Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
The Healthy Kids Campaign Program has <br />implemented the ABCs of Good Health program at <br />nine childcare centers, and has reached 132 <br />children since its inception. The program, led by a <br />health department employee, uses a curriculum <br />based (NAPSACC) approach to working with child <br />care teachers. It provides information and training <br />on how to implement better nutrition and physical <br />activity in the child's daily routine; and is supported by <br />a grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North <br />Carolina Foundation. <br />In addition, the Health Promotion Committee is working <br />to reduce childhood obesity. <br />Mental Health and Substance Abuse <br />Per the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental <br />Disabilities and Substance Abuse (DMH/DD/SA) <br />Services Community Systems Progress Report for 4"' <br />Quarter State Fiscal Year 2008-2009, adults in need <br />of mental health services in Orange County number <br />5,572. Of these, 29% were documented to receive <br />help via Medicaid and IPRS services. During the <br />same period, 2,634 children and adolescents were <br />estimated to be in need of mental health services, and <br />36% (941 youth) of these received needed support <br />from Medicaid and IPRS services. <br />Adults and children in need of mental health services <br />also received help via Medicare, Health Choice, <br />private insurance, and publicly funded assistance <br />(such as Orange County and non-Unit Cost <br />Reimbursement). <br />Estimates from the same source indicate that there <br />are 10,381 adults in need of substance abuse <br />services in Orange County. Of these, 6% (606 adults) <br />received Medicaid and IPRS services. Seven hundred <br />children were estimated to need help with substance <br />abuse, and 11% (74 youth) were served using these <br />same services. Numbers served do not include <br />individuals receiving services paid for by non-Unit <br />Cost Reimbursement (non-UCR) funds, including <br />grant-funded substance abuse services, which is a <br />significant group of consumers. <br />Like most counties, Orange County is working to <br />address the challenges brought about by significant <br />reductions in funding for MH/DD/SA service delivery <br />and system management, as well as the rate <br />reductions that impact many Medicaid funded <br />services. In September 2009, State level legislation <br />mandated the discontinuation in 2010 of Community <br />Support services; this will leave a hole in the <br />continuum of services available to people in need of <br />assistance. Funding for Crisis Services has, <br />fortunately, been protected. <br />Orange-Person-Chatham (OPC) Area Program- <br />Orange County's Local Management Entity for <br />MHlDDlSA Services-continues to work diligently to <br />preserve services whenever possible to reduce impact <br />on County residents, protect the stability of the <br />provider community, and identify providers and <br />services to fill gaps in the provision of critical services. <br />OPC continues to collaborate with existing providers <br />and community stakeholders to strengthen the overall <br />service system. <br />Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee <br />New mental health and substance abuse initiatives at <br />work in Orange County include the following. In <br />January 2009, the Mental Health and Substance <br />Abuse (MH&SA) Committee of Healthy Carolinians of <br />Orange County released a Directory of Mental Health <br />Services. This directory seeks to increase knowledge <br />of and access to available mental health services in <br />Orange, Person and <br />Chatham counties. It <br />includes general <br />information about state a~~~ry or Me~~~ Hed~~ <br />and county mental ~~~~~'~ ti~ <br />health services, <br />including emergency 2~9 <br />and crisis services, ~. <br />governmental and non- <br />governmental <br />agencies, and a listing <br />of private mental ~w~~ <br />~~n,~, <br />health providers. Y ~~°~ <br />Made possible by the OPC Area Program, the Mental <br />Health Association Orange County (MHA-OC) <br />transformed the Directory into aweb-based, <br />searchable database (by specialty services, provider <br />name, insurances accepted, and more). Both <br />resources may be accessed at <br />www. mhaorangeco.org. <br />The MH&SA Committee also dedicated itself to the <br />launch of the Pro Bono Counseling Network. With <br />funding from OPC Area Program and Strowd Roses, <br />Inc. (a charitable foundation), the Network began <br />providing services in January 2009 under the <br />organizational umbrella of MHA-OC. The Network <br />recruits mental health professionals to provide <br />counseling services on a pro Bono basis to individuals <br />who fall into the gap between those <br />12 <br />