North Carolina SB 838: The Frontline Mental Health Support Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 838

Short Title: The Frontline Mental Health Support Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Theodros, Mayfield, and Bradley (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 28, 2026
*S838-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE FRONTLINE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT PROGRAM 2
TO PROVIDE CONFIDENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE FOR TEACHERS AND 3
FIRST RESPONDERS AND TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO EXPAND THE 4
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "The Frontline Mental 7
Health Support Act." 8
SECTION 2. The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental 9
Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services (DMH/DD/SUS), shall 10
establish the Frontline Mental Health Support Program (the program) to provide confidential 11
mental health services to eligible public servants who experience occupational stress and trauma 12
in the course of their duties. The program shall provide access to licensed behavioral health 13
professionals and shall prioritize trauma-informed care. 14
SECTION 3. The following individuals who are employed full-time in North 15
Carolina shall be eligible to participate in the program: 16
(1) Sworn law enforcement officers. 17
(2) Firefighters. 18
(3) Emergency medical technicians and paramedics. 19
(4) Public safety telecommunicators, including 911 dispatchers. 20
(5) Correctional officers employed by the Department of Adult Correction or 21
local detention facilities. 22
(6) Public school teachers. 23
SECTION 4. Participants in the program may receive up to 12 mental health 24
counseling sessions per calendar year, conducted either in person or through telehealth, with an 25
eligible licensed behavioral health professional, including all of the following: 26
(1) Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs). 27
(2) Licensed clinical mental health counselors (LCMHCs). 28
(3) Licensed psychologists. 29
(4) Licensed psychiatrists. 30
SECTION 5. Participation in the program shall remain confidential. Any medical 31
records created through participation in the program shall be strictly confidential and shall not 32
be disclosed except as required by State or federal law. Participation in the program shall not be 33
used as a basis to refuse to hire or promote, force to resign, fire, demote, sanction, discipline, 34
materially alter the terms or conditions of employment, or retaliate or take other adverse 35
employment action against the participating individual. 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 838-First Edition
SECTION 6. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 1
Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and 2
Substance Use Services (DMH/DD/SUS), the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in 3
recurring funds beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be used to establish and administer the 4
program. 5
SECTION 7. DMH/DD/SUS shall administer a grant program to behavioral health 6
providers to expand access to mental health services for eligible participants. Grant funds 7
provided under this section shall be used to expand the behavioral health workforce, including 8
for the hiring or contracting of LCSWs or LCMHCs, the provision of counseling services, the 9
expansion of trauma-informed care capacity, and the support of program administration. In 10
making grant award determinations under this section, DMH/DD/SUS shall give priority to grant 11
applications that propose the hiring or contracting of LCSWs and LCMHCs. These grant funds 12
may be awarded to any of the following: 13
(1) Nonprofit counseling centers. 14
(2) Behavioral health clinics. 15
(3) Hospital systems. 16
(4) Private mental health practices. 17
SECTION 8. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 18
Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and 19
Substance Use Services (DMH/DD/SUS), the sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) in 20
recurring funds beginning in the 2026-2027 fiscal year to be used to provide grants under Section 21
7 of this act. 22
SECTION 9. No later than October 1, 2028, DMH/DD/SUS shall submit a report to 23
the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal 24
Research Division on the implementation of the program. This report shall include all of the 25
following: 26
(1) Program participation rates. 27
(2) Workforce expansion outcomes. 28
(3) Utilization measures of mental health services. 29
(4) Recommendations for continuation or expansion of the program. 30
SECTION 10. This act is effective July 1, 2026. 31