The gift, from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, will be used to develop a case management program within the center.
A donor who wishes to remain anonymous has given $300,000 to the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health to fund the development of a case management program within the center.
“Thanks to this donation, we plan to create a case management team consisting of a full-time, masters-level clinical social worker, and a half-time peer support specialist,” said John H. Gilmore, MD, the center’s director. “This team will be focused on providing individuals and their families with the resources and support they need to achieve the fullest recovery possible.”
The case management team will also link clients to the recovery programs at the UNC Penny Lane Campus, allowing patients to take full advantage of the opportunities there, including the therapeutic horticulture program at the Farm at Penny Lane and the UNC PAWS program.
“Case management, the foundation of stable care and recovery in most states, has not been funded by North Carolina for many years. There is growing awareness that this key service needs to be provided in a thoughtful, cost-effective way,” said Gilmore, who is Thad & Alice Eure Distinguished Professor and Vice-Chair for Research and Scientific Affairs in the UNC Department of Psychiatry and director of the center.
“This gift will allow us to not only provide these services to our patients but also begin to work with our state partners to develop a new service definition for case management that Medicaid would be willing to fund again. This would improve the care and recovery of people with mental illness by making the delivery of case management sustainable for mental health providers across North Carolina.”