The Trump administration is sending more than $17 million in Rural Health Transformation Program funds to North Carolina to build out behavioral health and addiction treatment for rural residents.
Three new mental health clinics will split $4 million. Another $3 million will place stationary medication units for opioid use disorder treatment in five counties, according to an Oct. 7 news release from CMS.
A $4 million portion adds mobile crisis teams in six more counties. The teams can work with a child and family at home for as long as eight weeks, an approach designed to keep children with their families and avoid hospital admissions or residential placements.
The final $6.7 million covers three areas: young people showing early signs of serious mental illness, regional networks that can mobilize faster during a crisis, and mental healthcare for pregnant women and new mothers in underserved communities.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described the program as giving states room to design their own approaches while holding them accountable for outcomes.
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, said the agency now wants to see early gains hold up over time for rural patients and health systems. In North Carolina, Dr. Oz said, that means quicker care for families in crisis and better resources for rural providers facing urgent behavioral health needs.
The money comes from North Carolina’s fiscal year 2026 allocation under the $50 billion program, which CMS oversees. The program was created under HR 1, legislation the administration refers to as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.
