Orange County 2022 Legislative Package

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2 2022 Orange County Legislative Interests (Note: Italicized Items are Priority Legislative Issues) HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES 1) Mental Health — Seek legislation to develop and fund a plan to: • provide assistance to NC residents, especially youth, who are dealing with the impacts of COVID; • reduce the number of people with mental health issues in county-detention centers; • ensure that adequate State-funded mental health, developmental disability and substance use disorder services and facilities are available at the local level, accessible and affordable to all residents; • ensure that state resources fund service provision costs, inclusive of crisis intervention and treatment; and • structure appropriate county participation in governance; 2) Behavioral Health Services — Support increased state funding for behavioral health services and facilities at the state and local level, including dedicated resources for community para-medicine projects and enhanced mobile crisis response. Support Medicaid reimbursement to EMS for behavioral health transport to crisis centers and structure appropriate county participation in behavioral health program governance; 3) Child Care - Seek legislation to reverse changes made to the childcare subsidy program available to working families, including establishing eligibility for all children at 200% of the federal poverty level and prorating fees to actual hours attended. This change will help working parents to become financially self- sufficient while assisting employers to maintain a stable workforce. Support legislation to increase and ensure stable funding for enhanced quality early care and education through Smart Start and NC Pre-K; 4) Opioid Epidemic Efforts — Support county efforts to address opioid epidemic impacts by providing funding for: diversionary facilities and programs to provide and expand access for individuals with opioid use disorder to seek and complete treatment and sustain recovery; to collect data regarding opioid overdoses; for additional law enforcement to investigate and enforce drug laws and to divert individuals into treatment resources through pre-arrest deflection or post-charge treatment courts; and funding for harm reduction efforts at the county level is critical and should include access to naloxone kits and fentanyl strips to assist overdose prevention; 5) Crime Intervention Services — Support legislation and state funding to provide early intervention services through the Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils, and support increased state funding for the prevention, intervention and treatment of adolescent substance use, gang involvement and domestic violence;