RALEIGH - The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support the state’s behavioral health response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The grant will allow the department to address the needs of those with mental health issues and substance use disorder during the pandemic, along with the mental health needs of the everyone and health care workers who are on the front lines of this pandemic.
"A clear symptom of the COVID-19 pandemic is fear and anxiety caused by disruption in the lives of many North Carolinians — people have lost jobs, their daily routines and their sense of stability and belonging," said Kody H. Kinsley, Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
The funds will be used to make improvements to the Hope4Healers helpline as well as support the state's efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
These funds will also be used for people transitioning from jails and prisons who have existing substance use disorders.
