Chapel Hill, N.C. — August 12, 2025 — The UNC Department of Psychiatry’s IMPACTT-NC program (Improving Adolescent Child health Through Telepsychiatry in NC) and UNC Children’s is proud to announce the launch of UNC-GIFTS — a collaborative partnership with Granville County Public Schools and Granville Vance Public Health — aimed at addressing the mental health needs of students in Granville County.
Funded through The Duke Endowment and a partnership between the UNC Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Psychiatry, UNC-GIFTS (Granville Initiative for Thriving Students) will deliver coordinated behavioral health services to students across all fourteen schools within the Granville County Publics Schools system starting in August 2025.
A Response to Urgent Need
Access to behavioral health services for children in North Carolina is a growing crisis. With only 200 child psychiatrists across 31 of the state’s 100 counties, North Carolina ranks 44th in the U.S. for access to children’s behavioral health care. The UNC-GIFTS partnership aims to close that gap locally by leveraging in-person and virtual solutions.
Granville County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stan Winborne sees the district’s participation in UNC-GIFTS as another resource for improving student safety, the district’s top priority, while increasing academic achievement. According to Winborne, “Students with mental health concerns often struggle in school, where are educators are not qualified or equipped to provide the services they need to be academically and behaviorally successful. UNC-GIFTS allows us to align with trusted community partners to make care more accessible for students and families.”
How the Partnership Works
- Granville Vance Public Health will provide in-person therapy at school and community sites.
- IMPACTT-NC, through the UNC Department of Psychiatry, will provide virtual psychiatric services and therapy as overflow support to ensure no student is turned away due to capacity constraints.
- Granville County Public Schools will host this service and is hiring a Family Navigator to help bridge communication between families, schools, and care teams, improving access and continuity of care.
Convenient, Accessible, and Flexible Care
Students will access care from school or community sites using telehealth technology. Caregivers can join sessions in person (at some locations) or remotely via phone or internet-connected devices. IMPACTT-NC’s model addresses barriers such as lack of transportation, scheduling issues, and the need for privacy and structure — all common challenges in accessing behavioral health care.
Lisa Harrison, Director of Granville Vance Public Health, notes “Working together across our school system, public health, University partners, and funding partners, we can accomplish so much more than each of us could tackle alone. I appreciate the willingness of our school leaders and families to help us address the needs of school aged children and youth who need new ways to access behavioral health. We believe in offering whole-person, whole-community care.”
This partnership is built to be flexible and scalable, allowing schools to meet rising demand while ensuring every child in need has a path to professional support.
“We’re combining trusted local care with innovative virtual services,” said Dr. Mike Steiner, Pediatrician in Chief, Executive Vice Chair in the UNC Department of Pediatrics. “That’s the core of UNC-GIFTS — meeting kids where they are, with the right support, at the right time.”
How to Access Services
Referrals can be made by school staff or requested directly by families. Caregivers should connect with their school team to learn how to access services.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
About IMPACTT-NC IMPACTT-NC is an initiative of the UNC Department of Psychiatry that provides short-term virtual therapy and psychiatric medication management for youth experiencing emotional, behavioral, or academic concerns. The program partners with school districts and community organizations to improve access to care across North Carolina.
About Granville Vance Public Health GVPH is a rural Academic Health Department with the mission of protecting and promoting health in Granville and Vance counties. GVPH provides a broad range of primary care and prevention clinical services, dental services, health education, health promotion, environmental health, and overall disease and injury detection. Supporting local public health sustains economic development, education systems, community safety, and overall improvements in community resilience.
About Granville County Public Schools Serving approximately 6,000 students across 14 schools, Granville County Schools is committed to educating, supporting, and empowering students to thrive in a changing world.