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Message from DMHDDSUS Director
Community Members,
Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. We are working closely with federal, state, and local partners to mobilize resources, including the state’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and our Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs).
People and communities throughout our state, particularly in Western North Carolina, are working to identify resources to meet essential needs for shelter, water, and safety. To stay informed on the state’s response and resources, please refer to ReadyNC.gov.
For those seeking immediate shelter, ReadyNC provides a resource of open shelters with availability. There are currently 19 general population shelters open to provide support and 2 state medical support shelters for those who require specialized healthcare attention.
Disasters are a time when our mental health requires additional care. Anyone who needs someone to contact for support can reach out to the following resources:
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Call 911 for emergency assistance
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Call 211 for local resources (non-emergency)
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Call or text 988 for mental health support from a trained mental health professional
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Available 24/7
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Free and confidential
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Call NC’s Peer Warmline (1-855-PEERS NC) to speak to a peer living in recovery from mental health or substance use issues
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Available 24/7
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Free and confidential
DMHDDSUS will continue coordinating with LME/MCOs to provide care for our most vulnerable citizens that require mental health (MH) and substance use (SU) services and support for intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). We will meet daily with the LME/MCOs to triage urgent service needs and priorities as they continue to arise. Because of this, please continue to raise your concerns to the LME/MCOs so we can ensure a coordinated response and so you are able to receive the care you need in a timely manner.
For our network of providers continuing to provide care throughout this emergency, we want to highlight the NC Medicaid temporary flexibilities in place.
Throughout this week DMHDDSUS will continue to provide updates and resources to our community members. Stay connected and know we are focusing our efforts to support our friends, family, and neighbors with our public MH/SU/IDD/TBI system in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
My best,
Kelly
Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW
(she/her)
Director
Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services |
