2026
A look back at the 48th Legislative Breakfast on Mental Health. February 7, 2026.
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The 2026 recording.
Highlight reel.
Meet our 48th LBMH speakers.
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Senator Jim Burgin is a longtime resident of Harnett County and the current President and Owner of C & D Insurance. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of New Horizon Insurance Group, President of B.C. Property, Inc., a real estate development company, and he is a partner in John Heister Automotive, which owns Chevrolet and Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dealerships. Senator Burgin and his wife, Ann, have been married for 44 years and have three children and four grandchildren. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and graduated from the University of Knoxville. Senator Burgin is currently serving his fourth term in the North Carolina Senate, where he serves as Chairman of Healthcare, Appropriations on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services. He is also a member of 6 other committees. Before his time as a North Carolina State Senator, he served two terms as a County Commissioner. He is passionate about helping North Carolina make positive changes for those affected by mental health challenges. He has traveled across the state to hold 14 Mental Health Town Halls with former DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley.
Sydney Batch is a mom, attorney, social worker, and leader who never backs down from fighting for North Carolina families. She's spent her career standing up for people, first in the courtroom and now in the Senate. As Leader of the North Carolina Senate Democratic Caucus, Sydney is the first woman and the first Black woman to hold the role. She leads with purpose and doesn't shy away from hard truths or tough fights. Sydney believes government should make life better for people, not harder. She's focused on protecting public schools, keeping costs low, defending reproductive freedom, and keeping North Carolinians safe. Under her leadership, Senate Democrats are working to break the Republican supermajority, restore balance in Raleigh, and hold extremists accountable. Because when power goes unchecked, families pay the price—and Sydney refuses to let that happen. A proud "Triple Tar Heel," Sydney earned her undergraduate, law, and social work degrees from UNC–Chapel Hill. She and her husband, Patrick, run a small family law firm in Wake County, where they live with their two sons.
Renée earned her Bachelor of Arts, from Tufts University, and Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University concentrating in city development planning, and environmental planning. She also studied at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School in the Master of Arts program. Throughout her career Renée has focused on urban and rural community development, along with natural and cultural resource preservation and conservation. Her positions have included: inner-city neighborhood housing director, environmental impact assistant project manager, grant writer for a Black land loss pro-bono law firm, conservation council coordinator, forestry program director for underserved landowners, and government relations manager for a mentoring program. In 2011 Renée co-founded Spirit Freedom, a non-profit that seeks to tell the story of Orange County through the lens of people of color. In 2012, Renée was elected to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, re-elected in 2016, and in 2020. She served as Vice-Chair of the BOCC from 2018 to 2020, and Chair from 2020 to 2022. Renée is now a Member of the House of Representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly, elected in 2022 to represent District 50, which includes Orange and Caswell Counties. She serves on five committees: Appropriations; Appropriations-Information Technology; Education-Community Colleges; Local Government-Land Use, Planning and Development; and Regulatory Reform.
Robert Murphy, PhD, has served as the Executive Director of the Center for Child & Family Health since 2004, a three-university and community collaboration focused on best practices in prevention and treatment of maltreatment and child traumatic stress. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Public Health, and a faculty fellow at the Center for Child & Family Policy at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy. A clinical psychologist with a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts, he completed training and joined the faculty of the Yale Child Study Center, directing evaluation for the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence. Dr. Murphy is one of the developers of Family Connects, a brief, universal, postnatal home-visiting program designed to promote child wellbeing and prevent maltreatment. Family Connects is disseminated in more than 20 states or communities nationally. Dr. Murphy has been an investigator for two longitudinal randomized controlled trials of Family Connects that have demonstrated sustained improvement in infant, family, maltreatment, and health service utilization outcomes.
Dr. Kane serves as the Chief Medical Officer and Primary Care physician for the THRIVE Program and continues to work and support the Matthew Gfeller Center and the Center for Study of Retired Athletes. After graduating from Gettysburg College in 1991 with a B.S. in Biology he attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Services (USUHS) and graduated in 1995 with his doctorate in medicine. He completed his Family Medicine residency at Womack Army Medical Center and his Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship at USUHS/Ft Belvoir. Aside from his time in medical school and graduate medical education he served most of his career as a physician with multiple units in the US Army Special Operations Command (Airborne). In 2018, he retired from the Army and joined the faculty in the Department of Family Medicine at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine.
Kelly brings over 30 years of experience in providing and managing public services and supports for people with mental health and substance use issues, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and brain injury. In her current role as the Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services (DMH/DD/SUS), Kelly oversees the public community-based system for mental health, intellectual and other developmental disabilities, substance use, and traumatic brain injury in North Carolina. For the past 13 years, Kelly has served in multiple leadership roles within NC DHHS, including Assistant Director of Behavioral Health at NC Medicaid, Chief Operating Officer of NC Medicaid, and the Chief Quality and Population Health Officer at NC Medicaid. Kelly is proud to be a licensed clinical social worker and person with lived experience.
Mike Schietzelt is a husband, father, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, attorney, and a strong, effective advocate for northern Wake County. The son of a disabled Vietnam Veteran, Mike grew up in a single-parent family in Burlington, N.C., where he learned the importance of service and hard work at an early age. As a young adult, Mike toured the world as a professional musician, performing in amusement parks and on cruise ships. In 2011, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as a member of "The Commandant's Own" United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. While stationed in Washington, D.C, Mike represented the Marine Corps before many of the highest ranking civilian and military officials in America, and he sounded Taps for military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. Mike currently works as a litigation attorney with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, where he represents small businesses, health care professionals, and faith-based organizations in civil disputes. He previously clerked for then-N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin during the 2018-19 term. A product of North Carolina's public schools, Mike earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), and his Juris Doctorate from the Duke University School of Law. He lives in Wake Forest with his wife, Carmon, and their four young sons.
Senator Graig Meyer has served in the General Assembly for over a decade. He first represented Caswell and parts of Orange counties in House District 50 beginning in 2013. In 2022, he was elected to represent Senate District 23, serving residents in all of Orange, Caswell and Person counties. Sen. Meyer's current legislative committee assignments include Appropriations on General Government and Information Technology, Commerce and Insurance, Pensions and Retirement and Aging, Regulatory Reform, and State and Local Government. As a trained social worker, Sen. Meyer approaches his public service with a desire to help people connect to the resources they need and focuses his legislative priorities on protecting those who are marginalized, vulnerable and oppressed. He has been a leading voice for public education and ensuring the state works to combat the climate crisis. Prior to becoming a legislator, Sen. Meyer spent sixteen years working in North Carolina's public schools and he continues to work with schools and youth-serving non-profits as a Partner and Chief Operating Officer of the APC Leadership Collaborative.
