Alliance Health outlines behavioral‑health expansions, school program and crisis services for Durham

Rob Robinson, CEO of Alliance Health, updated Durham commissioners on Alliance’s shift to a Taylor plan and a slate of proposed expansions funded partly with county dollars returned after Medicaid expansion. Robinson said Alliance now operates across seven counties with about 1,300 staff and a $2.5 billion budget.

“We operate a $2,500,000,000 budget,” Robinson said, describing Alliance’s expanded responsibilities since July 2024 and emphasizing partnerships with counties, schools and community providers to deliver whole‑person care.

Alliance listed planned county investments for FY26, including one‑time funding for a virtual teen peer support pilot, school‑based mental‑health teams, a recovery response integrated care piece and SOAR workers to help enroll people in benefits. Sean Schreiber, Alliance’s COO, described the school‑based care coordination team that will start in the Southwest region covering 12 schools and will include a bilingual care coordinator and three licensed clinicians.

Commissioners pressed Alliance for more specifics on timelines, which schools will be served, and how county funds will be deployed. Alliance staff said the MOA with Durham Public Schools is in place and positions are posted, but the program was still in planning with a projected start at the beginning of the school year.

Why it matters: The proposed expansions address gaps in youth mental‑health services, crisis response and reentry supports; commissioners asked for follow‑up data on service volumes, contract timelines and partnership coordination with DPS.