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�The Mecklenburg County Behavioral Health Strategic Plan��Phase 1 Implementation and the Faith Community �

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The Why

  • 1 in 5 adults reported experiencing poor mental health for 8 or more days in a month. (2020-2021)
  • Nearly 29% of adults have had a depression diagnosis at some point in their lifetime.
  • From 2019 to 2022, there was a 28% increase in emergency department visits for suicidal behaviors and attempts.
      • In the same timeframe, people age 25-44 had the largest suicide related emergency department increase at 36.5%

Many people in our community struggle to access the behavioral healthcare they need when they need it.

This plan aims to increase access through an array of action steps.

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Completed Activities

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2022

  • Steering Committee convened in November

2023

  • Steering Committee convenings continue
  • Plan development stakeholder interviews conducted
  • Plan development community engagement sessions begin
  • Gap analysis work begins

2024

  • Steering Committee convenings conclude
  • Plan development community engagement sessions conclude
  • Gap analysis completed
  • Final BHSP published-June
  • Implementation vendor Request for Proposals developed

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Current and Near-Term Activities

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Quarter 2 & 3 FY25

  • Draft governance structure developed
  • Preliminary BHSP action step implementation team assignments made
  • Conducting stakeholder interviews on implementation leadership team make-up

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Quarter 4 FY25

  • Initial convening of the BHSP Implementation Leadership Team (BILT)
  • Issue the phase 1 implementation vendor RFP
  • Develop a phase 1 implementation completion timeline
  • BILT cultivates phase 1 action team membership

Quarter 1 & 2 FY26

  • BILT convenes monthly
  • Phase 1 implementation vendors onboarded
  • Phase 1 support personnel/teams activated

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Behavioral Health Strategic Plan’s Five Focus Areas

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Collaborative and Coordinated Care

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Social Determinants of Health

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Prevention and Early Intervention

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Access to Care

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Service Array

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Phase 1: Prevention and Early Intervention��Strategy: Partner with community agencies to make an array of prevention programs, including Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), available to more residents by offering education in schools, libraries, places of worship, health care, and criminal justice settings.

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Adopt and provide suicide prevention education.

Identify and document organizations already offering behavioral health education programs.

Provide trauma-informed resources to community and faith-based leaders.

Increase prevention resources for high-risk populations.

Support youth educational programing in schools and community centers focused on topics that reduce the likelihood of substance use.

Identify screening tools and shared protocols for mental health, substance use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities that account for social determinants of health.

*Prioritized action steps are those that are both feasible and essential for accomplishing the objective. 

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For Your Consideration

  • We are seeking faith community leaders to serve on:
  • The Behavioral Health Strategic Plan Implementation Leadership Team, and
  • The Prevention and Early Intervention Action Team

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  • If you are interested in meeting to learning more, please contact:
  • Cotrane.Penn@mecknc.gov
  • or
  • 704-621-1755

Behavioral Health Strategic Plan Guiding Principles:

  1. Interagency Collaboration Tailored, Strength-Based Practices
  2. Cultural Competence, Equity & Inclusion
  3. Community-Based Services
  4. Data-Driven & Evidence Based

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