Message from the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services

Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW

Assistant Secretary for MH/DD/SUS

Every Young Person Deserves Our Best

Dear Community Partner,

Yesterday was a special day for North Carolina and for the young people in our juvenile justice system!

I had the opportunity to join our partners at the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to celebrate the opening of PIVOT, a new mental health treatment program at the C.A. Dillon Juvenile Detention Center in Butner.

This is a really big deal.

Too many young people enter the juvenile justice system having experienced significant trauma, instability, and a lack of access to the treatment and community supports they needed. More than three quarters of the youth in North Carolina's juvenile detention facilities have identified mental health needs. These are kids, and they deserve compassionate, high-quality care and every opportunity to heal and thrive.

Through a $3.5 million investment from NCDHHS, PIVOT will bring intensive, trauma-informed mental health treatment directly to young people in juvenile detention. This partnership with DPS, Alliance Health, and New Hope Treatment Centers represents an important step forward in how we care for some of North Carolina's youth in greatest need.

One of the most powerful moments of the day was hearing from Dr. Arkevious Armstrong, who shared his experience of spending four years at Dillon as a young person. Today, he is the founder of Step Up to Leadership, helping young people and families build brighter futures. Hearing his story in the very place where he spent four years of his childhood was an extraordinary reminder that no young person's future should be defined by their time in the justice system.

I was also delighted to be joined by Kerwin Pittman, founder of RREPS and an important partner in our work to strengthen reentry supports for people returning home after incarceration. His work reminds us that what happens after someone leaves a facility matters just as much as the care they receive while they're there.

A special thank-you to Deputy Secretary William Lassiter and our wonderful partners at DPS, Alliance Health, and New Hope Treatment Centers for making this program possible.

And a HUGE shout-out to our very own Saarah Waleed, Tiana Bonsu, and Adam Barnard! These three worked incredibly hard to bring PIVOT to life. Turning an idea into a program that will change young people's lives takes tremendous persistence, collaboration, and dedication. They made this happen, and I couldn't be prouder of their work!

As a social worker, I believe deeply in seeing the whole person, understanding the experiences that have shaped their lives, and recognizing their capacity to heal and grow. That is especially important when we're talking about children.

Of course, our work cannot begin or end at the doors of a detention center. We must continue building strong community services so that more young people get the help they need long before they enter the justice system. And when they do become involved in juvenile justice, we owe them excellent care and a meaningful path back to their families and communities.

I left Dillon grateful for the people and partnerships that made this possible and hopeful about what PIVOT will mean for the young people who receive care there.

These kids deserve our very best. Every single one of them.

All my best,

Kelly

Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW

(she/her)

Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services

Director, DMH/DD/SUS

Senior Advisory for Supportive Housing Strategy

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services