NC START are statewide community crisis support programs for individuals (ages 18 and above) with intellectual/developmental disabilities and complex behavioral or mental health needs. Crisis prevention and intervention services are provided through crisis response, clinical consultation, training and respite.
The NC START program is divided into three regions (East, Central and West) and each region consists of a clinical team and a respite home. The clinical team (consisting of four START Coordinators) provides 24/7 crisis response and consultation, as well as on-going preventative cross-systems crisis prevention and intervention planning for eligible individuals. The crisis prevention component of NC START also involves working with the existing I/DD and mental health systems of care to provide technical assistance, consultation and support when working with individuals eligible for NC START. NC START also provides training and education on topics pertaining to care and treatment for individuals with I/DD, when requested and available.
The NC START clinical team will continue to work with referred individuals and their service/support system to reach sustained stabilization for the individual and their system of care, which generally takes one year from the start of the service. Within that time, the NC START team will work with the individual and their system of services and supports to systematically prepare for crises and reduce the frequency of restrictive interventions, hospital admissions and overall crisis events.
The NC START regional therapeutic resource centers each have two beds reserved for eligible individuals in crisis and two beds reserved for planned crisis prevention-eligible individuals (4 beds total). START Coordinators are the conduit for access to all START services, including therapeutic resource center visits.
- NC START West Asheville Kannapolis/Concord: 888-974-2937; Referrals: 888-974-2937
- NC START Central Durham: 919-865-8730, 800-662-7119 x8730; Referrals: 919-865-8730
- NC START East New Bern Wilmington: Crisis & Referral: 888-962-3782
