ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —

A panel that reviews child fatality cases in Buncombe County is sounding an alarm that efforts to address a youth suicide and mental health crisis could stall because of “the lack of a coordinated, county-wide effort.”

The county’s Community Child Protection Team and Child Fatality Prevention Team (CFPT/CCPT) next week will present a series of recommendations on ways to reduce preventable deaths as part of its 2023 annual report, which was submitted May 17, 2024.

The report is based on a review of 24 of the 29 deaths of children in Buncombe County in 2022. Five cases are pending final autopsy and toxicology reports, according to a draft available on the Buncombe County website.

Of the total cases, four were classified as youth suicide, which is an area the team has been focused on addressing since last year.

In May 2023, the team sponsored a Youth Suicide Prevention Community Conversation event, bringing together representatives from a variety of community agencies that serve young people to generate ideas for prevention and intervention, community education and training.

But the report being presented to Buncombe County commissioners at their meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, raises concerns about momentum being lost.

“The lack of a coordinated, county-wide effort focused on youth mental health and suicide is leading to stalling of implementation of ideas generated at the May 2023 Youth Suicide Community Conversations, frustrating stakeholders and hindering improvements in youth mental health and suicide prevention in Buncombe County,” the report states.

The report describes how members of the CFPT/CCPT team have conveyed the concerns to top-level county officials about the “youth mental health & suicide crisis, the urgent need to address it, the current lack of sufficient leadership/coordination of efforts, and the team’s perspective that it is a county-wide need that should be led by County government.”

The specific recommendation is that the county fund a part-time, 20-hour-per-week position dedicated to leading efforts to prevent youth suicide and address youth mental health issues.

County officials did not immediately respond to an inquiry from 828newsNOW about whether that recommendation is being implemented or considered.

The report contains recommendations related to different categories of child fatalities in Buncombe County in 2022: 7 illnesses, 6 accidents, 6 perinatal conditions, 4 suicides, 2 homicides, 2 birth defects and 2 cases related to Sudden Unexplained Infant Death.

* Guns: The report identified a lack of proper and safe gun storage leading to preventable harm to children. It recommended continuing an NC SAFE campaign statewide and in Buncombe County to encourage people to safely and effectively secure their firearms.

* Accidental poisoning/fentanyl: The report found a lack of adequate resources to address substance use disorder among young people, such as outpatient and inpatient facilities, and licensed clinical addiction specialists. It recommended that North Carolina’s state legislators increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for youth behavioral health services, housing assistance or loan forgiveness for behavioral health professionals serving youth with substance use disorder, and state-funded grants for students in related fields.

*Illness due to child abuse and neglect: The report cites a lack of public awareness of people’s legal obligations to report suspected child abuse, neglect, dependency and sex trafficking, particularly among employees in the hospitality industry who might witness issues that should be reported to authorities. It recommends that the state Department of Social Services develop specific training for managers and staff in the lodging and food and beverage industry about mandatory reporting laws and creation of a statewide number for reporting cases.

* Sudden Unexplained Infant Death related to unsafe sleep environments: The report recommends disseminating Safe Sleep NC literature to caregivers and to Buncombe County agencies and medical providers that serve infants and families

* Suicide: The report found: “The lack of a coordinated, county-wide effort focused on youth mental health and suicide is leading to stalling of implementation of ideas generated at the May 2023 Youth Suicide Community Conversations, frustrating stakeholders and hindering improvements in youth mental health and suicide prevention in Buncombe County.” The report recommends that Buncombe County government fund a part-time, 20-hour-per-week position that is dedicated to leading and coordinating youth mental health and suicide prevention efforts in Buncombe County.

The full report can be read HERE.