The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is made up of thirty divisions and offices, which are categorized under four broad areas: health, human services, administration, and support. In addition, the department oversees fourteen facilities including developmental centers, psychiatric hospitals, and alcohol and drug abuse treatment centers, among others.
Last year the General Assembly enacted a $5.1 billion general fund budget for DHHS, but that isn’t the total cost of health services in North Carolina. Some of the health programs are funded through other means, the main artery being the federal government. If we take total expenditures for DHHS in fiscal year 2014-15, the amount is closer to $19 billion, with 17,403 full-time equivalent employees statewide. Out of the large departmental budget, there are three divisions that account for most of the budget: (1) the Division of Medical Assistance, more commonly referred to as Medicaid, $13.8 billion, (2) the Division of Social Services, $1.7 billion, and (3) the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, $1.4 billion. Below is a breakdown of the eleven divisions within the department and their expenditures under the FY 2014-15 budget.
