WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. — Residents experiencing a mental health crisis in Wayne County may soon receive faster, more coordinated help thanks to a new pilot program launched by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
State health officials announced a $1.5 million investment to Trillium Health Resources to establish a real-time dispatch system for Mobile Crisis Teams serving eastern North Carolina. The program, known as Mobile Crisis Dispatch (MC Dispatch), is designed to streamline responses when someone calls the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline during a mental health emergency.
Wayne County is one of 10 counties included in the first phase of the initiative, which aims to connect people in crisis directly to mental health professionals who can respond in person.
State leaders say the program supports the goals outlined in Executive Order 33 issued by Josh Stein, which calls for strengthening the state’s mental health crisis response system.
“This initiative will connect people in crisis to the care they need by making sure they receive the appropriate level of response more quickly and efficiently,” said Dev Sangvai. “Streamlining this process will help achieve our goal of creating a stronger coordinated system of care.”
Under the new system, when someone in the pilot region calls 988 and requires in-person assistance, dispatchers can immediately coordinate a Mobile Crisis Team response. These teams are staffed by trained mental health professionals who can travel to the caller’s location to provide assessment, support, and connections to treatment.
Kelly Crosbie said faster response times can be critical.
“During a mental health crisis, seconds can make a difference,” Crosbie said. “These highly trained counselors can come to a location of the caller’s choosing and ensure they get the help they need.”
The dispatch system is operated by REAL Crisis Intervention Inc., which manages the 988 call system across the state. The program also partners with mobile crisis providers including Integrated Family Services and Easterseals PORT Health to respond to calls in the pilot counties.
Officials say the new platform will track several key performance measures to evaluate the program’s effectiveness, including response times, travel distances, service outcomes, and follow-up care.
In addition to Wayne County, the first phase of the pilot includes Duplin, Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Lenoir, Nash, Sampson, Warren, and Wilson counties.
State health officials expect the program to expand to 27 counties in eastern North Carolina by the end of April, with the long-term goal of eventually implementing the system statewide.
The initiative is part of the North Carolina General Assembly’s historic $835 million investment in mental health funding approved in 2023, aimed at expanding access to behavioral health services and improving crisis response across the state.
For Wayne County residents, officials say the program represents an important step toward ensuring people facing a mental health emergency can receive help quickly — and from trained professionals — when and where they need it.
