North Carolina’s more than 600,000 veterans and their families will now have expanded access to services, including healthcare providers, housing assistance, schools, and other support services.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced extended hours for NCServes and the launch of AskMeNC via a press release from Gov. Josh Stein’s office on Monday.
“North Carolina’s veterans have given of themselves selflessly in service to our country. When you’ve spent all of your career helping, it can be challenging to ask for help,” said Stein, a Democrat. “I applaud these initiatives, which will better connect veterans to health care, peer support, and more.”
North Carolina has the fourth-largest veteran population in the country and the second-largest rural veteran population.
NCServes has delivered over 150,000 services to nearly 70,000 veteran households across North Carolina since its inception in 2014, making it the nation’s first statewide coordinated care network for veterans and their families. It works with NCCARE360 to provide assistance through various resources, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and community partners, to streamline access to essential services such as clothing, housing, employment, education, legal aid, transportation, money management, healthcare, and VA benefits.
Beginning today, Veterans Day, the NCServes call line and coordination center, managed by Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry’s (ABCCM) Veterans Services of the Carolinas program, and in partnership with Vaya Health, will offer extended hours, including evenings and weekends, to make it easier for veterans and their families to connect to care when they need it most.
ABCCM’s Veterans Services of the Carolinas program anticipates serving an additional 2,000 veterans in the first year.
Veterans, service members, and their families in need of housing, transportation, physical and mental health care, employment services, and other resources are encouraged to call 855-962-8387 or visit www.ncserves.org.
“This marks another milestone in the evolution of NCServes and how North Carolina continues to raise the standard in serving our veterans and their families,” Brandon Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of ABCCM, said in the release. “This expansion reflects what’s possible when more than 5,000 community-based organizations work together with support from our state with purpose. This is intentional community in action and a powerful example of how coordination and compassion can directly transform lives across our state.”
The AskMeNC initiative and website also serves as another access point for many of the same services and uses the existing NCServes coordination system to connect users with trusted, community-based providers across the state. It also serves as a digital hub for a wide range of additional supports.
The press release emphasized that these increased services come at a pivotal time, noting that the 2023 VA Community Care Network Review and HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) indicate that veterans often face hardship due to being disconnected from vital systems. They said that nearly one in three veterans experiencing homelessness reported being unable to access services due to long wait times or lack of coordination. And, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2024 National Suicide Prevention Annual Report, nearly two-thirds of veterans who die by suicide were not actively engaged in VA care.
The release also cites a 2024 report from the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, which states that veterans engaged in coordinated systems are 40% more likely to secure stable housing and 50% more likely to sustain employment within 12 months compared to those navigating services independently.
“Increasing access to care is a critical part of honoring our veterans beyond words of gratitude,” North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette said in the release. “When state agencies, community partners, and care providers work together, we build a network that meets veterans and their families where they are – ensuring that no one who has served this nation has to navigate life’s challenges alone.”
NCDHHS recently launched the Connections app in partnership with CHESS Health, a free, digital resource designed to support veterans’ mental health and recovery through access to trained peers, moderated online communities, daily check-ins, and proven coping tools.
They are also sponsoring the North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s Task Force on Veterans’ Health, which focuses on supporting the provision and navigation of care, developing the health workforce, and addressing the behavioral health care needs of veterans.
The 988 Lifeline Chat and Text – 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – offers targeted resources for veterans and is available, free, and confidential to everyone 24/7 by call, text, or chat.
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