Programs
North Carolina
TBI Lead Agency
DHHS
Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities & Substance Abuse Services
325 N, Salisbury Street, Suite 612
3005 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-3021
Sandy Ellsworth
TBI Grant Project Director
Best Practice Team
919-715-2775
919-508-0960 (Fax)
Sandy.Ellsworth@ncmail.net
Service Delivery
The Department of Health and Human Services has four Divisions which have some responsibility related to Traumatic Brain Injury. These are the Division of Public Health (injury prevention), Division of Facility Services (trauma care and transport), Division of Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities/Substance Abuse Services (DMH/DD/SAS) (service delivery), and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) (service delivery). DMH/DD/SAS manages a general revenue fund dedicated to TBI services and program development and provides staff support to the N.C. Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council. Under the umbrella of DMH/DD/SAS are currently 29 Local Management Entities (LMEs). Consumers enter the service delivery system through their LME which in turn is responsible for the access to services and support.
Dedicated general revenue funds provide support for the operation of several community residential programs, a yearround camp, information and referral and support group assistance through BIANC, and a variety of one-time crisis oriented services. Persons with TBI may also be served with funds available to the broad developmental disability population because the N.C. definition of developmental disability includes TBI regardless of age of onset.
Persons injured before the age of 22 may also access the MR/DD Home and Community Based Waiver managed by DMH/DD/SAS. Persons over the age of 18 may access the Disabled Adult Waiver managed by the Division of Social Services if they meet the nursing facility level of care.
Persons interested in vocational services seek support through county Vocational Rehabilitation Services counselors. The DVRS Independent Living Program has one counselor whose primary responsibility is to coordinate supports for persons with TBI.
Find out more information on this State's services in its current profile by clicking here. [PDF 50KB]. You can also order a hardcopy of our latest "Guide to State Government Brain Injury Policies, Funding and Services" for profiles of all States and much more.
HRSA-Funded Projects
From 1997 through 2000, North Carolina operated an Implementation Grant project focused on identification of children with TBI at three trauma centers and provided linkage to professional services and community supports. A Post- Demonstration grant received in 2001 afforded the State an opportunity to produce educational materials that were circulated to all North Carolina trauma centers and hospitals as well as to professionals
Find more information on this State's project in its current grant profile.
Promising Practices
A contract between Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospital Authority and the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services supports TBI Project STAR (Services Targeted for All Referrals). The program is designed as a community support service. The program is housed at the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation (CIR), a facility of the Carolinas Health care System. TBI STAR is designed to serve individuals who have sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and their families. TBI STAR collaborates with the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina (BIANC) and houses one of the Regional Family and Community Support Centers in Charlotte. TBI STAR serves portions of six Local Management Entities (formerly Area Mental Health Programs) through the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. These Local Management Entities (LME) are located in southwest North Carolina and include both metropolitan and rural areas.
The program design is for support of community-based services for individuals with TBI. The activities include 1) to provide local and regional support in order to enhance the quality of services, and to build capacity and competency among individuals, community agencies, and organizations that serve individuals with TBI and their families; 2) to identify individuals with TBI through the CIR Registry who need services; 3) to increase consumer awareness of services and access to services of the Division of MH/DD/SAS; 4) to provide education and specialized support to the LMEs, providers, and other professionals that identify TBI related needs in the community by sharing community referral sources; and 5) to serve or support individuals with TBI, their families and caregivers directly. TBI STAR exists to assist persons with traumatic brain injuries and their families with rebuilding their lives following TBI. This involves assisting survivors in obtaining access to coordinated services and supports determined by their individual strengths, needs, and choices throughout their lifetime and identifying their needs in their communities and developing innovative services and community collaborations to address the needs.
TBI STAR is committed to addressing the needs of individuals with traumatic brain injuries as a target population of individuals with developmental disability as outlined in the State Plan. The State Plan discusses a renewed focus on eight core functions: screening/identification, assessment, referral, emergency services, service coordination, consultation, education, and prevention. The program includes ways to create a system that involves local community partners in innovative and creative ways. TBI STAR has an extensive track record of community partnerships and will continue its commitment to building capacity within existing organizations for expanding services to the TBI survivor community.
The Lead Agency continues to have a support contract with the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina and its support centers to better identify the needs and develop relationships with individuals with TBI, their families, and providers of service.
Click here for a summary of the State's Brain Injury Training Portfolio
