CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Mecklenburg County has launched the region’s first program designed to stop the dangerous revolving door for people with severe mental illness who are in and out of the jail system.

The Forensic Assertive Community Team, known as FACT, is the first program in the state that brings mental health care, housing help, peer support and legal oversight together under one coordinated team.

“Their job is to take care of the public safety, community safety. Our job is to help people with mental health and substance use issues,” said Kelly Crosbie, Director of the Division of Mental Health for DHHS. “It means that law enforcement knows, oh, I have the FACT team here. I can refer them to that team, right?”

The team includes a psychiatrist who will come in once or twice a w

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