Our principles
Our partners helped us to identify five principles to guide our work. We drafted each section of the strategic plan with them in mind.
Lived experience
We value lived experience by listening to and advocating for individuals and families, championing the expertise of peers, promoting natural and community supports, and creating opportunities for meaningful partnership.
We know our partners have diverse perspectives, backgrounds, history, and identities that can help inform everything we do at the Division. We will center and learn from the experiences of our partners to improve the work that we do.
Equity
We create policy that helps everyone get what they need to live healthy lives in their communities, with particular focus on improving access to services for historically marginalized populations.
Equity means ensuring, through fair and just treatment, that all North Carolinians can achieve optimal health outcomes. In alignment with the 2021-2023 DHHS Strategic Plan, we will work with partners to overcome equity barriers for historically marginalized populations. We will monitor key metrics indicating the success and reach of our services across all population groups, and we will ensure that we and our partners are accountable for overcoming known, persistent health inequities.
Inclusivity
We commit to ensuring that everyone who uses our systems feels welcomed, and our policies support the health and well-being of all North Carolinians, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, culture and experience.
We commit to ensuring that no individual feels unsupported by our services and supports, by taking steps to improve service accessibility for consumers and reduce burdens for providers.
Quality
We promote the provision of high-quality, evidence-based services and supports that leverage the expertise and best-practices of our clinical partners.
A quality-informed approach means leveraging data to perform oversight and promoting services and supports that lead to better outcomes. It includes regulating Plans and providers to ensure people receive services quickly with all rules and requirements followed. The Division will also share the data we collect so our partners can hold us accountable every step of the way.
Trauma-informed
We recognize the reality of trauma and promote a culture of kindness, understanding, and respect for every person.
Trauma has a real, measurable effect on the way we interact with the world around us. We commit to making sure our systems, services, and supports are reactive to life experience, and we aim to resist re-traumatization.