Aug. 9, 2024
Excessive rains and flooding from Tropical Storm Debby can cause water in private wells to become contaminated, meaning the water can cause adverse health effects if it is consumed or comes into contact with the skin. NCDHHS has issued guidance to help keep your well safe before and after a flood.

After a flood, the following steps can help ensure your well is safe for use:
  1. Do not turn on the electricity to your pump until flood waters recede.
  2. If extensive flooding has occurred, do not drink the water. Use water reserves and bottled water until your well water has been tested and deemed safe for use.
  3. Contact a driller if you think your well will need service immediately after the flood. You can find a list of certified well contractors on the NCDHHS website. 
  4. If you haven't already, find a nearby water testing lab to obtain sample collection bottles and instructions for bacterial contamination. You cannot see, taste or smell bacterial contamination in your well. Often, your local health department can test your water. If there is not a health department near you, your county extension agent can help you find a lab.
  5. If you live near animal feeding operations, agricultural fields where pesticides are applied or industrial chemical factories, you should contact your local health department for additional testing, especially if you smell fuel or chemicals in your water.
If there is bacterial contamination, do not use contaminated water for drinking, cooking, making ice, bathing in any form or washing clothes or dishes. Use an alternative water source until bacteria is no longer detected in your water. Alternative sources include bottled water, a source you know isn't contaminated or boiling your water for five minutes before use.

It is strongly recommended to call your local health department or licensed well driller to shock chlorinate the well if it has been flooded. A well driller will have access to more effective products and will have equipment and experience that a typical well owner will not have.

For more information on well water and health, go to the NCDHHS website. 
 
Today, NCDHHS announced a significant expansion of the NC Human Donor Milk Program, adding five new donor depots across the state in Cumberland, Durham, Jackson, Mecklenburg and Pasquotank Counties.

This initiative, led by NCDHHS' Division of Public Health in partnership with WakeMed, aims to enhance the availability of pasteurized human donor milk to support the health and well-being of infants, particularly those who are premature or medically fragile.

The primary goal of this initiative is to ensure equitable access to pasteurized human donor milk for all families in North Carolina when medically necessary. By providing a fair distribution of resources, the program can help support individuals with insufficient human milk production.

Pasteurized human donor milk (PHDM) is a vital resource used in hospitals to reduce the risk of serious illnesses such as necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe intestinal disease that can be fatal for premature or low-birth-weight infants. PHDM also helps bridge the gap until a mother's milk supply is established, promoting longer exclusive breastfeeding. 

For more information or to get involved, please visit the WakeMed website. All donors must be approved by the WakeMed Cary Mothers’ Milk Bank before donating and can access the approval process online.
 
NCDHHS' State Laboratory of Public Health provides services that protect and improve the quality of life for every North Carolinian. 

You can now explore a virtual tour of the state's public health lab to learn more about the testing NCDHHS staff perform. The interactive tour allows you to select your lab topic of interest. It also includes certain laboratory career pathways for students and professionals interested in starting careers in public health. 

Go to ncdhhs.gov/statelabtour to start the tour. 
 
August is Child Support Awareness Month, a time dedicated to honoring the vital role of the Child Support Services Program. In North Carolina, this observance underscores the program's commitment to ensuring child and family well-being, one of NCDHHS’ top priorities.

In federal Fiscal Year 2022-2023, NC Child Support Services distributed more than $644 million in child support payments to families across the state. We commend the dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to support families every day. 

This month, NCDHHS staff will adorn Dix Campus in Raleigh and the conference venue with green pinwheels to prominently signify Child Support Awareness Month. To bolster our outreach, look out for our social posts sharing achievements, resources and details about the eChild Support Parents’ Portal on NCDHHS’ Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) pages.

Read more about the importance of Child Support Awareness Month in a newsletter article. 
 
NCDHHS' Telepsychiatry Initiative Receives National Award
At its annual meeting held in May 2024 in New York City, the American Psychiatric Association awarded NC-STeP the prestigious Psychiatric Services Achievement Bronze Award for its significant contributions to the mental health field. 

The program was instituted so that an individual presenting at a hospital emergency department (ED) with an acute behavioral health crisis could receive a timely specialized psychiatric assessment via video conferencing technology. The program aimed to promote equitable access to evidence-based mental health care, initially beginning in ED settings and then expanding to community-based primary care settings in underserved and rural counties.

NC-STeP has successfully reduced ED wait times for psychiatric patients, prevented unnecessary psychiatric hospitalizations, and resulted in significant cost savings for the state. Since its inception, the program has completed over 57,000 psychiatry assessments and has saved the state over $50 million by preventing unnecessary psychiatric hospitalizations. 
 
Three Webinars Hosted by NCDHHS' Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services in August 
Inclusion Works CIE Incentives Program
Join NCDHHS for an overview of a new Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) Incentive Program as part of Inclusion Works on Aug. 13 from 11 a.m. to noon via Zoom.  Providers of Adult Day Vocational Programs (ADVPs)/Long Term Community Supports (LTCS) with members working in non-CIE settings will be eligible to receive payments for individuals who find and maintain a job in a competitive, integrated setting. The program will run from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. 

Inclusion Works Lunch and Learn
Join NCDHHS to learn about best practices to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) on their path to achieving Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) on Aug. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom. This month's webinar focus will be Tailored Care Management and Tailored Plan Launch and will feature guest speaker Gwen Sherrod, program manager, Tailored Care Management, NC Medicaid. Each Lunch and Learn will cover a different topic related to the Inclusion Works Initiative, which helps support individuals to find jobs in the community. Previous Lunch and Learn presentations and recordings can be accessed on the Inclusion Works website.

Sustainable Diversion and Reentry Programs Webinar
NCDHHS' Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services is hosting a webinar on Aug. 29 from 9 to 10 a.m. to share information about an upcoming funding opportunity to support capacity building for diversion and re-entry programs, to promote access to treatment and prevent incarceration for individuals with substance use disorders, mental health disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or traumatic brain injury. This webinar will explore the rationale and vision for improving the lives of North Carolinians through this initiative and provide details on the next steps. You can register for the webinar via Zoom. This webinar was previously scheduled for Aug. 1 and has been rescheduled to Aug. 29. 
 
 
 
            
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