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Division debuts searchable crisis website, highlights bed registry and $20M transportation RFP
Summary
The Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services demonstrated a new crisis-services website and its BH SCAN bed-registry platform, reported 59 facilities and roughly 3,100 beds in the registry, announced three 24/7 behavioral health urgent cares opening soon, and issued a $20 million RFP for non–law-enforcement transportation (proposals due Feb. 28).
The Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services on the division’s Side by Side webinar demonstrated a new crisis-services landing page and a searchable "Have help come to you" ZIP-code feature that pulls up local mobile crisis-team contacts and maps to behavioral health urgent cares and facility-based crisis centers.
"There is help here 24/7," said Lisa Dechantes, acting clinical director for mental health treatment and recovery, during a live website demonstration showing how callers can click to call, chat or text the 988 lifeline or find local mobile crisis teams.
Dechantes described the BH SCAN (behavioral health statewide central availability navigator) platform as the division’s bed-registry and crisis-technology backbone. "Right now, we have 59 different provider facilities in there, and that makes up about a little over 3,100 beds in our system," she said, adding that about 74% of facilities updated bed availability at least once every 24 hours over the prior three months.
Officials said BH SCAN helps reduce emergency-department stays by showing bed availability, generating digital referrals and enabling secure provider-to-provider communication. "It helps us with reducing ED stays," Dechantes said.
The division also announced three new Behavioral Health Urgent Care centers will open on a staggered schedule over the coming weeks; each will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and be added to the crisis-to-care website when operational.
Dechantes said the division has begun a partnership with Trillium Health Resources to open crisis centers in Lenoir, Hanover, New Hanover and Pitt counties and will announce opening dates as they are finalized.
In a separate announcement, Dechantes said the division is investing $20,000,000 in a pilot for non–law-enforcement transportation to move people to facility-based crisis centers or inpatient psychiatric hospitals. "Those proposals are due on February 28," she said; the RFP details were posted in the webinar chat.
Director Kelly Crosby emphasized quality and access goals for crisis services, including more consistent 24/7 coverage, better training so mobile crisis teams can de-escalate without unnecessary transport, and inclusive admission policies so centers do not turn away people with dementia, autism or intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The division encouraged providers and community members to use the new site, share feedback and watch a replay of the webinar; the recording and slides will be posted on the division’s community engagement and training webpage.
