlines and news broadcasts as it did over the past couple of years, it still poses a risk.

“We’re still seeing hospitalizations and deaths,” she said. “We need to stay abreast of what’s happening with COVID regardless of what’s happening in the headlines.”

The bivalent vaccine against COVID works, she said. “That’s going to give you the greatest protection against COVID right now,” Ball said.

And by the way, if the last vaccine you received was before September 2022, you’re due for a booster. And anyone 65 or older or who has a medical condition that puts you in a higher risk for infection is eligible for a booster if it’s been more than four months since your last one.

“If we all work together  and do our part, we protect not only ourselves, but our loved ones as well,” Ball said. “We may have to deal with COVID for some time.”

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