Representative Allen Buansi grew up in Orange County. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife and their three children. He is a proud graduate of Dartmouth College (B.A.) and the University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D.). From 2017 to 2021, he worked at the UNC Center for Civil Rights and was the deputy director there, working in the areas of public education, environmental justice and land use law. He is currently a land use attorney. After being elected to the Chapel Hill Town Council in 2017, Governor Roy Cooper appointed him to the statewide Local Government Employees Retirement Board of Trustees, and there, he served from 2018 until 2021. He was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2022, and he represents District 56 (Orange County) in the North Carolina General Assembly.
Dr. Carrie Brown, MD, MPH, DFAPA, provides psychiatric leadership across NCDHHS and serves as the Chief Medical Officer for North Carolina's 13 state-operated healthcare facilities. As a graduate of Princeton University, she completed her medical training at Duke University and MPH at UNC Gillings School of Public Health. She has extensive clinical experience across community, inpatient, integrated care, and correctional settings. She also serves as an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the UNC School of Medicine and an Assistant Consulting Professor in the Duke University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
Secretary Sangvai is a family medicine physician and a professor at Duke University. He is also a member of the North Carolina Medical Board. Prior to his role with NCDHHS, he served as President of Duke Regional Hospital and President of the North Carolina Medical Society. His work has focused improving access, developing the healthcare workforce, and making care more efficient. Dr. Sangvai is the first Indian American cabinet member to serve under a North Carolina governor.
First elected in 2022, Allen Chesser serves as State Representative for North Carolina House District 25, which covers most of Nash County. Before his service in the North Carolina General Assembly, Allen was a police officer for the City of Raleigh and the Town of Nags Head. Allen is also a US Army National Guard combat veteran—having served in over 100 combat missions. During his first term, Allen Chesser has successfully championed several key pieces of legislation into law, including the Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal, the Right To Try Individualized Treatments, Ignition Interlock reform, the NC REINS Act, and the Fostering Care in NC Act – the most significant piece of foster care reform legislation to be signed into law in the past decade. With the motto "Good policy never punishes innocent people," Allen has sponsored and co-sponsored dozens of bills this session, focusing on bringing all stakeholders together to find sensible solutions. He serves as Chairman of the House Appropriations, Transportation, and the House Regulatory Reform Committee, House Select Committee on Blockchain and Digital Assets, and the Joint Legislative Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee. He serves as Vice Chairman of the House Homeland Security and Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.
Lisa Grafstein has been a civil rights lawyer since 1995. After running her own firm for 16 years, she joined Disability Rights North Carolina, a non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of people with disabilities. At Disability Rights, she litigates cases to enforce the rights of people with disabilities to live and work free from discrimination. She has represented people facing employment discrimination, voting rights violations, disability discrimination by public agencies, denial of access to public accommodations, and constitutional rights violations. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and received her law degree from UNC - Chapel Hill School of Law. In 2022, Lisa was elected to the NC Senate to serve District 13 in Wake County and re-elected in 2024. She serves on the following committees: Judiciary; Agriculture, Energy, and Environment; State and Local Government; Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety; Appropriations/Base Budget; Regulatory Reform; and Legislative Ethics, among others.
Timothy Reeder, MD, MPH earned a Medical Degree and residency in Emergency Medicine from Ohio State University. He obtained an MPH the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1998, he joined the Brody School of Medicine at ECU where he is an Associate Professor and Executive Vice Chair in the Department of Emergency Medicine. He is past President of the North Carolina Medical Society. He provides clinical care at ECU Health Medical Center. He was elected to the NC House of Representatives in 2023, representing District 9 in Pitt County. He serves on the Committees for Appropriations, Commerce, Education-Universities, Families, Children and Aging Policy, and Health.
Marcia Morey (NC House District 30-Durham) was appointed to the House in April 2017, and has since served three terms. Rep. Morey was a district court judge in Durham County from 1999 to 2010, and served as Chief District Court Judge from 2011 until 2017, before being appointed to the legislature. Rep. Morey is also a chair of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board and a member of Governor Cooper's Task Force on Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC). Representative Morey has been an outspoken advocate for Juvenile Justice. As the leading force behind Durham's Misdemeanor Diversion Program, she implemented rehabilitation and community resources for juveniles to address substance abuse and mental health disorders.
Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette is the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. As a third-generation service member, Jocelyn was honored to accept Governor Josh Stein's nomination to serve in this role. As Secretary, Jocelyn leads the Department in its mission to support the military community in North Carolina, including active-duty personnel and their families, installations, and adjacent communities, and to support the State's Veterans and their families. As the daughter of Goldsboro natives, Jocelyn received her congressional nomination to the United States Air Force Academy from North Carolina Congresswoman Eva Clayton. After graduating from the Air Force Academy, Jocelyn served for ten years in the United States Air Force, including as an Admissions Officer at the Air Force Academy and as an intelligence officer. Jocelyn cross-trained into the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps after graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and served as a prosecutor and general practice attorney at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. After her active-duty service, she clerked for the Honorable Barbara A. Jackson of the North Carolina Supreme Court, then spent six years at the international law firm of McGuireWoods, where she became partner. She is married to Harold A. Mallette, a licensed architect, and is the proud mother of two toddlers.
Ben Ingraham is a United States Navy veteran who served as a Hospital Corpsman attached to the United States Marine Corps with 1st Battalion, 8th Marines out of Camp Lejeune. His service involved sustained exposure to high-stress and traumatic environments common to operational military medicine, experiences that continue to inform his understanding of trauma and its long-term impact on service members. In his remarks, Ben speaks to his lived experience with post-traumatic stress, a service-connected traumatic brain injury, and periods of addiction rooted in survival-based coping following military service. He reflects on the realities many veterans face after returning home, including invisible injuries, stigma around seeking help, delayed access to care, and the need for long-term, relationship-based mental health and recovery support. Ben is a licensed clinical social worker and currently practices as a therapist working primarily with veterans, first responders, and individuals affected by trauma and addiction. His clinical approach emphasizes trauma-informed care, continuity of treatment, and recovery as an ongoing, day-by-day process rather than a single outcome. He is also a husband and father, and brings a dual perspective—as both a veteran and a clinician—on the importance of accessible, sustained mental health and substance use services that support veterans before they reach crisis.
Dakota West received a Bachelors of Social Work from Saginaw Valley State University. During her studies, she focused on child welfare. After graduation, she relocated to North Carolina and began a fulfilling career in child protective services. She has worked in both rural and urban settings in various investigative units including: investigations, on call/after hours investigations, and serious injury & sexual abuse investigations. She also serves as a respite foster care placement to support at risk youth who are placed out of the home. She is passionate about child safety, strengthening families, and advocacy. Outside of her professional role she enjoys volunteering in the community and spending time with her family, including her Safe Families for Children placements, and her two dogs.
Thank you to our 2026 sponsors.
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Innovative Behavioral Health Services, PC was established in Creedmoor, North Carolina, to bring mental health services to the underserved populations of Granville, Franklin, Vance, Warren, Durham, and Wake Counties. In 2023, they relocated to Youngsville to a larger facility to expand their services and better serve the community.
