RALEIGH, NC (FOX Carolina) – North Carolina health officials have announced major improvements to the state’s online mental health bed registry, including round-the-clock automated updates and a new integration with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, aimed at reducing wait times for people in crisis.
Automatic updates replace the manual process
The Statewide Behavioral Health Centralized Availability Navigator (BH SCAN) previously relied on manual daily updates by hospital staff. A new automated bed availability function now updates the system hourly, a change officials say improves accuracy and speeds placement for patients seeking mental health care, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said in a release.
The department said North Carolina is the first state in the nation to implement hourly automatic bed availability functionality. When the development went live, the state saw a 1,400% increase in bed updates per day.
“Making BH SCAN available to 988 counselors and improving its accuracy with automatic updates will make it easier for people in North Carolina to get the care they need and deserve in a more coordinated effort,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangway. “This innovative partnership between providers and facilities across the state is one of the ways we are working to support a mental health care system that works for everyone, ensuring healthy North Carolina.”
988 Lifeline dispatchers can now access real-time bed data
BH SCAN is also integrated with the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, allowing call center dispatchers to see real-time bed availability in the caller’s area and connect mobile crisis teams with that information when they are dispatched, according to the department.
“Finding the right bed based on one’s medical needs can be a time-consuming process,” said Kelly Crosby, director of NCDHHS’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Disorders. “BH SCAN helps simplify this so people can get help sooner.”
The system now covers 80% of the state’s psychiatric bed capacity
Since its launch in January 2023, the department said BH SCAN has covered more than 3,500 mental health care beds in 112 facilities across the country. The system now provides access to approximately 80% of the state’s approximately 3,200 inpatient psychiatric beds, with more expected to be added.
The registry covers a range of care settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, alcohol and drug abuse treatment centers, substance use disorder care, behavioral health emergency care, pediatric residential care, facility-based care and public hospitals. According to the announcement, forty departments of the Department of Social Services have also been integrated into the system for referrals.
BH SCAN is a secure portal that allows referral facilities to search for available beds based on criteria including demographics, accuracy, commitment status and location, the department said.
A nationwide rollout is underway, with full adoption targeted for 2027
According to the department, in 2024 the department began to feature automated bed availability with UNC Health, DeMarque and Alexander Youth Network. The statewide rollout began this year, with the goal of having all providers in the system by early 2027.
More information about NCDHHS’ mental health efforts is available in the 2025 Annual Progress Report on the agency’s 2024-29 Strategic Plan.
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