North Carolina mental health care is administered through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees public behavioral health programs and community mental health services across the state. Crisis support is available 24/7 through 988. NAMI North Carolina affiliates and the state's 211 services provide peer support and local navigation.
North Carolina administers public mental health services through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The resources below cover state-level crisis lines, the state mental health authority, the NAMI state affiliate, and other North Carolina-specific points of contact for anxiety, depression, and related conditions.
North Carolina manages public behavioral health through regional Local Management Entities and Managed Care Organizations that coordinate Medicaid behavioral health, intellectual and developmental disability, and substance use services. Outpatient specialty psychiatry is concentrated in the Research Triangle, Charlotte, and Winston-Salem. The eastern and western parts of the state lean more on community mental health centers and telepsychiatry.
Crisis lines
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 anywhere in the United States, including from North Carolina. Free and confidential, 24/7. For chat, visit 988lifeline.org.
- North Carolina 211. Dial 211 from anywhere in North Carolina for non-emergency help connecting to mental health, substance use, housing, food, and basic-needs referrals.
State mental health authority
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The SAMHSA-designated state authority for public behavioral health programs, community mental health services, and licensing in North Carolina. Phone: 919-733-7013.
NAMI North Carolina
- Find a NAMI affiliate in North Carolina. NAMI North Carolina affiliates run free education programs, support groups, and advocacy. NAMI HelpLine: 800-950-NAMI (6264). Text NAMI to 62640. For crisis, call or text 988.
Treatment locators
- FindSupport.gov / SAMHSA Help Finder. Federal tool for finding health care, support, treatment options, and payment information. 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727).
- FindTreatment.gov. Federal treatment locator searchable by North Carolina zip code for mental health and substance-use treatment programs.
University and academic medical centers
The academic medical centers in North Carolina operate outpatient psychiatry clinics. Wait times for new patients are often several weeks, and some specialty programs may have longer wait lists.
- Duke University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Department of psychiatry at Duke University.
- UNC School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. Department of psychiatry at UNC School of Medicine.
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. Department of psychiatry at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
- East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. Department of psychiatry at East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine.