North Carolina public guide · Official sources checked July 29, 2026Sources · Report a correction
Beyond ChildhoodNorth Carolina human help

A parent-first guide to North Carolina adult services

Turn North Carolina’s DD system into the next action you can complete.

Choose the situation that fits. Every action shows where to start, what to prepare, what happens next, what proof to save, and who to contact when progress stops.

No accountNo answers transmitted or savedOfficial sources firstNot an eligibility decision
Immediate danger? Call 911. For suicide, mental-health, or substance-use crisis support, call or text 988. After immediate safety, contact the county-assigned LME/MCO and care team. Report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an adult with a disability to Adult Protective Services at the DSS in the county where the adult lives.

Human help at any point

North Carolina routes I/DD access through the LME/MCO assigned to the county

Select the county below to identify the responsible organization, member line, and crisis line. North Carolina’s official directory says there is one LME/MCO for each county.

Open the official LME/MCO directory

Build a North Carolina action plan

Which situation is closest?

The county choice is used only in this page to show the official LME/MCO, member line, and crisis line. Nothing is sent or saved.

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All six North Carolina starting situations

JNY-NC-01

Not started or approaching school exit

Open Innovations, evidence, school-transition, and employment routes without waiting for one system to finish.

Read the step-by-step guides
  1. Call the LME/MCO assigned to the person’s county and say, “I want to apply for the NC Innovations waiver.”
  2. Assemble developmental, diagnostic, and current functional evidence for LME/MCO review.
  3. Review the IEP transition plan and contact the nearest EIPD office to start vocational-rehabilitation intake.

JNY-NC-02

Waiting for waiver access

Preserve Registry status, request available 1915(i) support, and keep parallel benefits and transition work moving.

Read the step-by-step guides
  1. Complete the LME/MCO’s application process and preserve the resulting Registry of Unmet Needs status.
  2. If the person has full NC Medicaid and is not enrolled in Innovations, call the plan member line or care manager and request a 1915(i) assessment.
  3. Track non-waiver applications and handoffs separately while Innovations work continues.

JNY-NC-03

A waiver slot or enrollment step arrived

Close Medicaid, clinical, assessment, and planning dependencies without treating one approval as the whole result.

Read the step-by-step guides
  1. Follow the complete LME/MCO notice immediately and close every Medicaid, level-of-care, assessment, choice, and planning requirement.
  2. Use the official Medicaid application and LME/MCO route to close financial eligibility and waiver clinical requirements.
  3. Work with the care manager to translate assessed needs, chosen outcomes, risks, backup needs, services, providers, and direction choices into the ISP.

JNY-NC-04

Choosing services, direction, providers, or a start

Separate delivery-model fit, provider network status, rate authority, authorization, acceptance, staffing, and start.

Read the step-by-step guides
  1. Ask the care manager to explain the available service-delivery choices, participant duties, budgets, employer responsibilities, and backup requirements.
  2. Use the Tailored Plan directory and care manager, then verify network status, exact service, geography, capacity, safeguards, and fit directly.
  3. Separate the LME/MCO fee schedule from the person-specific authorization and the provider’s actual acceptance and start commitment.

JNY-NC-05

A decision is adverse or authority is uncertain

Use the correct plan and hearing sequence while benefit and decision-support work continues.

Read the step-by-step guides
  1. Read the complete notice and use its plan-appeal instructions and deadline immediately; ask about continued benefits when services are changing.
  2. After the required plan step or when the controlling notice permits, follow the notice’s Office of Administrative Hearings instructions exactly.
  3. Keep SSI or SSDI work moving while comparing supported decision-making and other less restrictive options before guardianship.

JNY-NC-06

Urgent need, crisis, abuse concern, or service breakdown

Address immediate safety, then document and correct the system failure.

Read the step-by-step guides
  1. Call 911 for life-threatening danger; otherwise use 988 or the county crisis route, then notify the LME/MCO and care team.
  2. Report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation to the county DSS where the adult lives, while separately notifying the provider and LME/MCO about service failure.
  3. Document changed needs, failed supports, and current risk and ask the LME/MCO or care manager for the applicable reassessment, plan revision, crisis, or priority action.

Provider evidence

Listing is not availability

These examples demonstrate the evidence standard. They are not recommendations. Directly verify service, geography, license when applicable, current capacity, safeguards, staffing, quality, and individual fit.

Official listing example

Tailored Plan network candidate

Listed service: A plan-listed option for the exact requested service

Area: Verify location, network participation, capacity, inquiry acceptance, staffing, safeguards, quality, and fit directly

Official listingCheckedAccepting inquiriesUnknownActual openingUnknownQuality / fitNot evaluated

Open the official source

Official listing example

Care-manager-sourced option

Listed service: A candidate identified during person-centered planning

Area: The referral does not prove capacity, quality, acceptance, authorization, or start

Official listingCheckedAccepting inquiriesUnknownActual openingUnknownQuality / fitNot evaluated

Open the official source

Official listing example

Official provider-directory record

Listed service: Network information returned for the selected plan and search

Area: Confirm the record with the plan and provider because listings can change

Official listingCheckedAccepting inquiriesUnknownActual openingUnknownQuality / fitNot evaluated

Open the official source

Transparency

North Carolina official-source register

SourceOwnerStatusCheckedReview
NC Innovations Waiver NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
How to Apply for the NC Innovations Waiver NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
LME/MCO Directory NC Department of Health and Human Servicescurrent2026-07-29monthly
NC Medicaid 1915(i) Questions and Answers NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
Behavioral Health and I/DD Tailored Plans NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
Apply for NC Medicaid NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
North Carolina Innovations Clinical Coverage Policy 8-P NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
Behavioral Health and I/DD Services and Fee-Schedule Authority NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
1915(i) Provider Resource Questions and Answers NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
NC Medicaid Beneficiary Help and Appeals NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
NC Medicaid Ombudsman NC Medicaidcurrent2026-07-29monthly
Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities NC Department of Health and Human Servicescurrent2026-07-29monthly
NC DPI Secondary Transition Indicator NC Department of Public Instructioncurrent2026-07-29quarterly
Apply Online for Social Security Disability Benefits Social Security Administrationcurrent2026-07-29monthly
North Carolina Guardianship and Alternatives North Carolina Judicial Branchcurrent2026-07-29quarterly
North Carolina Crisis Services NC Department of Health and Human Servicescurrent2026-07-29monthly
NC START NC Department of Health and Human Servicescurrent2026-07-29monthly
Adult Protective Services NC Department of Health and Human Servicescurrent2026-07-29monthly
Local DSS Directory NC Department of Health and Human Servicescurrent2026-07-29monthly
Pediatric-to-Adult Health Care Transition NC Department of Health and Human Servicescurrent2026-07-29quarterly
Inclusion Connects Community Living NC Department of Health and Human Servicescurrent2026-07-29quarterly