NORTH CAROLINA, November 19 - Today Governor Josh Stein visited The Smith Family Behavioral Health Urgent Care in Charlotte to highlight the importance of expanding access to mental health treatment and ensuring every North Carolinian can get the health care they need when they need it.

“Too often, people in crisis and their families have nowhere to turn,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Facilities like this one are critical to making sure people receive care and are treated with dignity and compassion. As a state, we must build well-functioning mental health care system that keeps people healthy and safe, and the Smith Family BHUC is a great example.”

"When people are in crisis, they need a place they can turn to—any time of day—regardless of whether they have insurance, and with the assurance that they will be seen,” said Michelle Hunt, Executive Director of the Steve Smith Foundation. “With limited resources available, our community is in urgent need of mental health and substance use support. I’m proud that the Steve Smith Foundation is helping expand access to reliable behavioral health care for everyone in our community; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.”

The Smith Family Foundation, founded by former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith and his family, opened its Behavioral Health Urgent Care in 2023 to provide crisis counseling, diagnoses, referrals, and outpatient support for people in need of immediate care. The facility offers an alternative to emergency rooms or jail for people experiencing mental health or substance use crises.

The 2023-2025 North Carolina biennium budget included a historic $835 million investment in behavioral health. This investment is supporting mobile crisis teams, crisis receiving teams, crisis stabilization beds for children, and re-entry, diversion, and capacity restoration programs for people involved with the justice system.  

Governor Stein is urging the General Assembly to recommit to its investments in behavioral health to keep building on these successes. Governor Stein remains committed to building a system that prioritizes early intervention, expands access to care, and strengthens public safety through treatment, not neglect.

The Governor continues to call on the General Assembly to fulfill its obligation to fund Medicaid to protect access to both physical and mental health care.