Mission: At Innovative Behavioral Health Services, our mission is to provide compassionate and comprehensive outpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment, empowering individuals to reclaim their lives and achieve lasting recovery. We are committed to fostering a supportive and non-judgmental environment that recognizes the inherent dignity of each person.
Current Mental Health Initiative: In October 2025, we established a mental health walk-in clinic at our Youngsville location.
Morse Clinics was founded on the unwavering belief that every individual deserves access to compassionate, evidence-based care in their journey toward recovery. Since our inception, we have been dedicated to providing high-quality treatment for opioid use disorder, fostering hope, and building healthier communities.
Morse Clinic was founded by Dr. Eric Morse, an Addiction Psychiatrist with specialized training in the use of Methadone and Buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction, which he completed during his fellowship at the University of Maryland Addiction Program in Baltimore (2002–2003). Beyond managing opioid treatment programs, Dr. Morse collaborates with patients to address mental health challenges and optimize their performance in sports and the workplace through Carolina Performance.
Since 2003, Dr. Morse has mentored physicians in the effective treatment of opioid addiction as a PCSS-B mentor with SAMHSA and ASAM. He has also served as a consultant to the North Carolina State Opiate Treatment Authority, collaborating with the Governor's Institute to advance addiction treatment efforts.
Morse Clinic opened its first location in Clayton in March 2010, offering compassionate care and Medication-Assisted Treatment to individuals seeking recovery. In 2012, the clinic expanded to Henderson, North Carolina, and in 2015, it began serving the Siler City community.
For over a decade, Morse Clinic has been dedicated to helping thousands of patients across North Carolina reclaim their lives and build a brighter future in recovery.
Mission: At Morse Clinics, we believe in empowering patients through compassionate care, education, and community support. Our team is driven by the mission to create lasting change in the lives of those we serve. As we continue to grow, our focus remains on delivering exceptional care while advocating for the importance of evidence-based treatment in addressing the opioid crisis. Today, Morse Clinics stands as a beacon of hope for individuals and families seeking recovery, always guided by our core values of compassion, integrity, and innovation.
Current Mental Health Initiative: The Morse Clinics is operating the first mobile clinic in North Carolina and is a proud member of the Unshame NC initiative to bring high-quality opioid treatment services to rural areas and other hard-to-serve places. The Morse clinic is also developing medication units to serve this same goal and expand access to opioid treatment services. The Morse Clinics have been actively involved in our respective communities to serve all North Carolinians.
Blue Cross NC, the leading not-for-profit health plan in North Carolina, is committed to making health care more affordable, easier to navigate and accessible for all. Since 1933, the health insurer has created programs and initiatives to provide North Carolinians the opportunity to be healthy. Blue Cross NC serves its customers and communities of more than 4.2 million members, including approximately 1.1 million on behalf of other Blue Plans. Blue Cross NC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Mission: We've been committed to making health care easier to navigate, more affordable, and more accessible to all since 1933.
Current Mental Health Initiative: At Blue Cross NC, we're committed to understanding and addressing the root causes affecting mental well-being in our young people. We're working to ensure a healthy future for young people in North Carolina.
At Covenant Case Management Services (CCMS), we believe every individual deserves to experience a life filled with purpose, dignity, and hope, no matter their challenges. Since 2010, we've served individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families through customized, whole-person care. Our purpose-driven approach honors every part of the individual—mind, body, and spirit. Whether you're a caregiver seeking trusted support, a case manager looking for dependable partnerships, or an individual navigating IDD services on your own, we're here to walk alongside you with compassion, clarity, and care.
Mission: At CCMS, we're committed to enriching futures, empowering dreams, and helping every individual thrive with purpose. Let's walk this path together.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Dedicated to helping those with IDD discover a loving community that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit while promoting independence.
The North Carolina Chapter is an administrative unit of the National Association of Social Workers which is headquartered in Washington DC. NASW-NC was developed in 1955 and the Chapter currently has 5 staff and 5,000 members. The Chapter owns office space located in historic Oakwood in downtown Raleigh, within walking distance of the North Carolina General Assembly, legislative and state offices.
Most NASW-NC members are master's level educated social workers who work in various practice settings across North Carolina. The Chapter also has significant numbers of bachelors (BSW) level members and student members.
As a membership association NASW-NC provides numerous membership benefits such as newsletters, consultation on professional issues, malpractice insurance, lower fees at association conferences, etc. The Chapter is also involved in professional advocacy through lobbying efforts in the NC General Assembly and representation on numerous statewide coalitions, committees and task forces, as well as with numerous departments with NC state government. The Chapter's advocacy efforts include social justice issues that impact North Carolina's most vulnerable communities.
Mission: NASW is a membership organization that promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the effective functioning and well being of individuals, families and communities through its work and advocacy.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Our vision is a world where social workers are supported to empower those most vulnerable and where social justice and social change are the norm.
Molina believes every person, family and community deserves access to high-quality health care regardless of their situation. Our mission is to deliver effective, reliable and affordable health care to those who need it most. We strive to meet the physical, social and emotional needs of each member and to strengthen the communities we serve.
We do this by offering a holistic, community-based approach designed specifically to meet the individual needs of our members.
What started in 1980 as one clinic in Long Beach, aimed at addressing the disparities in access to quality health care, has grown into 19 health plans across the country. For over 40-years we've been improving the lives of our 5.1 million members across the country by pioneering health care services exclusively for those with government-sponsored health care.
Mission: Our mission is to improve the health and lives of our members by delivering high-quality health care.
Current Mental Health Initiative: We realize that our work is often made possible through collaboration with individuals and nonprofits across the country that are working to improve access to health care, education, food and other resources critical to staying healthy. We make it a priority to invest in programs, grants and grassroots projects in our local markets. Across the country, we organize and sponsor community events including baby showers, back-to-school events, coat drives, healthy food giveaways and many other local initiatives aimed at improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve.
UNC School of Social Work Founded in 1920, the University of North Carolina School of Social Work honors its commitment to being the best school of social work possible by pursuing excellence in all we do. In service to our state and nation, we support workforce development, translate research into action, strengthen the communities around us and engage globally. We provide an academic environment where all are welcome and where everyone has a pathway to success.
We currently offer academic programs leading to the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (Ph.D.) degree. In addition, MSW students may apply for several dual degree options and certificate programs, including a 2-year MSW program, 3-year MSW program, 12-month advanced standing MSW program and an online MSW program as well as four dual degree programs, MSW-Divinity, MSW-Law, MSW-Public Administration and MSW-Public Health. We recently established two graduate certificates in nonprofit leadership and intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and neurodivergent (ND) studies.
U.S. News & World Report's "Best Graduate Schools" ranked our in-person MSW program #2 among public schools and #4 overall (tied) in the nation. Our faculty received more than $31.8 million in external research awards in 2024, and the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey ranked our school 4th nationally for research and development expenditures.
