Path NC: promoting access to total health NC - the north carolina center for health and wellness (ncchw) at the university of north carolina asheville will achieve the following objectives and…

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living awarded a $1.197 million cooperative agreement to the University of North Carolina at Asheville on August 1, 2026, under the Empowering Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities through Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs (CFDA 93.734).

UNC Asheville will operate the North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness to expand chronic disease self-management education (CDSME) and support programs serving older adults and adults with disabilities experiencing depression and anxiety. The recipient will recruit 2,500 participants into evidence-based programs by year three—625 in year one, 1,250 in year two—targeting 75 percent completion rates across the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, Chronic Pain Self-Management Program, Diabetes Self-Management Program, Program to Encourage Active and Rewarding Lives (PEARLS), and Walk with Ease. UNC Asheville will partner with behavioral health organizations, the North Carolina Division of Aging, Lumber River Area Agency on Aging, managed care organizations, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness NC to establish bi-directional referral pathways and strengthen relationships between the aging and disability services network and behavioral health providers through a learning collaborative and community of practice. The recipient will develop and disseminate project products including a learning collaborative framework, implementation guide, and resource toolkits.

Performance occurs in North Carolina through July 31, 2029.

Path NC: promoting access to total health NC - the north carolina center for health and wellness (ncchw) at the university of north carolina asheville will achieve the following objectives and outcomes: 1) partner with behavioral health (BH) organizations to recruit older adults (OAS) and adults with disabilities with depression and anxiety into healthy aging NC (hanc) evidence-based programs; 2) increase capacity for chronic disease self-management education (cdsme) programs, and program to encourage active and rewarding lives (pearls); 3) strengthen relationships between aging and disability services network (adsn) and BH providers through a learning collaborative (LC) and community of practice. 4) develop and disseminate products that enhance a person-centered, informed, and appropriate approach to programming. We will increase the number of individuals who participate in chronic disease self-management program (cdsmp), chronic pain self-management program (cpsmp) and diabetes self-management program (dsmp) and support programs pearls and walk with ease (WWE). These programs have existing capacity in our network and support gaps in mental health support services for OAS. The project will reach 2,500 cdsme and support program participants by year 3 (625 by year 1, 1250 by year 2, 75% cdsme completion rate) and will increase partnerships, such as NC division of aging (ncda), lumber river area agency on aging (AAA), managed care organizations, national alliance on mental illness NC. Partners will assist in reaching statewide target populations of older adults who have depression, anxiety, and caregiver stressors through BI-directional referral pathways. Disseminated project products (LC framework, implementation guide, resource toolkits) will increase knowledge of the field.