Where to find Charlotte-area mental health care help — and how to pay for it
READ MORE
Charlotte’s ‘fragmented’ mental health system
As mental health inequities persist in Charlotte’s communities, can the region fix its problems with access to resources? This Charlotte Observer special report takes a closer look at North Carolina’s mental health crisis, and how local young people and adults have been impacted since COVID-19.
Expand All
There’s a growing need for mental health services in the Charlotte area.
But, experts and advocates say, many in need still struggle with finding care due to financial concerns, stigma and a lack of knowledge about available resources.
“There’s lots of resources, but you do have to know where to start,” said Cotrane Penn, a division director in Mecklenburg County’s Child, Family, and Adult Services department.
Here’s what to know about finding mental health care, how to pay for it and various resources in the Charlotte area:
How to find mental health care in Charlotte area
One of the region’s newest resources is the Smith Family Behavioral Health Urgent Care in east Charlotte, a partnership between the Steve Smith Family Foundation and Daymark Recovery Services.
Open for about two years, the facility is an alternative to emergency rooms for people with a mental illness or substance use disorder. It’s staffed around the clock by medical professionals. No one is turned away for not having health insurance or being underinsured.
The urgent care also can serve as a starting point for those seeking care for themselves or a loved one, Daymark’s chief program office Michelle Ivey said.
Patients can stay for up to 23 hours for observation, immediate assistance, a physical health screening and help accessing appropriate longer-term care as needed.
“Walk in,” Ivey said. “We’re here 24/7.”
The Charlotte chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness is also working on a new initiative to help people find mental health care in the area, executive director Kate Weaver said.
The group will launch NAMI Navigator Charlotte in June, a website where people can search for local providers for free based on age, ZIP code and diagnosis. The site will provide users with a list of places to go, including information on staffing, specialties and what insurance different providers accept, including Medicare and Medicaid.
NAMI Charlotte is also training volunteers to work a phone line providing the same information. Those navigators will stay with individuals or families “until they have an appointment, whether it’s one phone call or five phone calls,” Weaver said. The group is hiring social workers to help with case management and recently opened a resource center to access more services in person.
The new programming is modeled after a similar initiative in Dallas with a success rate of 67% for getting people appointments, “a sky high number in mental health,” Weaver said.
How to pay for mental health care
Federal legislation passed in 2008 required health insurers to cover services for mental health, behavioral health and substance-use disorders at a level comparable to other health conditions. And North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion, enacted in 2023, expanded access.
But lack of health insurance or being underinsured can still be a major barrier to accessing care, Weaver noted. And some mental health providers don’t accept insurance at all.
Under mental health parity law, NAMI notes, those denied coverage by their health insurance may be able to appeal their denial.
In the Charlotte area, the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s Health Care Access program helps low-income children, seniors, people living with disabilities, immigrants and their families with accessing affordable care, including mental health services.
Mental health crisis resources in Charlotte area
Groups who can help with a variety of mental and behavioral issues include:
Atrium Health: Reach Atrium’s Behavioral Health Help Line at 704-444-2400 or 1-800-418-2065. Atrium’s Behavioral Health Charlotte facility, 501 Billingsley Road, also includes a psychiatric emergency department.
Novant Health: Reach Novant’s Behavioral Health Call Center by calling 1-800-718-3550.
NAMI: Reach NAMI Charlotte’s line during business hours by calling 704-704-7005 or visiting naminavigatorcharlotte.org. NAMI’s North Carolina hotline is available by calling 800-451-9682 or texting 919-999-6527. NAMI’s national hotline is available at 800-950-NAMI.
Smith Family Behavioral Health Urgent Care: The Smith Family BHUC is located at 616 Colonnade Dr. Call 704-273-3942 for more information.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has a 24-hour crisis hotline at 988. Users can call or text the number. Confidential online chat is also available at 988lifeline.org. Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line when calling or 2 for Spanish.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: SAMHSA has a free, confidential national helpline for individuals and families facing mental health and/or substance use disorders. For treatment referral and information, call 1-800-662-HELP.
Trans Lifeline: Call 877-565-8860 for a peer support phone service for the transgender community.
The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project provides 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ young people. Text “start” to 678-678, call 1-866-488-7386 or chat online to reach a trained counselor.
NC Behavioral Health Crisis Referral System: Reach the Hope4NC Helpline by calling 1-855-587-3463 for free, confidential assistance finding mental health services.
People in a life-threatening situation should call 911. In Mecklenburg County, callers can request a Crisis Intervention Team trained to help in mental health-related emergencies.
This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
