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Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW
Director, DMH/DD/SUS
| | Hot Topics | December 2, 2025 | | Governor Stein and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services celebrated two years since the implementation of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina yesterday. More than 690,000 newly eligible North Carolinians have gained access to affordable health care through Medicaid expansion, including veterans and workers in child care, construction, hospitality, home health care, and other industries essential to our state’s success. | | The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced the launch of the Children and Families Specialty Plan (CFSP), a first of its kind statewide health plan to ensure access to comprehensive physical and mental health services for Medicaid-enrolled children, youth and young adults currently and formerly served by the child welfare system. With approval from and at the direction of the North Carolina General Assembly and in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), the CFSP went live on Dec. 1, 2025. The name of the plan is Healthy Blue Care Together. | | |
You’re Not Alone This Holiday Season
Support Is Just a Call Away
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As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to remember that while this time of year can bring joy and celebration, it can also bring stress, loneliness, and emotional challenges. The North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services (DMH/DD/SUS) wants every North Carolinian to know: you are not alone.
Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or just need someone to talk to, help is always available:
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Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – for free, confidential support 24/7. Trained crisis counselors are ready to listen and help you through whatever you're facing.
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Reach out to the NC Peer Warmline at 1-855-PEERS NC (855-733-7762). Staffed by trained Peer Support Specialists with lived experience, the Warmline offers a compassionate ear and understanding support for mental health and substance use concerns.
These services are available to all North Carolinians, no matter where you live or what you’re going through. This season, let’s take care of ourselves and each other. If you or someone you know is struggling, don’t wait—reach out. Support is just a call or text away.
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DMH/DD/SUS Partners with SimpliGov for
IRIS Replacement System
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The North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services is excited to announce a new partnership with SimpliGov to create a modern, user-friendly incident reporting system. This new tool will make reporting easier, faster, and more accessible for everyone while providing real-time information to help us better understand trends and strengthen our services.
This initiative will play an important role in improving how we support individuals, modernizing our operations, and enhancing the information we share with our partners, stakeholders, and regulatory agencies. The new system will feature a secure and intuitive design that reflects our commitment to innovation and to meeting the changing needs of the communities we serve.
Over the next year, working closely with stakeholders, our implementation team will shape the system’s workflows, improve how incidents are resolved, and build smoother connections with other State systems.
Project development is scheduled to begin in December 2025, with full implementation expected by the end of 2026.
| | Join a Brain Injury Advisory Council Subcommittee | | The Brain Injury Advisory Council (BIAC) is seeking committed individuals to serve on one or more of our subcommittees. This is a valuable opportunity to help shape policy, guide service delivery, and elevate the voices of individuals with brain injuries across the state. We welcome people with lived experience, providers, and community members to participate. You don't have to be a BIAC member to serve on a subcommittee. If you are interested in becoming a member of a BIAC subcommittee, please complete a brief interest form. | | Learn More About What's Happening in Your Community | | | |
Technical Assistance Collaborative
Olmstead Community Meetings
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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC), is seeking public input to update the state’s Olmstead Plan. This plan is a vital step toward ensuring that people with disabilities can live fully included lives in their communities, as affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead v. L.C. decision.
Your voice is essential. Attend one of the meetings to share your perspective and experiences. The goal of the meetings is to gather feedback from individuals with disabilities, families, providers, and advocates. These sessions are a key opportunity to help shape services and supports across North Carolina. There are two opportunities to participate.
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Greensboro
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025
Time: 10:30-12:00 p.m.
Location: Greensboro Central Library, 219 Church Street, Greensboro, NC
Registration: Register for the meeting
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Asheville
Date: Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025
Time: 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Location: Asheville-Buncombe Tech, 340 Victoria Road, Asheville, NC
Registration: Register for the meeting
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NC First Lady Anna Stein to Join DMH/DD/SUS Director
Kelly Crosbie at the OPDAAC Quarterly Meeting
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Join us for the Opioid and Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee (OPDAAC) quarterly meeting as we work together to advance the goals of the NC Opioid Action Plan. This session will feature special remarks from First Lady Anna Stein and DMH/DD/SUS Director Kelly Crosbie, and will spotlight the critical issue of stigma in the overdose crisis. Engage in dynamic panel discussions with frontline practitioners who are implementing evidence-based strategies across North Carolina. Attendees will gain valuable insights from diverse perspectives and connect with leading experts dedicated to reducing overdose deaths and improving community health. The public is invited to attend, with both in-person and virtual attendance options available.
Date: Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, 9:30-12:00 p.m.
Location: McKimmon Conference and Training Center, 1101 Gorman Street, Raleigh, NC
Registration: Register for the meeting
More Information: Visit the NC OPDAAC webpage
| | Tarang Presents: Community Healing Space Webinar | | This Virtual Community Healing Space is designed for members of North Carolina's Asian American and Pacific Islander community carrying the weight of uncertainty, stress, or fear related to systems that monitor, question, or threaten their sense of safety. In times when simply moving through daily life can feel risky or overwhelming, this space offers a gentle pause—a place to breathe, reconnect, and remember that you are not alone. | | | |
Led by trained AAPI facilitators Dr. Marielle Reataza and Annie Guo VanDan, this space is a protected environment where you can ground yourself, share only what feels right, and build connection with others navigating similar pressures. Through community-centered conversation, we focus on restoring calm, strengthening resilience, and cultivating belonging. Participation is always at your comfort level.
Date: Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Registration: Register for the virtual healing space
More Information: Download the event flyer
| | Mental Health Block Grant Advisory Committee Meeting | |
Join us for an important meeting of the NC Mental Health Block Grant Advisory Committee as we discuss priorities, funding strategies, and ways to strengthen mental health services across our state. This is a great opportunity to hear updates, share your voice, and help shape the future of mental health care in North Carolina. All are welcome: consumers, families, providers, and community advocates. Your input matters. Together, we can make a difference.
Date/Time: Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, 10:00-3:00 p.m.
Registration: Register for the meeting
Agenda: Download the meeting agenda
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Meet Tarang: A Community-Driven Movement for
Asian American and Pacific Islander Mental Health
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Join DMH/DD/SUS on Saturday, December 6 from 11:00 to 12:30 p.m. for a webinar introducing Tarang (pronounced TUH-rung), a groundbreaking pilot initiative created by and for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Tarang, meaning ripple effect, is a culturally rooted, community-led effort designed to foster open dialogue and support around mental health, substance use, and suicide within AAPI communities.
Tarang creates safe spaces for healing, connection, and advocacy. By centering community voices and lived experiences, Tarang aims to shift the culture, elevate needs, and ensure AAPI communities are included in broader systems of care. Attend this inaugural session to hear from our first cohort of community leaders, share your story, and learn how you can be part of this transformative movement.
Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, 11:00-12:30 p.m.
Registration: Register for the webinar
| | Stay Connected - Get Involved | | | | |
