North Carolina Launches Crisis System of Care Advisory Committee to Transform Behavioral Health Response

RALEIGH — North Carolina is taking a major step toward fixing its strained behavioral health crisis system. The Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), in partnership with the Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), announced the formation of a new Crisis System of Care Advisory Committee that will hold its first meeting on September 2, 2026.

The committee brings together more than 30 stakeholders—including law enforcement, healthcare providers, people with lived experience, and state officials—to identify gaps in the current system and recommend concrete reforms. The initiative stems from Governor Josh Stein's Executive Order 33 and Session Law 2026-38, which directed agencies to strengthen coordination between behavioral health and criminal justice systems.

The Problem: A 'Revolving Door' of Crisis and Incarceration

North Carolina's current crisis system has faced mounting criticism for years. When someone experiences a severe mental health crisis or substance use episode, the path to care is often unclear, fragmented, and delayed. Too frequently, law enforcement becomes the default response to behavioral health emergencies—leading to a cycle that advocates call the "revolving door."

"North Carolina's crisis system exists, but it must be modernized, reinforced and sustainably financed so it is consistent and dependable for law enforcement and other partners," said Kelly Crosbie, NCDHHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, who will co-chair the committee.

The revolving door looks like this: A person in crisis is arrested, held in jail, possibly hospitalized for involuntary commitment, then released without adequate follow-up care. Within weeks or months, the cycle repeats. Each revolution through the system strains limited resources and traumatizes individuals and families.

The numbers tell a sobering story. North Carolina has seen increased demand for crisis services even as provider shortages persist, particularly in rural areas. While the state has expanded some services—including nine new Behavioral Health Urgent Care centers and two Facility-Based Crisis centers since 2024—advocates say the system remains fragmented and difficult to navigate.

The Committee's Mandate: Five Priority Areas

The advisory committee is tasked with developing recommendations across five key areas:

1. Guiding the Crisis System of Care Strategy

The committee will provide input on North Carolina's overarching strategy for improving behavioral health crisis services. This includes examining the full continuum of care—from the moment someone calls for help through stabilization and ongoing support.

2. Advancing Involuntary Commitment Reform

Involuntary commitment (IVC)—the legal process for hospitalizing someone against their will when they pose a danger to themselves or others—has become a flashpoint. The process is often slow, traumatic, and disconnected from voluntary treatment options. The committee will identify opportunities to improve IVC procedures and inform the state's new "IVC Blueprint" planned for release later.

"Our immediate focus is on practical improvements to the involuntary commitment process," Crosbie said. "From there, we will turn to helping people stay connected to care after a crisis to stop the revolving door."

3. Addressing the Revolving Door

The committee will develop strategies to reduce repeated cycles of arrest, detention, involuntary commitment, and release without adequate stabilization. This requires better coordination between hospitals, jails, courts, and community providers.

4. Strengthening Coordination

Behavioral health crises touch multiple systems: healthcare, law enforcement, courts, social services, and housing. The committee will work to align efforts across these silos, with particular attention to the intersection of mental health and criminal justice.

"This council brings together a broad range of experience, and each perspective is essential," said Sherry Hunter, NCDPS Deputy Secretary for Professional Standards, who will co-chair alongside Crosbie. "Involuntary commitment intersects with public safety, youth services and frontline response, and our recommendations must reflect that full picture."

5. Centering Person-Focused Care

The committee will promote crisis services that deliver clinically appropriate care in the least restrictive setting possible, while improving access to voluntary community-based supports that can prevent crises from escalating.

Who's at the Table

The committee's membership reflects its interdisciplinary mission. Alongside state officials Crosbie and Hunter, members include:

Law enforcement: Police chiefs, sheriffs, and representatives from the NC Sheriffs' Association
Healthcare providers: Emergency physicians, behavioral health directors, and clinical managers
Legal system: State legislators, judges, district attorneys, and attorneys from Disability Rights NC
Community organizations: Peer support specialists, harm reduction advocates, and recovery center directors
Academic institutions: Researchers from UNC School of Government and Duke Law's Wilson Center for Science & Justice
Lived experience: Peer Voice NC founder Cherene Caraco and others with personal experience navigating the crisis system

Notable members include State Representative Marcia Morey, former Superior Court Judge Regina Parker, and Greg Berry, a peer support specialist with the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition.

The Timeline: Recommendations by Year-End

The committee will meet at least four more times before the end of 2026 to finalize recommendations for the North Carolina General Assembly. Beginning in 2027, the committee will shift to quarterly meetings to review ongoing reform efforts.

The first meeting on September 2 will be open to the public, taking place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Albemarle Building in downtown Raleigh.

What This Means for Families

For families navigating addiction or mental health crises, the committee's work represents a potential turning point. Currently, families often face impossible choices when a loved one is in crisis: wait weeks for an appointment, call 911 and risk arrest, or drive to an emergency room that may not have psychiatric services.

Reforms to the involuntary commitment process could make it easier to get help for loved ones who are unable or unwilling to seek treatment voluntarily—while reforms to the "revolving door" could ensure that hospitalization leads to meaningful follow-up care rather than another cycle of crisis.

The committee's emphasis on "least restrictive settings" suggests a move toward more community-based crisis services—such as mobile crisis teams, crisis stabilization units, and peer respite centers—that can intervene before situations escalate to the point of hospitalization or arrest.

Background: Building on Recent Investments

The advisory committee builds on recent state investments in behavioral health infrastructure:

Crisis expansion: Nine new Behavioral Health Urgent Care centers and two Facility-Based Crisis centers opened in the past two years, including a flexible youth and adult facility at the Stephen M. Morris Behavioral Center in Concord that opened July 28, 2026.
Workforce development: A $20 million Licensed Workforce Loan Repayment Program launched in December 2025 to recruit and retain mental health professionals in rural and underserved areas.
Opioid response: The state has expanded its network of Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs), with 11 new physical locations and three mobile units opening since January 2025—bringing OTP access to six additional counties.
Community funding: In April 2026, NCDHHS awarded $5.7 million to 12 community-based organizations to expand substance use disorder services in underserved areas.

What's Next

The committee's recommendations will be presented to the General Assembly, where they could inform legislation, budget allocations, and administrative reforms. Key questions the committee will likely address include:

How to fund sustained crisis system improvements
Whether to expand eligibility for involuntary commitment or create alternative pathways to care
How to improve data sharing between criminal justice and healthcare systems
How to ensure rural communities have access to the same crisis services as urban areas

For families watching these developments, the committee's formation itself signals that state leaders recognize the current system is not working—and that change, while slow, is possible.

If you or someone you know needs help:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 for 24/7 support
SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for treatment referral
North Carolina Crisis Services: Visit ncdhhs.gov/divisions/mhddsus for local resources
FindTreatment.gov: Search for substance use treatment providers nationwide