NCDHHS releases $11 million for community diversion, re-entry programs

On Feb. 7, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced that they will provide $11 million to community-based diversion and reentry programs for those involved in the justice system.

These programs help provide formerly and actively incarcerated people with access to substance use and mental health care, as well as resources to ease their reentry and adjustment to life following their incarceration. 

Some programs that will receive funding include North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition and Coastal Horizons Center, which aim to expand their diversion services, especially for those in underserved areas. Additionally, the state has 23 local reentry councils that help those involved with the justice system ease back into daily life by providing housing, employment and treatment.

Those impacted by the justice system can be left without adequate housing, transportation and mental health or substance use treatment.

But in rural areas of North Carolina, access to reentry and diversion services can be sparse, Kelly Crosbie, director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, said.

The majority of North Carolina’s prison facilities are located within rural areas, with around 80 of the state’s 100 counties being considered rural. 

“It's hard to do anything when you pretty much ain't got no resources,” said Kenneth Hyde, a jail administrator in Graham County, which has less than 8,000 residents, said. “We've got some. As far as resources-wise, we've got food programs and we've got job assistance programs, but we really don't have no housing,” 

Hyde said that the nearest mental health facility is located in Asheville, nearly two hours — and 100 miles — away from Graham County.

Half of formerly-imprisoned individuals are re-incarcerated within three years of their release, and over one-third are rearrested. Additionally, formerly incarcerated individuals are 40 times more likely to die from opioid overdose than the rest of the population within the first two weeks post-incarceration. 

“The overall goal is to just acknowledge the fact that people sometimes have issues — legal issues or issues within the justice system — because of untreated mental health or substance use issues,” Crosbie said. “We think that they need help, and therefore, if we can get them into treatment, it's better for them.”

Koinonia Community Solutions’ reentry program, which serves individuals in several of the state’s most rural counties, only began taking referrals in January, and within a month, already had 24 clients. 

John Wallace, local reentry council job specialist for Koinonia Community Solutions in Winterville, N.C., said the organization provides food, cell services, housing, employment and job skills and case management. 

“We also do career coaching and try to connect with the local community colleges and other partner organizations that may be able to to be able to provide services that we can't provide directly," Wallace said. 

The organization also helps clients obtain credentials and identification, and provides vocational training, financial literacy and soft skill training, Rubi Blancas-Orduna, local reentry council coordinator at Koinonia Community Solutions, said

“In North Carolina, you come back to your county of conviction, or your home county where you live," Wallace said. "And most of the time these guys are coming back to the areas, and the resources that they need, particularly for sex offenders, are just not there."

The funding comes as part of the NCDHHS’ $835 million allocation to improve and transform behavioral health within the state — $99 million of which is dedicated to helping those in the justice system by supporting diversion and reentry programs.

“Overall, we're trying to achieve the goals of saving lives, getting people into treatment [and] avoiding people being incarcerated for mental health issues,” Crosbie said. 

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