CHARLOTTE — The Trump administration announced more than $17 million in federal funding for North Carolina through the Rural Health Transformation Program to expand mental health and substance use disorder services across rural communities.
The federal investment is designed to establish new behavioral health clinics, expand access to opioid addiction treatment, deploy mobile crisis units and enhance maternal mental health care in underserved areas.
According to a release, the funding includes $4 million to construct three new mental health clinics, $3 million for stationary medication units to deliver opioid treatment drugs across five counties and $4 million for mobile crisis teams servicing six additional counties. These teams provide up to eight weeks of in-home support for children and families to reduce hospitalizations and residential placements.
An additional $6.7 million will fund early intervention initiatives for youth experiencing serious mental health symptoms, foster regional crisis response networks and expand perinatal care for new and expecting mothers.
U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy, a physician representing rural Eastern North Carolina, said geographical isolation can be a barrier to medical care.
“Rural communities across North Carolina deserve access to the same quality behavioral health and substance use treatment available in our larger cities,” Murphy said. “These investments will expand access to mental health care, treatment for opioid use disorder, crisis services and other critical resources for patients and families who too often face barriers to care. As a physician and a representative of rural Eastern North Carolina, I know how important it is to bring care closer to home.”
Funding for the initiative stems from the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.