Responder Assistance Initiative
NOTE: The Responder Assistance Initiative (RAI) is a service for NC Department of Public Safety personnel and our North Carolina public safety agency partners including Law Enforcement, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management, Telecommunicator/Dispatch or any staff within the Department of Public Safety. If you are a public safety responder, please call the RAI helpline.
Anyone who is not considered public safety, please utilize the below resources for assistance:
- NC 211 (1-888-892-1162) – Information About Local Resources and Services In the County and General Disaster Support
- Hope4NC (1-855-587-3463) – General Population Crisis Counseling Service
- Disaster Distress Hotline (1-800-985-5990)- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Resource
- Crisis Lifeline (988) General Population Crisis Counseling Service
- If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email ncempio@ncdps.govor call 919.825.2599.
- If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.
- If you would like general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/Helene.
- If you are seeking information on volunteer opportunities, please visit ncvoad.org/volunteer.
- If your home has damages and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.
- If this is an emergency, dial 911. If you need general assistance, general information, or to you are trying to reach a loved one and are unable to, please call 211.
- For information on shelters, power outages, or other disaster related items, please visit ReadyNC.gov.
RESPONDER ASSISTANCE INITIATIVE (RAI)
Information & Resource Line
(866) 731-6901
START THE PROCESS
Proudly housed under Emergency Management, RAI services are confidential and provided as a no-cost benefit to North Carolina Department of Public Safety sworn and non-sworn employees. Our team is staffed with licensed mental health professionals, wellness coordinators, and professionally trained peers.
Peer support and consultation is available to all North Carolina first responder agencies.
Services
Access to care that aligns with the unique needs of the responder community.
- Free, confidential behavioral health services
- Individual therapy
- In person or virtual sessions available
- New Client Information
- Patient Portal coming soon.
- Documents coming soon
Gold-standard and professionally trained Peer Consultants to represent the broader public safety domains to include DPS law enforcement, municipal law enforcement, fire, EM, EMS, and dispatch.
- Leadership consultation
- Critical incident support
- Peer training
- NCLEAP
Reduce barriers and stigma to improve access and positive mental health and wellness outcomes.
- We use live, virtual, and mobile platforms to connect with first responders and to provide opportunities on a variety of mental health and wellness topics.
- Deployment of Mobile Resiliency Units (MRUs)
- Wellness interventions
- Training and education
- Stress management
- Resiliency coaching
- Suicide prevention
Contact: (866) 731-6901
Resources
Coming Soon
Trusted partners are those individuals or agencies who have worked in collaboration with Responder Assistance Initiative through direct support to uphold our mission and values. We appreciate their commitment to the public safety community.
Couples and Marriage Resources
Education and Research
Responder Assistance Initiative (RAI) Mission, Vision & Goals
Mission
Leading a holistic initiative that leverages partnerships to reduce stigma, promote resiliency, and bring evidence-based support to North Carolina public safety personnel.
Vision
A sustainable continuum of wellness resources that connects North Carolina first responders to an integrated safety net of gold standard peer teams and trusted professionals.
Goals
- Remove barriers with accessing care in the first responder community
- Increase first responder resiliency and readiness in North Carolina
- Bolster prevention and early intervention resources for the responder population
- Standardize best practice protocols for peer support, clinical and spiritual intervention
About Us
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety identified a strategy that prioritizes first responder wellbeing by leading a comprehensive initiative that aims to unify responder support systems. NCDPS, through the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, is leveraging the value of the Responder Assistance Initiative (RAI) to reach responder groups through coordinated protocols and best practices that integrate peer team providers, embedded behavioral health clinicians, mental health treatment services and professional resources at the highest level.
This initiative began in 2019 with a two-year, $4.3 million federal Department of Justice grant managed by the Governor’s Crime Commission, with 80% federal and 20% state funds providing the initial funding for the development and implementation of Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) a program designed to provide a mechanism for the integration of and access to medical and non-medical behavioral health support systems that serve DPS staff members and their families. Specifically, the program focused on serving those who work in high stress work environments and who are regularly exposed to threats and violence in the workplace. Twenty full-time employees mobilized to build the program and meet the need, accomplishing a five-year plan in two short years. In 2021, the program was written into the state budget and subsequently signed by the governor to authorize appropriated funding for the program.
In the same year, the 2021 Appropriations Act created the Department of Adult Corrections, removing the Division of Adult Corrections from DPS effective January 1, 2023. In the advent of this separation, a framework for the future of IBHS began to unfold and the program was rebranded as the Responder Assistance Initiative and is now housed in the Division of Emergency Management.
For consultations, peer support, or mental health and wellness appointments, please call:
RAI’s Information and Resource Line 866-731-6901
This confidential, toll-free line provides access to peer support, wellness resources, and clinical support. The line is staffed Monday through Friday from 7:00AM to 7:00PM by RAI providers. You will be asked to leave a brief message with your name and number. This is not a crisis line. If you, or the person you are calling about is in imminent danger or has a suicidal or homicidal situation, call 911 or proceed to your nearest emergency room.
If you would like to reach out directly to anyone our team, please feel free to do so. Emails and calls will be responded to during regular business hours.
RAI Leadership
| Name | Position | Location | Work Email | Work Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Jordan | Director | chad.jordan@ncdps.gov | 984-297-1387 | |
| Lindsay Allotey | Clinical Operations Manager | Raleigh | lindsay.allotey@ncdps.gov | 919-906-4196 |
| Christy Chapin | Administrative Officer | Raleigh | christina.chapin@ncdps.gov | 919-306-1236 |
| Sarah Smith | Team Lead / Clinician | Wilmington | sarah.j.smith@ncdps.gov | 919-818-1385 |
| Laura Hummel | Team Lead / Clinicain | Asheville | laura.hummel@ncdps.gov | 983-204-3413 |
| Aaron Back | Peer Director/Consultant | Raleigh | anthony.back@ncdps.gov | 919-501-8065 |
Clinicians
| Name | Position | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Nicole Cates | Clinician | Raleigh |
| Nicolas Sirianni | Clinician | Raleigh |
| Kim Morris | Clinician | Greenville |
| Robert Heubel | Clinician | Greenville |
| Cheryl Corbin | Clinician | Wilmington |
| DeChanile Brooks | Clinician | Fayetteville |
| Beth Nelson | Clinician | Fayetteville |
| Khaliah Harvey | Clinician | Charlotte |
| Stephanie Mendelson | Clinician | Asheville |
Wellness Coordination
| Name | Position | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Leonard Williams | Wellness Coordinator - East | East NC |
| Patty Hirsch | Wellness Coordinator - West | West NC |
Peer Support
| Name | Position | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Burns | Peer Coordinator | Charlotte |
| Andy Gruler | Peer/Clinican | Rutherford Cunty |
| Eva Trivett-Clark | Clinician | Avery County |
| Danny Leonard | Peer Coordinator/Trainer | Thomasville |
| Ned Fowler | Peer Coordinator/Trainer | Asheville |