Our vision: Our school is steadfast in its vision to become the leading school of social work for impact — generating knowledge with powerful and positive consequences. We embrace both the scholarship of discovery (knowing) and of translation (doing).
Our values: Our six core values are a touchstone for excellence in all that we do at the UNC School of Social Work. Our community demonstrates these values in both our personal and professional lives.
How we work:
- Rigorously
- Courageously
- Persistently
How we interact:
- With trustworthiness
- With inclusivity
- With compassion
Mission: It is our mission to advance equity, transform systems and improve lives. Our students, faculty and staff are committed to understanding the causes of social problems and to developing and implementing evidence-informed policies and practices that address those problems. This commitment calls us to serve vulnerable and marginalized populations in North Carolina and around the world.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Now more than ever, the field of social work takes a leading role in understanding how physical, mental and behavioral health work together to influence our relationships with the people, places, spaces and systems around us. At the UNC School of Social Work, that means championing research that leads to evidence-informed and responsive policies and practices that support health and well-being.
Voices Together's research-based, curriculum-informed music therapy model helps individuals build critical life skills. Our proven method empowers clients to gain independence, agency, and fulfillment in their lives. Yasmine White, the founder and CEO of Voices Together, developed VMT. We are proud to deliver a therapy model that has been established as a best practice in the field.
Mission: Our mission is to empower individuals to find their voice and create their own path in life.
Current Mental Health Initiative: We envision a world where every person is seen, validated, and has equal opportunity to live a self-fulfilled life.
We provide North Carolina healthcare programs that empower members, their families, and the North Carolina community. WellCare of North Carolina (WellCare) has a commitment to ensure, through deep engagement with our members, providers, and government partners, that every WellCare of North Carolina member receives high-quality healthcare and has access to resources that help them live fuller, healthier lives.
Mission: WellCare has been dedicated to serving families, children, seniors, and individuals with complex medical needs. We partner with healthcare providers to develop and deliver high-quality, cost-effective healthcare solutions through Medicaid, Medicare.
Current Mental Health Initiative: WellCare of North Carolina (WellCare) provides behavioral health benefits to members enrolled in our Medicaid plan. We are committed to quality service and partnership with providers to ensure members get the most of their benefits.
Carolina Complete Health is a provider-led health plan established to deliver Medicaid Managed Care in North Carolina. Carolina Complete Health is a joint venture partnership between the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) and Centene Corporation, a Fortune 50 company with over 30 years of experience in managed care programs, working in conjunction with the North Carolina Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA).
Mission: Carolina Complete Health brings together the expertise of these three organizations to provide a provider-led, local health plan that results in better health outcomes for members at a lower cost to the state of North Carolina.
Current Mental Health Initiative: We recently launched a multi-year investment that will fuel a comprehensive initiative aimed at strengthening the mental health and well-being of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals across North Carolina.
Integrated Family Services (IFS) began in 2003 with one simple mission: to bring hope, healing, and help to individuals and families across Eastern North Carolina. What started as a small, community-focused mental health agency has grown into a trusted regional provider known for compassion, innovation, and excellence.
Over the years, IFS expanded its services to meet the real needs of the communities we serve—introducing Mobile Crisis Management, outpatient therapy, co-responder partnerships, and specialized programs that support children, adults, and families. As behavioral health demands increased, IFS continued to rise to the challenge, growing into a multi-county organization with dedicated professionals who show up every day to make a difference.
Today, IFS stands as a leading behavioral health provider in North Carolina—focused on access, quality, and connection. Whether in a crisis or on the journey toward long-term wellness, we believe everyone deserves support, dignity, and hope. And we're honored to be part of the story.
Our values:
- Integrity – We based our working relationships upon mutual trust, respect and unyielding integrity. We recognize that the reputation of Integrated Family Services is rooted in the sincere and ethical treatment of our clients and each other.
- Teamwork – We value results that are achieved through joint efforts. We approach our work as a team focused on constructing an encouraging work environment that produces superior quality results for our clients.
- Diversity – We value the individual differences and contributions of each member of our organization. We embrace progressiveness, creativity, and the ability to adapt to change. We believe each associate is an essential and important resource.
- Commitment to Excellence – We set high standards for quality in our work and hold ourselves accountable. We strive for continuous improvement and seek to use innovation and cutting-edge technology to work effectively among ourselves and with our clients.
- Services – We value our role as a service provider to Eastern North Carolina and seek to be approachable, compassionate and precise in the delivery of our services.
Mission: The mission of Integrated Family Services, PLLC is to offer hope, facilitate connections, and empower individuals to achieve their optimal well-being.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Integrated Family Services continues to lead the way in behavioral health across North Carolina—and this year marks a major milestone for our organization and the region.
- Eastern North Carolina's FIRST Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) – IFS is proud to announce the official opening of our Behavioral Health Urgent Care—the first of its kind in Eastern NC. This walk-in center provides immediate, compassionate support for individuals facing mental health or substance-use crises. Our BHUC is designed to reduce the strain on hospital emergency departments and give communities a safe, accessible place to receive timely care.
- Expansion of Mobile Crisis Services – Our Mobile Crisis teams remain at the heart of our mission. IFS continues to expand into additional counties, ensuring more individuals and families receive on-site, real-time support during behavioral health emergencies. We meet people where they are—literally and emotionally—providing hope and stabilization when it matters most.
- Strengthening Co-Responder Partnerships – IFS is also building stronger co-responder programs, embedding trained mental health professionals within local law enforcement and DSS agencies. These partnerships improve safety, reduce unnecessary arrests or hospitalizations, and ensure individuals in crisis receive the right help at the right time.
Together, these initiatives reflect our commitment to innovation, accessibility, and community-centered care. At Integrated Family Services, we're not just growing—we're leading the way forward.
LCCNC was formed as an Association in 1997 as a not-for-profit and was reformed in 2005 as a 501 (c) 6 as non-profit. LCCNC's purpose is to advance the profession of clinical mental health counseling at the state and national level. We promote parity and collaboration between LCMHCs and other mental health providers in the state of North Carolina. We promote the exchange of professional information among LCMHCs by means of a newsletter, electronic media, and other scientific, educational, and professional materials. We provide continuing education opportunities through conferences, workshops, regional meetings, and other special projects that support LCMHCs in updating and enhancing their competencies. We promote positive relationships with other organizations committed to the mental health and well-being of NC citizens.
Mission: To empower and support Clinical Mental Health Counselors throughout their professional journey by offering continuing education and networking opportunities. We advance the profession by fostering diverse and inclusive communities, by influencing policy through advocacy, and by providing high-quality training so LCMHCs can deliver exceptional mental health care.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Update and inform membership on Interstate Compact Commission to ensure rapid implementation upon approval. Increase mental health support for marginalized groups including LGBTQIA +, NC citizens with chronic disabilities-both physical and/or mental, and BIPOC communities through ongoing advocacy, counselor training and networking. Support the integration of mental health into medical care through interdisciplinary collaboration and ensure equal compensation for equal services. Preserve access to care by promoting telehealth benefits and ensuring telehealth reimbursement rates for all insured telehealth reimbursement plans are consistent with in-person sessions.
