News

In 2023, 293 people died from overdose in Mecklenburg County. Those people and more will be remembered on Saturday, August 31 as the world spotlights International Overdose Awareness Day. 

Mecklenburg County has completed a draft of a behavioral health strategic plan and invites residents to review and offer comments, especially people with lived experience, family members, and service providers. Behavioral health generally refers to mental health and substance use disorders, life stressors and crises, and stress-related physical symptoms. In recent years, Mecklenburg County has identified behavioral health as a priority for improving the well-being of residents. 

Mecklenburg County government has been presented with 2024 Organizational Leadership Award from the American Society for Public Administration’s (ASPA) Center for Accountability and Performance (CAP). The award recognizes outstanding applications of performance measurement that produces culture change, sustained improvements, and positive effects on government performance and accountability.

Over two nights in March 2024, Mecklenburg County residents came together to learn more about behavioral and mental health and join the effort to make things better for their neighbors. The sessions were part of Mecklenburg’s “County Conversations” series, giving residents the opportunity to listen, learn, and share about how they feel about mental health issues and how Mecklenburg County can help.

Nearly 100 community partners, leaders and students attended this year’s Opioid Settlement Fund Update meeting on Nov. 7.

A child’s health and well-being during the first three years of life affects future learning, behavior, and health. It is the most sensitive period for a child’s developing brain and body. But many families face challenges during these years. Consistent with the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners’ priority to expand services that promote early childhood development, the County has introduced the Prenatal to Three Strategic Plan which works to improve the trajectory of child and family well-being in those early years.

Since launching its engagement efforts in November of 2022, Mecklenburg County continues to solicit public input to inform its Behavioral Health Strategic Plan.

County Manager Dena R. Diorio received the prestigious Whitney M. Young Award from the Urban League of the Central Carolinas.

 Mecklenburg County will make $6 million in grant funding available to organizations that provide substance use and mental health treatment services, early intervention, recovery housing, as well as employment and recovery services to combat the Opioid epidemic.

Mecklenburg County is developing a Behavioral Health Strategic Plan and is soliciting input from service providers and customers, individuals with lived experiences, and the community at-large, by way of community engagement meetings.