“George F. Bason, the District Judge of Wake County, North Carolina, called a press conference where he challenged lawyers to sue him as a representative of the state for not providing institutionalized children and youth with mental illness the education and care that were entitled to them under state and federal law. As a juvenile court judge, Bason had seen the same children revolve in and out of his court. The sight of a young boy with mental illness languishing behind bars with adult prisoners for assaultive behavior because mental health and social services could find no other place for him had so appalled the judge he was compelled to call a press conference to draw the attention of the public to the problem.” – from “History of System Of Care in NC” at nccollaborative.org.

“In September 1979, seven lawyers filed a class action lawsuit in the Federal District Court in Charlotte on behalf of four clients, the youngest of who was Willie M. … The class was defined as North Carolina citizens under the age of eighteen who ‘(a) now or will in the future suffer from serious emotional, mental or neurological handicaps, which handicaps have been accompanied by behavior which is characterized as violent or assaultive; and (b) are or will be in the future, involuntarily institutionalized or otherwise placed in residential programs; and (c) for whom the Defendants have not provided appropriate treatment and educational programs.’ … A court date was set for September 1980.  But on the eve of the trial, a settlement was reached that acknowledged that the plaintiffs and the class they represented had rights to appropriate treatment. … The Willie M. lawsuit settlement mandated a comprehensive program of physical, mental, social, and educational services in the least restrictive setting possible, individualized for each child who met class eligibility requirements, that was eventually to become known as System of Care.” – from “History of System Of Care in NC” at nccollaborative.org.

Through a series of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and System of Care grants, the state saw expanding efforts to meet child mental health needs. The System of Care philosophy was integrated within North Carolina’s Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services projects. 

North Carolina Families United was established as the state family organization to support and unite “the voices of children, youth, and families with mental health concerns to educate, support, and advocate for improved services and lives.”

The NC State Collaborative was developed, with representatives from advocacy groups, community services, universities, the State of North Carolina, and other organizations, to improve outcomes for all children, youth, and families.

The NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services (DMH/DD/SAS) was the recipient of a four-year System of Care Expansion Grant.

A focus of the grant was partnering with local management entities/managed care organizations to pilot HFW, an evidenced-informed supportive service for youth 3-20 years-old with serious emotional disturbance, including those with a co-occurring substance use disorders and/or intellectual/developmental disability. The pilot targeted 50 NC youth transitioning from psychiatric residential treatment facilities  to a community-based setting, such as with their biological parents, kinship care, foster homes, therapeutic foster care, or independent living.

The Governor’s Task Force funded the Tiered Care Coordination Project, which connected youth and their families involved in child welfare and juvenile justice to behavioral health services. HFW formed the third tier of this project, providing much needed intensive care coordination for youth with the highest level of need. 

The NC Department of Health and Human Services announces that NC HFWTP, currently housed at UNC Greensboro, is the official training, credentialing, and monitoring organization for HFW teams in North Carolina.