North Carolina Renews Teen Mental Health Program After 2.1 Million Messages and Measurable Drops in Suicidal Ideation
RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has renewed its statewide partnership with Somethings, extending free peer mental health support for teens and young adults for another fiscal year. Over two years, North Carolina teens have exchanged more than 2.1 million messages with certified peer mentors across 97 of North Carolina's 100 counties, a program delivered in partnership with NCDHHS and Alliance Health.
Youth mental health needs across the state remain acute. In the 2025 NC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 16% of North Carolina high school students reported seriously considering suicide in the past year, and 39% reported feeling sad or hopeless (citation). At the same time, North Carolina meets just 13% of its mental health workforce need, among the lowest rates in the country (citation).
"North Carolina's young people deserve to have someone they can turn to when they need help," said Kelly Crosbie, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services. "This program is helping teens across our state, including those in rural and underserved communities, get compassionate support when they need it. The improvements we are seeing among young people who are having a hard time show just how much it matters to reach them early, connect them with help and let them know they are not alone."
Reaching teens where care is hardest to find
Over two years and 2.1 million messages, the program reached young people who are often left out of mental health care with an average response time of 3 minutes. 98% of those enrolled in Somethings live in a county with a Health Professional Shortage Area designation and more than half identified as young people of color. For 60% of teens, Somethings was their first engagement with mental health services of any kind and overall, teens rated the experience 4.7 out of 5.
The program has served a high-acuity population. Teens enrolled in Somethings arrived with two to four times the symptom burden of the general adolescent population with 70% scoring in the moderate-to-severe range on at least one validated clinical measure (PHQ-9, GAD-7, WHO-5) at intake (n=995). Among teens with follow-up data, 76% demonstrated improvement on at least one measure and 51% achieved clinically meaningful symptom reduction and improvement (n=754).
Measurable drops in suicidal ideation
Outcomes were most pronounced among the highest-risk teens. Of those who screened positive for suicidal ideation at intake and completed a follow-up assessment, 87% stabilized or did not worsen, 54% improved, and 39% achieved full resolution of suicidal ideation. Somethings trains every mentor to respond to suicidal ideation and self-harm. Each conversation is backed by licensed clinical supervision and structured, evidence-based escalation protocols. In cases of elevated acuity, the company triages safety needs within the community and coordinates warm handoffs to clinical partners, an approach designed to reduce avoidable emergency department visits.
A model built for return on the state's investment
The program is open to all North Carolina teens, and its ability to engage the highest-risk among them is what makes it cost-effective. By resolving crises in the community, Somethings reduces emergency department visits, and by connecting teens to support early, it lessens the likelihood of more intensive outpatient or inpatient treatment downstream. Through Somethings' data and reporting, it's estimated that this reduction in acute and downstream utilization generates a return of 3:1 for the state, while expanding access across the rural and shortage-area communities where those higher-cost alternatives are least available.
"Improvement of this magnitude, through a peer support model, in a population this high-need, is what we always knew was possible at scale," said Amber Childs, Chief Clinical Officer of Somethings. "Peer support isn't a substitute for clinical care. It's a front door — an early place to land, and a way to identify young people who need and deserve support, sooner."
The return extends to the state's workforce as well. Somethings hires mentors from the communities it serves, young adults who understand those communities firsthand, creating local jobs and building a pipeline of talent that can go on to enter the broader mental health workforce.
"The teens I work with are from the same community I grew up in, and many of them have nowhere else to turn," said Holiday King, Somethings Mentor. "Being their mentor showed me how important access to mental health care is, and ultimately is what inspired me to pursue my MSW at App State — so I can keep showing up for the kids who need it most, right here in my home state of North Carolina."
About Somethings
Founded in 2021, Somethings is a digital mental health platform providing peer support to teens and young adults ages 13 to 26. By combining trained peer mentors, technology-enabled care, and partnerships with schools and healthcare organizations, Somethings helps young people navigate life's challenges and build resilience. Learn more at somethings.com.
About NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services (DMHDDSUS)
DMHDDSUS builds systems, services, and supports that improve the well-being of all North Carolinians, with a focus on mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, substance use, and traumatic brain injuries. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services manages the delivery of health and human related services for all North Carolinians, especially our most vulnerable people — children, elderly, disabled and low-income families.
About Alliance Health
Alliance Health is a public Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organization (LME-MCO) and is one of North Carolina's three Medicaid Managed Care Tailored Plans.
Media Contacts:
Somethings
Drew Englander, Chief of Staff
203-858-4346
SOURCE Somethings
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