New Hanover County commissioners approve Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder plan
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) – The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the county’s first Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Strategic Plan at their Tuesday meeting.
This plan will help guide the county’s goals and funding choices in the coming years, using money from the nationwide opioid settlement and the county’s mental health and substance use disorder fund.
New Hanover County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Jr. who was a key participant in the plan’s development said, “Today is a monumental day for our county because this plan will help ensure we move forward with strategic direction in what we fund and how we fund it, so that we are focused on the best outcomes and can make significant strides in addressing these issues and helping those who need it most.”
Since 2018, New Hanover County has prioritized preventing and reducing opioid misuse as a key strategic objective.
While there were initial improvements throughout the community, there has also been significant loss since the beginning of the pandemic.
Research shows that one of the primary drivers of substance use disorders is mental health and wellbeing.
According to New Hanover County’s government website, during the first seven months of 2022, New Hanover County experienced 15 deaths caused by suicide, 36 deaths related to opioids and a total of 299 individuals who overdosed.
These numbers are just a small piece of a larger puzzle that shows the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing substance use disorders while also including a strong focus on mental health.
New Hanover County Commissioner Rob Zapple stated, “We firmly believe that this strategy can help inform our decisions for the funding we have in the years to come, so we can make getting help easier to access for people during a very difficult time and ensure the right services are right here in our community.”
The county’s strategy is aimed on providing “wraparound services” for people before, during and after they seek help for a mental health or substance use disorder.
This includes components aimed at education and outreach, accessing service and treatment, and helping support recovery and overall wellbeing.
Specific measures for each category have been established to help track progress and success.
Funding for this overall strategy will come from two sources: the county’s $50 million Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Fund and opioid settlement funds that will bring around $18.4 million to the county over the next 18 years.
Initial recommendations on how to spend the opioid settlement and mental health and substance use disorder funds, based on the adopted strategy, are set to be further researched and discussed over the coming months.
The Board of Commissioners will be responsible for voting and approving any final funding decisions, which will be part of the annual budget process each year.
For a complete look at the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Strategy, click here.
