CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Legislators and mental health professionals met in Chapel Hill over the weekend for the 45th Annual Legislative Breakfast on Mental Health.
The breakfast is the largest meeting on mental health policy in the state. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley talked about new solutions in the state and what still needs to be done for mental health treatment.
The breakfast consisted of several panels including mental health treatment for children, and the transition out of care centers. Mental health experts, including professors from the UNC Psychiatry Department, and several legislators shared their perspectives and expertise on the topics.
The largest topic of discussion during the breakfast was funding for mental health programs.
Senator Sydney Batch, representing Wake County, spoke in support of paying social workers more to keep them working in public schools. This issue highlights the importance of investing in mental health and the need for more support for those who work in this field.
Another important topic that was discussed several times was Medicaid expansion.
Every legislator present expressed their support for expanding Medicaid. Senator Jim Burgin stated that Republicans still have some issues to resolve, but he believes that it will be completed this session. Representative Wayne Sasser went even further, saying that he expects Medicaid expansion to be completed by the end of March.
The discussions and plans that took place during the breakfast will help shape the future of mental health policy in the state.