By Kate Peterson
A “silver lining” in a post-pandemic world has been a wide acceptance that health and wellness include mental health services and supports. Services and are now more accepted and available than ever. For resource parents, as you start to explore accessing services, it can be overwhelming and confusing.
The first thing to remember is these services are typically paid for either out of pocket or by insurance. For children who receive special needs adoption assistance or are in DSS Custody, a new Medicaid Plan, called a Children and Families Specialty Plan, began on December 1, 2025. This plan is operated by Health Blue and is called Healthy Blue Care Together. You can check with your local DSS to see if you and your children are eligible. More information can be accessed here.
The plan includes physical health and pharmacy access.
Your Medicaid ID card will likely have the assigned plan on the card. The plan’s information is in detail in the member handbook which you can learn more about here.
There are also nine additional Medicaid Plans for NC you can learn about by visiting this link.
These are called Standard Plans or Tailored Plans. All the Medicaid plan types will have an assigned Primary Care Physician (PCP) identified.
Services for your child(ren) range from outpatient services, to therapy or medication management, to more intensive services such as Intensive In-Home Services or residential services. For the type of service to be approved or authorized, the child must meet “medical necessity,” which is the criteria for the service.
There are also crisis services available for children and families. There is Mobile Outreach Response and Engagement Services (MORES) who responds to a caregivers call within 45 minutes to an hour. The response includes a mental health professional and a Family Peer Specialist. In addition to an immediate response to a crisis call from a caregiver, they can support your family and child for up to eight additional weeks while other services are accessed and the situation is stabilized. his service is widely provided in North Carolina regardless of covered insurance plan.
Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) is also a crisis service in some locations where you can walk in and receive a crisis assessment and an aftercare plan which may include medications. BHUC is an alternative to a hospital emergency department, similar to that of a physical health urgent care. Your insurance will point you to the service providers they support for the type of services recommended.
To make services accessible and available, North Carolina offers Peer Support for Teens through a program called Somethings. A Certified Peer Specialist Mentor is assigned to work directly with your teen. They have experience working with a variety of common issues teens face, such as substance use, depression, stress, and anxiety. This is a free service and is provided through talking or texting at flexible times via the confidential Somethings app.
You may have commercial insurance which is typically available through your workplace. These plans also provide many of the supports outlined above, but to be clear on services offered, speak with a representative or view the member handbook provided to you.
Finally, you can also go to https://ncmedicaidplans.gov/en, use the NC Medicaid Managed Care mobile app or call toll free at 1-833-870-5500 (TTY: 711 or RelayNC.com) to learn more about your choices, including the EBCI Tribal Option or NC Medicaid Direct. These resources can further explain the types of services and supports available.
Kate Peterson is an Organizational Strategist with FFA-NC. She has over 30 years of behavioral health and child welfare experience in North Carolina, including ten years at Alliance Health.