Since 1958, Monarch has been a leading provider of comprehensive specialty mental health and human services. With services statewide in North Carolina and following expansion in 2024 to Rhode Island, we take pride in offering trauma-informed, high-quality care for people with mental illness, substance use disorders and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Monarch is nationally accredited by The Joint Commission, which indicates our commitment to the highest levels of quality health care and an investment in providing exceptional services to everyone we support.
Mission: Monarch provides hope, promotes wellness and empowers individuals and families impacted by mental illness, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injury.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Monarch will soon provide critical mental health and crisis services for children, teens and adults at the new Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Health Center in Cabarrus County. Now under construction and set to open in 2026, the 59,300-square-foot facility will provide a comprehensive continuum of caring mental health services for residents of Cabarrus County and the surrounding region.
Founded in 2006, the North Carolina Child Treatment Program provides training for mental health providers in evidence-based treatments that address trauma in infants, children, adolescents and families. While we have experience supporting all providers, we are focused on working with providers who treat patients enrolled in Medicaid.
Mission: To improve the health and functioning of infants, children, adolescents and families coping with attachment difficulties, trauma symptoms and significant behavioral-emotional challenges.
Current Mental Health Initiative: The North Carolina Child Treatment Program conducts trainings in various evidence-based treatment (EBT) models for agencies and clinicians. Each training cohort is led by expert trainers who have been endorsed by their specific model's developers. In-person, virtual, or hybrid training is available, depending upon the course.
Founded in November 2011 as a North Carolina nonprofit, NCHN is an independent news organization devoted to covering health care in the state. We are serious about our independence and are not affiliated with any political party, special interest organization or activist group. Our mission is to fill the widening gap in media coverage by creating a substantive website that will provide crucial information about health care in North Carolina. NCHN will feature original stories and feature stories written by experienced health journalists Rose Hoban, Liora Engel-Smith, Greg Barnes and others.
North Carolina Health News will also link to health articles written by other media outlets and offer a resource guide for North Carolina consumers to help them navigate an increasingly complex health care system.
Mission: North Carolina Health News is an independent, not-for-profit, statewide news organization dedicated to covering health care in North Carolina employing the highest journalistic standards of fairness, accuracy and extensive research. We were founded in response to the decrease in health reporters around the state.
Current Mental Health Initiative: We were founded because we believe that to make the best decisions about their health care and about the state's health care system, the citizens of North Carolina need the best information possible.
NCHA represents North Carolina's individual and multi-hospital health systems — teaching, rural, small community, suburban, specialty, and continuing care facilities — providing acute care, rehabilitative, behavioral, psychiatric and veterans' services. Our members provide a broad range of services — not just within their walls, but across the continuum and throughout their communities.
We are committed to supporting and serving our members as they work to improve care for their patients and their communities. Since 1918, NCHA has served as a resource for hospitals, health systems, and other stakeholders delivering information and insight, services, support, education, policy, and advocacy.
Our vision: A North Carolina where high-quality healthcare is equitable and accessible for all.
Our values: Respect. Integrity. Teamwork. Accountability. Perseverance.
Mission: To improve the health of the communities where we live and work by advocating for sound public policy and collaborative partnerships.
Current Mental Health Initiative: NCHA supports policies that improve access to high-quality healthcare by addressing the root causes of inequality for behavioral health patients.
WakeMed is a private, not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, consisting of 14 members representing our community. Led by President & CEO Donald R. Gintzig, the top priorities for the health system's diverse and talented leadership team are ensuring patient safety; enhancing the patient and family experience; and delivering high-quality, high-value care that is both affordable and accessible to everyone who calls our community home. WakeMed has three acute care hospitals, a physical rehabilitation hospital and a mental health hospital for a total of 973 beds. We also have four healthplexes with stand-alone, 24/7 emergency departments and a variety of outpatient services throughout the region. Our physician practices are home to more than 350 physicians representing nearly every specialty, also with multiple geographically spread location.
Mission: Serving the community since 1961, WakeMed Health & Hospitals is the leading provider of health services in Wake County. With a mission to improve the health and well-being of our community, we are committed to providing outstanding and compassionate care.
Current Mental Health Initiative: WakeMed Mental Health & Well-Being Hospital – WakeBrook is a center of healing for adults age 18+ who need intensive yet compassionate care for their mental health and/or substance use (addiction) diagnoses. Our 28-bed hospital is a safe place for restoring balance and rediscovering life. Adults often come to us after a visit to a local mental health crisis center or hospital emergency room. We provide 24/7, physician-supervised care as well as medication management and group therapy. As a not-for-profit organization, we provide services regardless of a patient's financial circumstance.
As the professional trade association for substance use professionals and providers in North Carolina, APNC serves as the central connecting point between the substance use and mental health fields, offering a unified voice on issues that impact individuals, providers, and the communities they support. APNC advocates for more effective policies, consults and provides technical assistance across a range of areas, and delivers educational opportunities for individuals, organizations, and the general public. The organization also works to connect partners throughout the industry to foster collaboration and innovation, while supporting and strengthening the behavioral health frontline workforce.
Mission: Our mission is to unify the voice of North Carolina's addiction professionals through advocacy, technical assistance, and educational opportunities while providing innovative programs to advance the field.
Current Mental Health Initiative: We have "Connections," the podcast that bridges the gap between addiction and mental health through the prism of policy and practice. Join the hosts, Morgan Coyner and Sara Howe, as they unravel the intricate connections within the world of addiction. In each episode, they dive deep into the intersection of prevention and recovery.
Addiction Recovery Care Association, Inc. (ARCA) provides transitional housing and rehabilitation services for individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. ARCA's program is based on person-centered philosophy and current best practice evidenced based approaches. The ARCA program consists of a series of therapeutic activities which include psycho-educational groups on topics appropriate to personal recovery, group and individual therapy, and opportunities for clients and their families to participate in a multi-family group experience.
Mission: Our mission is to provide a professional and honest approach to addiction recovery. The Addiction Recovery Care Association, Inc., better known as ARCA, is a place where a family-focused environment and highly skilled staff work together to create an atmosphere that fosters recovery from alcohol and drug dependency.
Current Mental Health Initiative: ARCA Connections is a FREE app for individuals with substance use disorder and common co-occurring mental health conditions that provides anonymous 24/7 peer support, access to an online community, resources to promote coping skills, daily check-ins, and tools to help track and celebrate milestones!
The Alberta Difference is the partnership we form with our clients & their families, the personal attention we give & an understanding that change comes from relationships. We are constantly striving for the best for those we serve.
Mission: The mission of Alberta Professional Services is to improve the independence and quality of life of all persons we serve by assuring their health and safety, considering their preferences, cultural backgrounds, and other personal traits, and facilitating access to effective services tailored to their individual needs. We provide mental health and habilitation services grounded in best professional practices and serve each person in the least restrictive, most appropriate setting. Our work focuses on maximizing opportunities for community integration, valuing individuals and their opinions—including their satisfaction with our services—and advocating for their inherent right to live with dignity and respect, as independently as their psychological and developmental resources allow.
