Alliance Health’s Partnership with Somethings Expands Mental Health Support for NC Teens and Young Adults

For over two years, Alliance Health and Somethings have partnered closely to offer an innovative program for youth seeking behavioral health care in North Carolina. Somethings connects teens and young adults with Certified Peer Support Specialist Mentors and can provide referrals to licensed therapists, crisis support, and social services. Through its peer-first, digital backed model, this program addresses a significant gap in accessible behavioral health services for youth by meeting teens and young adults where they are. In the past year, over 1,000 youth engaged with a peer mentor through the Somethings program in the seven counties served by Alliance Health. Seventy percent of youth in Alliance catchment areas saw an improvement in their mental health symptoms on the PHQ-9, GAD-7, or WHO-5, and youth reported an average satisfaction score of 4.7 out of 5 with their Somethings Peer Support Specialist Mentor.

When first engaging with the Somethings program, youth in Alliance catchment areas connected with a peer mentor same day (73%), with a median speed to care of two hours, avoiding significant waiting times that are typical for brick-and-mortar behavioral health services (citation). In 2024, Alliance Health collaborated with Somethings to introduce its accessible, evidence-based, clinically effective peer-based services to the state of North Carolina in the seven counties served by Alliance. In the wake of Hurricane Helene and the urgent need for flexible and virtual youth behavioral health services, Alliance shared the positive impact of the Somethings program with NCDHHS, helping pave the way for a statewide launch.

An innovative model built for today’s youth
Once enrolled with Somethings, the 24/7 access allows support when youth need it most, helping to prevent a crisis before it happens, and avoiding unnecessary emergency department use. By connecting teens to support early, Somethings is designed to keep youth in their communities and prevent use of more intensive services than are clinically necessary through upstream intervention and a new front door to care. Alliance Health Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer Sean Schreiber noted that “Somethings has had a tremendous impact in improving access to care for youth in the seven counties that Alliance serves. We are proud that Alliance partnered with Somethings to bring this service to North Carolina. Over 1,000 teens and young adults in our counties have engaged with peer mentors through messaging, app activity, and video calls, resulting in 70% of these individuals seeing an improvement in their symptoms.”

Measurable drops in high-risk teens
Outcomes were most pronounced among the highest-risk teens. Of those teens who screened positive for suicidal ideation at intake and completed a follow-up assessment, 88% stabilized or did not worsen, 51% improved, and 41% achieved full resolution of suicidal ideation. Somethings mentors are backed by licensed clinical supervision and structured, evidence-based escalation protocols. When the need warrants, supervising clinicians coordinate warm handoffs to higher levels of care, an approach designed to reduce avoidable emergency department visits.  Among youth who experienced a crisis, 95% of crises de-escalated within the app with support from their peer mentor and clinical supervisor. Approximately 10% of youth in the Alliance catchment area were referred to higher levels of care, including community mental health services and crisis care. Overall, Somethings has proven to be an invaluable resource for North Carolina youth aged 13-19 over the past two years.

“Historically, too many young people suffer in silence due to many systemic and structural barriers, waiting until they’re in crisis to get help,” said Patrick Gilligan, Chief Executive Officer of Somethings. “Our work with Alliance in North Carolina shows that a Peer Support Specialist Mentor can meet that youth upstream or post-crisis to ensure they have the accessible supports they need. We’re excited to be working with partners like Alliance and NCDHHS to make this model accessible to all NC youth.”

About Somethings
Founded in 2021, Somethings is a digital mental health platform providing peer support to teens and young adults ages 13 to 26. By combining trained peer mentors, technology-enabled care, and partnerships with schools and healthcare organizations, Somethings helps young people navigate life’s challenges and build resilience within their communities. Learn more at somethings.com.