North Carolina made tremendous steps forward this week with news of a bipartisan effort to invest nearly $1 billion in mental health programs.

“Parents of children with complex mental health issues often face numerous difficulties in getting the best care for their children in terms of insurance coverage, treatment options and quality programs and services. This effort is a recognition of the real need for change in North Carolina and is an excellent step forward,” said Andrew Sawyer, director of Sustaining Hope for High Impact Parents.

Among the items in the bill is a provision to develop a pilot program whereby people being transported to/from psychiatric treatment would not longer be transferred in handcuffs by law enforcement personnel. For parents who’ve experienced the sight of their children being handled in this manner for transport to medical treatment, this is a long overdue step to preserving their dignity.

While most of the proposed investments provisions are geared toward youth in foster care and involved in the juvenile justice system, elements of the bill will go toward providing $60 million to develop new behavioral health urgent care and crisis facilities, a well needed alternative to treatment in the state’s overburdened emergency rooms for physical ailments.

SHHIP recommends additional study and funding for supports to post-adoptive care and the regulation and oversight of the psychiatric residential treatment facilities as logical next steps after the hopeful successful passage of this bill.

For more information, read the N.C. Health News Article by Rose Hoban about this proposed legislation.