| |
|
Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW
Director, DMH/DD/SUS
| | Hot Topics | April 29, 2025 | | |
North Carolina First Lady Anna Stein Visits
Elkin Opioid Treatment Facility
| | |
Anna Stein, First Lady of North Carolina and former chief legal counsel for the DHHS syringe exchange program, visited Welcome MAT Health in her hometown of Elkin last week. The facility opened in February, the newest of five Welcome Mat Health facilities in the state that are licensed and accredited to provide high-quality outpatient opioid treatment for individuals in need. The facility offers walk-in and call-ahead appointments and provides compassionate and comprehensive care.
“In watching what’s been going on in Surry County in the past decade that I’ve been doing this work and knowing how bad our overdose rates are and knowing the stigma that exists in Surry and Yadkin and other areas, I was so excited to learn about this clinic,” said Stein, as reported by the Mount Airy News.
The First Lady was joined by Anna Stanley, State Opioid Treatment Authority (SOTA) Administrator for DMH/DD/SUS. The SOTA provides oversight, training and technical assistance to the state’s opioid treatment programs, which currently includes 92 programs serving more than 26,000 individuals annually.
| |
NCDHHS Expands Investment in Direct Support Professionals Workforce – Round Two | |
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is continuing its commitment to strengthening the Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce with Round Two of the DSP Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program. This funding will support efforts to recruit and retain DSPs, ensuring that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) receive high-quality care in their communities.
In Round One, 54 providers and 82 Employer of Record (EOR) model participants received funding to improve workforce stability. Round Two builds on this success by addressing ongoing needs and offering additional opportunities for workforce development. In partnership with the Division of Health Benefits (DHB) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), this round introduces a Medicaid match program, expanding the funding pool to support more DSPs.
To qualify for Round Two Funding, DSP recipients must:
- Commit to a full-time schedule of at least 30 hours per week.
- Sign a three-year service agreement to ensure long-term workforce stability and continuity of care for individuals with IDD.
This initiative is an important step in enhancing care for individuals with IDD and ensuring DSPs are well-supported. We encourage all eligible providers and EORs to apply.
| | Applications Accepted Through Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. | | | |
NCDHHS Releases New Bilingual Resources
on the NC Innovations Waiver
| | |
A toolkit in English and Spanish is now available to help share information about NC Innovations waiver services. The NC Innovations waiver is for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) or a related condition, including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and more. This program is for people who need a lot of support, now and in the future.
| | 2025 State of the Workforce Survey | | The 2025 State of the Workforce Survey has been sent to all providers who have been noted as eligible by LME-MCOs. All providers who employ direct support professionals who provide a Medicaid funded service to adults with IDD are eligible to participate. Eligible provider agencies received a link to the survey specific to their agency. If an agency needs a link to the online survey or has questions, please reach out to NCISurvey@dhhs.nc.gov. The survey deadline is June 30, 2025. | | DSP Survey Report Webinar | | |
In collaboration the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), Relias has released the fourth edition of the DSP Survey Report. The 2025 report includes findings from before and during COVID-19, along with present data.
In this webinar, experts will share:
- How and why the survey was conducted
- Insights and findings, such as the impact of DSP job satisfaction, supervision, recognition, and career advancement
- Expert answers to the key questions in the survey report
Date/Time: Thursday, May 1, 2025, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Registration: Register for the webinar
| | TBI Waiver Expansion Advisory Committee | | |
The TBI Waiver Expansion Advisory Committee makes recommendations and provides support and guidance on the statewide expansion of the current TBI Waiver. The focus of this quarter's meeting will be a review of the TBI Concept Paper.
Date/Time: Thursday, May 1, 2025, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Join Link: Join the meeting
Meeting ID: 250 538 538 901
Passcode: dWHtWP
| | Inclusion Works Strategic Plan | | |
Inclusion Works is rolling out the five-year plan to promote Competitive Integrated Employment for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Join us for a review of the new plan.
Date/Time: Friday, May 2, 2025, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Registration: Register for the webinar
| | Side by Side with DMH/DD/SUS | | |
Join us to learn about policies and programs that affect the MH/IDD/SU/TBI community. Side by side, we will work together to better understand and improve our system. We will listen closely to one another, and we will share ideas for public policy that will improve lives in NC.
Date/Time: Monday, May 5, 2025, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Registration: Register for the webinar
English Flyer: Download flyer
Spanish Flyer: Download flyer
Closed-Captioning & American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters will be provided.
| | |
Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC)
2025 Women's Recovery Conference
| | |
Made possible in part by support from NCDHHS, this online conference is designed for those working in substance abuse, mental health, psychology, criminal justice, human services, and other health care professions. Up to 16 credit hours with a variety of credit options can be earned. This is the 39th year of the Women’s Recovery Conference, where gender-responsive care that focuses on the needs of women in recovery and their families, is exclusively presented.
Date/Time: May 7-9, 2025
Registration: Register for the conference
More Information: Visit the conference website
| | Stay Connected - Get Involved | | | | |
