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Families in rural North Carolina who cannot afford to pay out of pocket are about to get new options.
The state is putting public money behind free and low-cost addiction treatment for teenagers, starting with counties where no youth programs exist at all.
Beginning this fall, adolescents in Cabarrus County will have access to substance use treatment that the county currently does not offer.
What North Carolina Is Funding
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is awarding $5.7 million for substance use services in rural and underserved areas, where help is hardest to find, according to Spectrum News 1.
The Cabarrus Health Alliance is one of 12 organizations statewide chosen for the grant, and it plans to use the money to build adolescent treatment from the ground up. More than one million North Carolinians struggle with substance use, the station reported.
Who Qualifies for Free or Low-Cost Treatment
The new services are aimed at teenagers and their families in Cabarrus County, including youth who have already developed a substance use disorder. Right now, officials with the alliance say no teen-specific treatment exists in the county.
For an adolescent without a car, reaching the nearest youth treatment facility in Charlotte can take eight buses and six hours for a single appointment, the alliance reported. Removing that kind of barrier is the point of state-funded care.
“Many, many people desire services. There may be a service that would be appropriate, but they just can’t get there,” said Sonja Bohannon-Thacker, behavioral health director at the Cabarrus Health Alliance.A Local Crisis Driving the Investment
Data from the alliance shows opioid overdose emergency room visits for adolescents and teens in Cabarrus County have jumped 67% since 2019, with some youth as young as 12 reporting regular drug use.
The plan funded by the grant includes traditional treatment, peer mentor support, family education groups, and adolescent-specific substance use treatment, along with partnerships with the local nonprofit The Studio and Kannapolis City Schools.
How to Access These Resources
Grant funding for the Cabarrus Health Alliance begins September 1. In the meantime, the alliance has expanded its Live Well Counseling Center from three therapy offices to nine spaces, including a parent-child interaction therapy room and a play therapy room.
A new Steve Morris Behavioral Health Center, operated by Monarch, is set to open in July with a behavioral health urgent care that can be a first stop during a substance use or mental health crisis.
Paying for Teen Treatment
Even before these programs open, families have low-cost and no-cost paths to care. Medicaid insurance covers substance use treatment for eligible children and adults in North Carolina, and many community programs use sliding-scale fees based on income.
SAMHSA’s free, confidential national helpline can connect families to local options at any hour.
Free and Low-Cost Rehabs in North Carolina
– Check whether your family qualifies for North Carolina Medicaid coverage for rehab
– Search free and low-cost treatment centers near you
– Contact SAMHSA’s national helpline: 1-800-662-4357
Rehabs.org’s directory features a variety free and low-cost treatment options nationwide for teens and adults alike. Call
800-914-7089
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to get connected to affordable care today.
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