Current Mental Health Initiative: We have been in business since 1991, providing mental health services for both adults and children, including a comprehensive range of supports for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) such as Alternative Family Living (AFL), Day Supports, and Autumn House. Our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services also include Therapeutic Foster Care.
Ashly Media is a growth-focused marketing agency that helps brands turn their ideas into clear, effective marketing that drives real business results. We work with founders and leadership teams who are launching a brand, expanding into the U.S. market, or entering a new phase of growth and need a partner who can handle both strategy and execution. Our work connects the big picture with the day-to-day, bringing together branding, content, websites, and performance marketing into one cohesive system, so marketing feels organized, intentional, and aligned with business goals.
We are industry-agnostic by design, allowing us to bring proven best practices from across industries rather than relying on a single playbook. We build all of our clients a cohesive system that is tailored, data-driven, and never cookie-cutter.
Mission: We don't just care about your feed. we care about your success. Your business deserves more than surface-level strategies. At Ashly Media, we partner with corporations and entrepreneurs to tackle the big picture, crafting smart, sustainable marketing plans that drive real results. Whether you're looking to grow your audience, build brand loyalty, or increase revenue, we're here to help you make it happen.
Current Mental Health Initiative: We are honored to be working with the LBMH to bring community conversation to statewide issues concerning treatment services, service gaps, and overall needs to improve outcomes for people living with mental illness, and their loved ones.
Avance Care is an integrated healthcare provider offering Behavioral Health, Psychiatry, Nutrition, and Primary Care services to deliver truly holistic care for our patients. Each of our 35+ primary care locations across North Carolina provides on-site Behavioral Health therapy and Nutrition services, ensuring seamless, integrated support.
We also operate a Center of Excellence in Behavioral Health located in Brier Creek. With more than 80 providers across the organization, we offer support across over 100 therapy specialties. Services are available both virtually and in person, and we accept most commercial insurance plans as well as Medicare.
We believe:
- That a model healthcare delivery system is primary care-centered
- That healthcare should be convenient and accessible
- In keeping the patient-provider interaction as pure and as uncomplicated as possible
- In providing best experience to patients, providers, and team members
- In providing integrated nutrition, behavioral, and other complementary specialty services under one roof
- That a patient should not be burdened with navigating the complexities of the healthcare system
- In shifting the responsibility from PCP to PCP-led care team for patients' health and well-being
Mission: Build a comprehensive primary care-centric healthcare system that simplifies healthcare, generates better outcomes, and reduces cost.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Providing an integrated model that prioritizes patient needs and delivers a cohesive, coordinated approach to care. We offer accessible mental health services with minimal wait times, broad insurance coverage, and convenient locations.
The Cedar Oaks Clinic has been established to provide psychiatry and mental wellness support for all ages. Adults, family, and children are all welcome. We provide inclusive and holistic services, using the Cedar Oaks Model of Care, that include but are not limited to Medication Management, Mental Health Counseling, Recreational Therapy and Health Coaching all using the Integrated Psychiatric Therapy approach. We now have primary care services alongside mental health support.
Mission: When you see a provider at Cedar Oaks Clinic, you will also have the support of our whole team behind you. We have decades of expertise across different domains of mental health. What makes us unique is our ability to lean on each other, learn from each other, and collaborate on your care to ensure we are finding the best path for you. This also helps us be more available to patients in crisis or when a provider may not be immediately available. Our mission is not to be a building of fragmented provider offices, but rather a coordinated care center where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Current Mental Health Initiative: We are now a multidisciplinary team with over 20 providers which allows us to work with you throughout your journey. We have med management, case management, therapy, depression, anxiety, bipolar, LGBTQ plus, Disordered Eating, OCD, forensics, art, music, peer support, groups psych assessments, rec therapy, art and music therapies plus an exercise physiologist and more. We also have bespoke intensive one to one programs.
Club Nova Community, Inc. is an intentional, caring community for individuals living with serious mental illness – predominantly schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. With Club Nova's support, members return to employment and education, maintain homes, obtain quality healthcare, avert crises, and build meaningful relationships. Club Nova is accredited by Clubhouse International as a Clubhouse Model. The Clubhouse Model is one of the most comprehensive, integrated, cost-effective programs for persons living with serious mental illness. The Clubhouse Model is the recipient of the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize for doing extraordinary work to alleviate human suffering of people living with mental illness.
Our values:
- Everyone who lives with a mental illness in our community is respected for their individual strengths, abilities, and unique gifts as colleagues, neighbors, and friends.
- We create positive change in how people view, support, accept, and relate to individuals living with mental illness.
- We believe the Clubhouse Model is essential in any community-based mental health system of care.
Mission: We provide opportunities for individuals living with mental illness to lead meaningful lives of their choice in the community. Club Nova is a financially sustainable organization with sufficient staff engaging a growing membership in a state of-the-art facility that will serve our membership and the broader community for the next 50 years.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Club Nova is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for our members through innovative programs and strategic partnerships. Our current initiative focuses on increasing employment partnerships for our Transitional Employment (TE) program, expanding membership, and strengthening connections with major hospitals. In addition, we are working to engage more young adults in our community and enhance our gardening program to promote wellness and sustainability. These efforts reflect our mission to empower individuals with mental illness to lead productive, fulfilling lives while fostering inclusion and growth within the broader community.
Coastal Horizons is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a range of services promoting healthier lives, stronger families, and safer communities. Through crisis intervention, prevention, treatment, and support, Coastal Horizons aims to meet the needs of individuals and families across North Carolina.
Mission: To provide a continuum of professional services to promote healthier lives, stronger families, and safer communities. Our vision is to be the premier provider of integrated healthcare, child welfare, and justice services for the most vulnerable populations in North Carolina while paving the way for expanded reach. We demonstrate a steadfast commitment to integrity, accessibility, acceptance, and person-centered care.
Current Mental Health Initiative: The Substance Use, Mental Health & Care Integration Services of CHC provides a continuum of prevention, outpatient treatment, and health-related services to individuals in the eastern region of North Carolina – with primary emphasis being in New Hanover, Pender, & Brunswick counties.
Dr. Ashli Kurian (CEO) and Dr. Kevin Kurian (CFO) founded Insight Carolinas in 2022 to improve equity and accessibility of mental health care, specifically quality and timely psychological assessment across the lifespan, for individuals and families across the Carolinas. Meghan Smith, MBA (COO) and Weston Smith, BS (CTO) joined the leadership team in 2023 to streamline insurance billing and IT.
While there are needs for mental health services in general, there are particularly large service gaps for assessment and therapy services, particularly for people wishing to use their private insurance or Medicaid benefits for payment. We find it unacceptable that many in North Carolina are left waiting many months or even years for diagnoses to access much-needed treatments.
