RALEIGH, N.C. — Mental health experts and advocates are applauding Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan to invest $1 billion in improving services in the state. That comes as rates of depression and anxiety have almost quadrupled across the country from 2019 to 2021, according to the American Psychological Association.

What You Need To Know

On Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper announced a $1 billion plan for improving mental health services in the state

Part of the plan involves making behavioral health services more available when and where people need them, including in schools

The founder of the Triangle’s first recovery high school says this funding has the potential to save lives

One part of the governor’s plan is making behavioral health services more available when and where people need them, including expanding access to youth behavioral health supports in schools.

One school that’s based around behavioral health support is Wake Monarch Academy, which opened in Raleigh about a year and a half ago.

“Wake Monarch Academy is the only recovery high school in the Triangle area, and we serve adolescents who are in recovery from substance use,” said Leah Wright, the founder and executive director of Wake Monarch Academy. “We opened with two students in August of 2021 and are now working with 10 students with six more families that are currently where their children are currently in treatment.”

Wright says she knows firsthand how challenging it was to find behavioral health services for her son.

“I started the school because, as an adolescent, my own son struggled with substance use and the fear and the desperation that a parent feels because they can't find their child help,” Wright said.

At Wake Monarch Academy, mental health check-ins happen every day, and peer support is around every corner. Wright says their approach is already helping.

“It has absolutely worked. Our kids combined have over 2,600 days in recovery and currently strong GPAs. They're doing great,” Wright said.

Now, more help is on the way after Cooper shared plans this week to invest $1 billion to improve mental health and substance use treatment.

“I was very excited to hear more funding is available to, No. 1, address the need that's out there that helps break the stigma of mental health and addiction, but more funding leads to more resources,” Wright said.

The plan includes money for expanded school resources, investing in more community behavioral health clinics as well as creating more mobile crisis teams and hiring more staff at psychiatric hospitals.

“They're talking about the problem that is there with substance use so that is a very good thing, because it truly is continuing to hopefully break down the stigma that unfortunately is still there,” Wright said.

Another part of the plan includes looking at the intersection of the behavioral health and justice systems. According to the state, serious mental health illness affects 15% of men and 31% of women in jails. According to the plan, some funding is allotted to finding alternatives to incarceration, more available treatment as well as more support for people reentering communities after leaving prison.