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Panelists urge overhaul of involuntary-commitment practices; DHHS invites input under Executive Order 33
Summary
During a DHHS webinar, a peer-support panel criticized involuntary-commitment (IVC) practices and urged investment in housing and Medicaid access; Assistant Secretary Kelly Crosby cited Executive Order 33 and invited panelists to join a state IVC reform committee.
A state webinar on Mental Health Awareness Month included a pointed policy exchange about involuntary commitment. Jacob Schoenberg, a social worker and certified peer support specialist with the UNC Institute for Best Practices, called for major changes to how North Carolina handles involuntary commitment and assisted outpatient treatment, arguing that mandated treatment often "violates someone's rights without really accomplishing anything beneficial." Schoenberg said meeting basic needs—housing, expanded Medicaid access and resourced ACT teams—would reduce crises more effectively than expanding coercive measures.
Assistant Secretary Kelly Crosby responded by noting the governor's Executive Order 33, which directs the department to work on IVC reform, and invited panelists and others to participate in a state IVC committee to advise on changes. "Executive Order 33 ... issued directives for us to work on things," Crosby said, and she asked the panel to join the committee and share expertise.
Panelists, while acknowledging the complexity of safety concerns that can prompt family requests for involuntary commitment, urged reforms that make IVC rare and efficient when used. Laura, a certified peer support specialist with We Rise Up, said repeated hospitalizations and multiple IVC episodes can be inappropriate and that the goal should be the least-restrictive environment possible.
No policy actions or formal votes were taken during the webinar; the exchange concluded with the department extending an invitation for panelists and stakeholders to consult on reforms. The division provided contact information and said slides and the recording will be posted on its webinars page.
