In a crisis, every second counts. North Carolina health officials are betting on a new dispatch system to speed up mental health response across ten eastern counties, including Duplin, Greene, Edgecombe, Nash, and Wilson.
The Department of Health and Human Services has launched a $1.5 million dollar pilot program called "MC Dispatch." It’s designed to function like a high-tech 9-1-1 for mental health, sending mobile crisis teams directly to a caller’s location.
Health Secretary Dev Sangvai says the goal is to get people into professional care faster while freeing up local law enforcement. When someone calls the 988 lifeline, counselors can now dispatch specialized teams from Integrated Family Services or Easterseals PORT Health in real-time.
This pilot is part of a statewide push to modernize the crisis system, with plans to expand to 27 counties by the end of April.
