HENDERSON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Hundreds of people from across western North Carolina gathered Monday in Henderson County to address a growing challenge facing communities: how to better respond to mental health and behavioral health needs.
The 2026 Henderson County Behavioral Health Conference, held at Blue Ridge Community College, brought together first responders, healthcare providers, state leaders and community organizations for a day of discussion focused on strengthening the region’s system of care.
The event featured more than 30 speakers and dozens of exhibitors, with sessions focused on crisis response, workforce shortages, system coordination and long-term recovery.
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While the conference covered a wide range of topics, one key focus was how communities respond when someone is in crisis — often through a 911 call.
In Henderson County, officials say a new program is already working to address that.
The county’s community paramedic program, launched in January, focuses on people who frequently call 911, often due to underlying behavioral health issues, chronic conditions or lack of access to care.
“We looked at high utilizers of the 911 system and high-risk patients as well as post-overdose response,” said Tanya Bryson, community paramedic coordinator for Henderson County. “Figuring out what the needs are, providing education, providing resource connection and support and trying to connect them to treatment and ongoing care.”
Bryson said the need for that work is significant.
“We’re running about 70 to 75% of the patients that are coming through the community paramedic program have some sort of underlying behavioral health issue,” she said.
Those calls can range from substance use and unmanaged chronic illness to people experiencing mental health crises.
The program works by responding to certain calls and following up with patients after emergencies, connecting them to services and support systems that can help prevent repeat 911 calls.
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In some cases, community paramedics respond alongside law enforcement. Bryson said when appropriate, officers may remain nearby for safety while paramedics take the lead on engaging with patients and de-escalating situations.
“They’ll kind of hang back, let us do what we need to do and they’re there if we need them,” Bryson said.
The goal, she said, is to intervene earlier, helping people before situations escalate into emergencies.
For community paramedics like Bryson, the work is both practical and personal.
“You have to love people and have compassion for people and want to do something to better that person’s life,” she said. “That might just be holding someone’s hand but you’re doing something that improves their life in that moment.”
Henderson County EMS officials say they continue to share updates, resources and information on how to get help through the county’s EMS social media pages, including how to connect with the community paramedic program.