Our assessment providers have years of experience assessing a broad range of mental health concerns from developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, to mood disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder), to trauma, to behavioral concerns, to executive functioning concerns such as ADHD, thought disorders (e.g. schizophrenia spectrum), and personality disorders. Our therapy providers specialize in treating mood disorders, trauma, and substance use disorders.
In the first 2 years of operation, Insight Carolinas has provided services to 1,500 unique clients and as we add more providers to our team our capacity is rapidly growing! We are fulfilling our mission to bridge the service gap!
As mid-career psychologists, Dr. Kevin and Dr. Ashli Kurian have combined conducted over 4,000 assessments for children as young as 18 months to older adults (aged 70+). Each hold licensure in North and South Carolina. Dr. Ashli Kurian holds additional certification from IBCCES as a Certified Autism Specialist. Each member of our team from our psychometrists who assist in testing, to our intake team, to our office manager have been carefully selected for their professionalism and passion for our joint mission of expanding access to quality, timely assessment services.
At Insight Carolinas, our services are not limited to clinical assessment, we also offer individual therapy services, and admissions testing to help CAIS schools identify top candidates.
Seeing the need for a quality therapist who will take insurance benefits, Insight Carolinas added psychotherapy to our service offerings in Spring 2024. In Spring 2025, we are expanding to include service for Veteran & Military Families.
Mission: To provide timely psychological services across the lifespan, for individuals and families in the Carolinas.
Current Mental Health Initiative: To provide comprehensive support to Veterans and their families, ensuring they receive the resources and assistance they need.
Founded by Steve & Julie Bailey after the murder of their son Josh in 2008. Organization is over 15 years old.
Mission: Josh's Hope Foundation provides a unique experience of personal support and on-the-job training to help young adults, ages 18 to 35, with mental health challenges, work to improve their health, live a self-directed life, and achieve their full potential. Josh's Hope will be a safe place for a population that needs a stable environment to reach their maximum potential.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Carpentry, welding, life skills, poultry and bee care, farming and landscaping and more available for young adults with a mental illness diagnosis.
Keep Counsel offers individual, couples, and family counseling to support you wherever you are on your journey toward wellness. By partnering with a variety of insurance providers, we strive to make high-quality mental health care accessible and affordable.
Mission: Our mission at Keep Counsel is to meet you where you are in your journey of self-discovery. We want to help you reach that version of yourself you've been looking for. If you're feeling lost, overwhelmed, or stuck—whether in your personal life, relationships, or daily routine—Keep Counsel is here to help. We believe everyone deserves a path toward becoming their best selves, overcoming obstacles, and uncovering the valuable insights hidden within their emotions. Our goal is to help guide you on this journey of healing, resilience, and self-discovery.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Each of our team members specialized in unique approaches to mental health care, ensuring we meet your specific needs with evidence-based therapeutics interventions and serve as your guide to reaching the new version of yourself.
NAMI was founded in Madison, Wisconsin by Harriet Shetler and Beverly Young. The two women both had sons diagnosed with schizophrenia, and "were tired of being blamed for their sons' mental illness". Unhappy with the lack of services available and the treatment of those living with mental illness, the women sought out others with similar concerns. The first meeting held to address these issues in mental health led to the formation of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1979. In 1997, the legal name was changed to the acronym, NAMI.
Mission: NAMI NC provides mental health advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that all individuals and families can build better lives.
Current Mental Health Initiative: NAMI NC free education programs and support groups provide critical information and strategies for taking care of yourself or the person you love, but you will also find out that you are not alone. Recovery is a journey, and there is hope. By establishing a state-specific public policy platform, we provide strategic leadership to improve North Carolina's mental health system, end discrimination, and reduce barriers to successful life in the community. NAMIWalks is a signature NAMI event that raises awareness and funds to provide support, education and advocacy programs at no cost to people within our community.
In 1978, the North Carolina Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Studies was chartered as a private, non-profit corporation to provide education geared towards professionals who work in the addictions field. NCFADS offers two schools each year. The school schedule and format feature an emphasis on in-depth study, networking events, and a setting designed to foster learning and create a spirit of community for all participants. Schools are designed to serve the needs of various persons working in the addiction field as well as school educators and health care professionals.
Mission: While our programs are geared more towards professionals who require continuing education, we do not exclude anyone from attending. We get a variety of folks, from faith-based leaders and criminal justice professionals to mental health counselors and peer support specialists. We work with a variety of accrediting boards/organizations to ensure our attendees are able to get the credits they need to maintain their licensure/certifications including: National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), North Carolina Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board (NCASPPB), Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
Current Mental Health Initiative: NCFADS 2026 Schools: Winter School – Greensboro NC – February 24-26. Summer School – Wilmington NC – July 22-24.
We provide training to parents and professionals of all disciplines about the red flags that may point to this diagnosis and assist families in having their loved ones diagnosed. Then we connect the families with services and tools to help those with a FASD diagnosis. NCFASD Informed incorporated in January 2018 and received 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in September 2018. Based in the Triangle, we serve all 100 counties.
Mission: The mission of our all volunteer, grassroots, nonprofit organization is to create FASD informed communities to empower individuals impacted by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Our vision: a world where individuals with FASD can thrive.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Many times, those affected by alcohol in utero are diagnosed with a variety of mental health diagnoses, but the underlying cause of the symptoms which prompt those diagnoses is not recognized. The accurate diagnosis is vitally important because FASD is a developmental disability and requires different interventions than mental health diagnoses. Prescribed medication may help those symptoms dissipate for a while or not at all. In either case, behavioral challenges continue and all involved become discouraged; all aspects of life are affected: familial relationships, social interactions, academics, and emotional well being. Research shows that early diagnosis leads to early intervention and, thus, improved outcomes for success in all aspects of life.
The above realities for those with an FASD have been experienced firsthand by the two parents who created NCFASD Informed. Therefore, we provide training to parents and professionals of all disciplines about the red flags that may point to this diagnosis and assist families in having their loved ones diagnosed. Then we connect the families with services and tools to help those with an FASD diagnosis.
Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are mental health professionals trained in psychotherapy and family systems, and licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples and family systems. Marriage and Family Therapists broaden the traditional emphasis on the individual to attend to the nature and role of individuals in primary relationship networks such as marriage and the family. MFTs take a holistic perspective to health care; they are concerned with the overall, long-term well-being of individuals and their families.
Mission: Our mission is to promote the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy in order to improve the health and well-being of families, couples and individuals.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of serious clinical problems including: depression, marital problems, anxiety and trauma, individual psychological problems, and child-parent problems to name a few.
At Recovery Innovations, we are committed to providing a compassionate and supportive environment to help you on your journey towards mental health and recovery. Your path to mental health and recovery will be embraced with empathy, dedicated support, and professional care. Our center serves as a sanctuary for those seeking both immediate and long-term mental health assistance in a secure and caring environment. Our Campus of Connection features two essential units: the Retreat (Tier 4 Behavioral Health Urgent Care) and the Living Room Unit (Facility Based Crisis), each designed to address your specific needs with care and understanding. This service is designated for individuals, voluntary or involuntary, who are 18 and older.
