RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and First Lady Anna Stein unveiled a pilot program focused on helping inmates with severe mental health needs successfully reenter their communities after they’re released from jail or prison. 

First Lady Stein announced the Forensic Assertive Community Treatment Team, also known as NC Fact, in front of NCDHHS staff and others at the headquarters Monday.

The $9.5 million investment will create FACT teams in Pitt, New Hanover, Wake/Durham, Buncombe, and Mecklenburg counties.

NCDHHS says the teams are part of a long-term effort by the department to support people when they are released from incarceration and will build on existing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams by addressing criminal behavior risks to divert people in need of treatment away from the criminal justice system. 

The FACT teams will provide care based on a person’s needs. Each team will assist up to 30 clients at a time.

NCDHHS says services include mental health care, housing, vocational/educational support, substance use disorder care, day-to-day living support, and referrals to other professional support services as required.

“I am pleased our state is making a targeted investment to make sure people with severe mental health conditions get the help they need,” Stein said.

NC DHHS says only a handful of states currently support FACT teams. They include a licensed professional who serves as team leader, a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, and a peer support specialist.

Other team members include substance use disorder specialists, vocational/education specialists, housing specialists, and a forensic navigator. The collaborative teams will bring in faith leaders, probation and parole staff, and family members and will include other service providers to help clients as needed.

“This new approach will improve outcomes for people with serious mental health needs by ensuring they have the resources and care they need to succeed in their communities,” said North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “Providing them with housing, transportation, and health care will reduce the chances they will return to jail or prison. This improves not only their health and well-being but also public safety.”

Nathan Brunson is a clinical supervisor at Carolina Outreach who will serve as a provider for the FACT team for Wake/ Durham Counties. He says the services are needed.

“It’s probably no surprise that when you provide those things to the people who need them that they do stay out of jail, they stay out of hospitals, you can reduce recidivism, and you can provide hope and recovery for a person’s mental health,” Brunson said.

Each team will receive $636,000 per year for three years. NCDHHS says the funding will flow through the local management entity/managed care organization (LME/MCO) for each area. 
The FACT teams are expected to be up and running by the end of 2025 or in early 2026.

This initiative is part of a historic investment by the NC General Assembly to build a mental health care system in North Carolina that supports all North Carolinians when and where they need it and in the setting that is best for them based upon their individual circumstances.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina Democrats and Republicans traded barbs on Saturday after a voter lookup tool on the state Board of Elections website was down for several hours, affecting much of the state.

The “voter lookup” tool on the North Carolina State Board of Elections, also known as the voter search, allows potential voters to find information about their polling places, among other data.

On Saturday, early voting was still underway ahead of Election Day on Tuesday.

The North Carolina Democratic Party first raised the issue, with an “unofficial” claim that the tool was not functioning in 94 out of 100 counties.

“When Dave Boliek first took over the Board of Elections, he removed career election professionals to fill his leadership with inexperienced, partisan appointees. Now, on the last day of early voting before our municipal elections, the NCSBE Voter Search tool went down,” said part of a statement from NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton.

Clayton also said there were problems at polling places where “poll workers are having difficulty quickly identifying and registering voters.”

Saturday night, NCBOE officials said the tool was back up and working. Patrick Gannon, spokesman for the NCBOE, said he could not confirm that 94 counties were not functioning earlier, but told CBS 17 it was down for most of the state.

Gannon also stated that there was “no disruption” at any polling place.

“Anderson Clayton, Chair of the NC Democratic Party, is either ignorant or intentionally spreading misinformation,” part of an emailed statement from Gannon said.

Republicans said significant work has been underway to update software — and blamed Democrats for neglect.

“Since his first day as executive director, Executive Director Sam Hayes has been working diligently to update election software that was neglected by the previous director and the then-Democratic majority,” part of a statement from Gannon said.

Democrats appeared to focus on Dave Bolick, the North Carolina State Auditor.

“It’s clear that Republicans were wrong when they said that making Boliek the only State Auditor in the country that controls elections would not impact voting or the quality of our systems,” Clayton said in a statement.

Matt Mercer of the Republicans also issued a statement on the matter — bringing up former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper.

“It’s insulting Democrats are trying to score cheap political points when Auditor Boliek has spent his tenure in office identifying their complete failure to manage the DMV in our state and just weeks ago found former Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration delayed $83 million in benefits to North Carolina families,” Mercer said in a statement to CBS 17.

The email from Gannon included some information about Tuesday’s voting.

Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Election Day. For more information, see: 10 Tips for Election Day Voters: 2025 Municipal Elections Edition.