Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW

Director, DMH/DD/SUS

Hot Topics | July 3, 2025

Hope4NC Weekly Report

Burke County Community Produce Distribution

North Carolina Statewide Overdose Surveillance 

Maintaining positive momentum in reducing overdoses is a major priority for NCDHHS and DMHDDSUS. Medicaid expansion is one factor critical to this progress. Thanks to Medicaid expansion, more North Carolinians now have access to mental health and substance use treatment. Overdoses have decreased since expanding Medicaid, with suspected overdose deaths decreasing by 27% from 2023 to 2024 and visits to emergency departments for overdose decreasing 29% during that same time.

DMH/DD/SUS’ work has also contributed significantly to the reduction in overdose deaths, thanks to increased distribution of life-saving naloxone, increased access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), strengthening integrated care in Federally Qualified Health Centers and primary care practices, as well as promoting harm reduction strategies through Syringe Services Programs.

For information on overdose prevention strategies and resources, please visit NaloxoneSaves-NC.org. For information on syringe service programs in your area or how to access naloxone and harm reduction services, please visit the NC Safer Syringe Initiative website.

Inclusion Works Announces

Provider Innovation Program Recipients

Inclusion Works is proud to announce the four recipients of the Provider Innovations Program award. Inclusion Works has retained the nationally renowned organization WISE to provide training and support, as well as financial compensation, to employers as they support individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities in obtaining and retaining Competitive Integrated Employment.

This award will allow providers to transform their businesses as they increase opportunities for both workers and employers. The criteria for selection was based on, among other things, the organization’s values, the types of services it offers and the number of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities it supports. 

Please join us in congratulating the following recipients: 

• Alleghany County Group Homes, Inc. 
• Vocational Opportunities of Cherokee, Inc. 
• Neuse Enterprises, Inc. 
• OE Enterprises, Inc.

These employers are committed to providing inclusive jobs that pay people with disabilities the same as those without disabilities. CIE Services are available for all eligible employees – with or without Medicaid.  

NC Suicide Prevention Action Plan

Public Comment Period Open Through July 9

DMH/DD/SUS is pleased to share the Draft NCDHHS 2026-2030 Suicide Prevention Action Plan. The draft outlines current and planned statewide strategies to prevent suicide in North Carolina.

These strategies were shaped by internal subject matter experts through a review of the most recent NC suicide data, evidence-based strategies, the 2024 HHS National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, and feedback from earlier public comments. Your input is essential to strengthening and shaping the final version of this plan and you are invited to share your feedback through July 9, 2025.

Community Resources

Dashboards/Reporting:

• Strategic Plan Dashboard
• 988 Performance Dashboard
• LME/MCO Dashboard

Community Engagement

Learn More About What's Happening in Your Community

Brain Injury Advisory Council Meeting

The purpose of the Brain Injury Advisory Council (BIAC) is to review the nature and cause of traumatic and other acquired brain injuries in North Carolina. The Council also makes recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding the planning, development, funding, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide service delivery system to address the needs of brain injury survivors. The public is invited to attend.



Date/Time: Thursday, July 10, 2025, 12:00-2:00 p.m.

Registration: Register for the meeting

Meeting Agenda: Download the agenda

Side by Side with DMH/DD/SUS

Increasing Access with Integrated Care

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. This month's focus is on Integrated Care. We discuss Collaborative Care, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and NC-PAL, a statewide Psychiatry Access Line.

Date/Time: Monday, July 14, 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.

Inclusion Works Community Meeting

Join Inclusion Works for an update on the progress of Inclusion Works' programs and initiatives. This meeting is held quarterly on the third Tuesday of the month and is open to the public.

Date/Time: Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 11:00-12:00 p.m.

Registration: Register for the meeting

NCDHHS Division of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities - Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the ADA

July marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the landmark civil rights law that ensures equal access and opportunity for people with disabilities. In honor of this milestone, the Division of Division of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities invites you to a virtual, interactive Windmills Disability Awareness Training session that will include personal stories about the impact of the ADA on the lives of North Carolinians.

Date/Time: Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 11:00-12:00 p.m.

Registration: Register for the webinar

Stay Connected - Get Involved

Stay Connected and Get Involved with the work happening at DMH/DD/SUS!

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