Mission: Our mission is to empower people to recover, succeed in accomplishing their goals, find meaning and purpose in life, and reconnect with themselves and others. Our vision is to activate the next generation of frame-breaking healthcare innovation to support people beyond their behavioral health needs and succeed in the community where they live, work, and play.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Innovation is the creation, development and implementation of new products, processes or services, with the aim of improving efficiency or effectiveness. This is the grounding principle that drives our innovations at RI International and the efforts with our partners. Hope Inc. Stories spreads hope and the power of lived experience. Crisis Now provides the elements that are the core of our crisis services. #CrisisTalk expands the conversation needed to improve mental health systems. Together, they will drastically improve the effectiveness of our services and profoundly impact the people we serve.
Founded in 1994, TROSA is an award-winning, evidence-based, peer-driven treatment program for individuals with substance use disorders. We provide free housing, meals, clothing, vocational and life skills training, counseling and classes, health services, mentorship, and more. We are a licensed facility dedicated to providing quality care and services.
Mission: TROSA is an innovative, multi‐year residential program that empowers people with substance use disorders to be productive, recovering individuals by providing comprehensive treatment, experiential vocational training, education, and continuing care.
Current Mental Health Initiative: We understand that different experiences, life circumstances, environments, and past situations and relationships can inform the trajectory of one's path to recovery and can help to enrich and expand the overall benefit of our community. We recognize that we must continue to accept individuals for whoever they are and provide a platform for personal and communal growth that promotes recovery.
Threshold is a Clubhouse accredited recovery for adults living with serious mental illness.
Mission: Threshold provides an environment of opportunities and supports that address the vocational, educational, social, recreational and residential needs of those we serve.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Threshold strives to be an exemplary model for the community while promoting awareness of and appreciation for those among us living with mental illness in Durham County. Threshold affirms the dignity and worth of all members by fostering an environment of acceptance, supportive relationships and access to resources. It provides the foundation from which new experiences and attainment of one's full potential can occur.
Founded in 1933, Mental Health America (MHA) of Central Carolinas has been the voice of hope for those impacted by mental illness in the greater Charlotte area for 90 years. Free services are available for Cabarrus and Mecklenburg residents thanks to generous funders and community donations. MHA provides family support services to parents of children with behavioral, emotional or mental health needs; peer support for adults living with chronic mental illnesses; free counseling for those who can't afford it; and mental health education and preventative trainings to the broader community. MHA's programs bring together mental health consumers, parents, advocates and service providers to address systemic issues impacting mental health.
Mission: Our mission is to advance mental wellness through education, advocacy, and access to support.
Current Mental Health Initiative: MHA's programs focus on advocacy, education, and access. Our work is guided by the B4Stage4 philosophy, the premise that just like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or other physical conditions, early diagnosis and treatment is key to improving mental health and recovery.
In the early 1970s, small groups of family members nationwide began to gather around kitchen tables searching for support and understanding of their mentally ill family member, more often than not, a son. The majority of those meeting together were moms blamed by the medical profession that their parenting skills caused their child's schizophrenia or other mental health disorder.
NAMI was in the beginning and continues to be a volunteer-driven organization.
In the late 1970s, some of these families gathered together in Madison, WI and decided to form state associations. Within the next few years, the state organizations decided to form a national organization named NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an alliance of more than 600 local Affiliates and 48 State Organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.
Mission: The mission of NAMI Durham is to promote recovery and optimize the quality of life for those in Durham County affected by mental illness. NAMI Durham's vision is to be a community where mental health is recognized and an extra covering of support provided to individuals in Durham county affected by mental health challenges, leaving nobody alone in a time of need.
Current Mental Health Initiative: NAMI Durham empowers individuals and families affected by mental illness through education, advocacy, and community support. Current initiatives include the NAMI Durham Strong Together Project, Stress & Anxiety Support Groups, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training, and Youth Mental Health Engagement through local NAMI Clubs. Our mission is simple to build hope, eliminate stigma, and ensure no one in Durham faces mental health challenges alone.
The North Carolina Providers Council, established in 1997 as a 501(c)(6), began as a volunteer-led effort to unify providers of mental health, intellectual/developmental disability, and substance use disorder services (MH/IDD/SUD). As the first association in the state to adopt an ethical standard for MH/IDD/SUD providers—later used as a model for others—the Council has championed collaboration, quality, and access to community-based care. It has advanced provider training through grants and initiatives like Person-Centered Thinking, while fostering engagement through legislative updates, forums, and conferences. Committed to ensuring services are effective, adequately funded, and accessible, the Council continues to advocate for policies that uphold the integrity and sustainability of North Carolina's community service system.
Mission: Advocate for providers and those they support.
Current Mental Health Initiative: Our current membership includes providers that specialize in intellectual/developmental disabilities, mental illness, substance use disorders and other DHHS funded programs that impact community-based support services.
SouthLight Healthcare has been a leading light for people seeking recovery from substance use and mental health challenges in North Carolina since 1970. As a nonprofit behavioral health provider, we serve Wake, Durham, Cumberland, and Harnett Counties with accessible, evidence-based care—welcoming everyone, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. As a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), we reach more than 5,500 people each year through outpatient and community-based services that meet people where they are.
Mission: SouthLight Healthcare provides access to high-quality mental health and substance use treatment, fostering a resilient community by supporting individuals in their recovery.
Current Mental Health Initiative:
- We're a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). National designation means we offer integrated, evidence-based care with a focus on access, outcomes, and serving people with complex needs – the first CCBHC in Wake County.
- Getting ready to launch SouthLight Mobile in early 2026. Our new mobile unit increases access for underserved communities by bringing help for opioid use disorder to where it's needed. Flexible, convenient, and stigma-free Medication Assisted Treatment and counseling benefits individuals who face barriers to traditional clinic-based services. SouthLight Mobile provides path to engagement and consistent treatment.
UnitedHealthcare is the health benefits business of UnitedHealth Group, a health care and well-being company working to help build a modern, high-performing health system through improved access, affordability, outcomes and experiences. Across the United States, we offer health benefit plans for all ages, all lifestyles and all kinds of budgets — including member programs for individuals and families, people with health insurance through work, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. We work with more than 1.7 million physicians and care professionals and over 7,000 hospitals and care facilities nationwide. Together, we work to provide more people with access to quality care when and where they need it.
Mission: At UnitedHealthcare, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We dedicate ourselves to this every day for our members by being there for what matters in moments big and small — from their earliest days, to their working years and through retirement.
Current Mental Health Initiative: All North Carolinians deserve affordable health care, including you. That includes adults, people with disabilities, pregnant women and children. UnitedHealthcare has services and extras that can make a real difference in your life.