Orange County receives new mental health grant

The Orange County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday evening to discuss a new grant to fund employees focused on mental health.

The state funding is designed to divert people away from the criminal justice system.

Carrboro Police Chief Chris Atack, who has been at the Carrboro Police Department for 24 years, says funding for a mental health expert has been needed for a long time. He believes it will make a major difference.

A social worker may be soon be working here, thanks to a new grant.

"A social worker will speak the language of a social worker, so they'll be able to connect to a lot of our community resource partners who are mental health providers and stuff like that," he says.

A state grant from the "Police and Mental Health Collaborations for Diversion Programs" would fund social workers at four law enforcement agencies in Orange County, including the Sheriffs' Office, and police departments in Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough.

Atack says this is will help a person struggling with mental health issues from cycling through a revolving door in the criminal justice system.

"The underlying cause i think is going to be different, and it's important for us to be able to assess that and get folks connected," he says.

Orange County Commission Chair Jamezetta Bedford says these social workers will take a deep-dive approach.

"There are root causes that need to be addressed, and it's better for the community, it's better for the individuals, it's better for their families," says Bedford.

The grant also has funding for a Mental Health Diversion Coordinator, collaborating across agencies.

This funding will also fund two new employees to work at Chapel Hill's Freedom House Recovery Center.