Addictions and substance abuse overdoses remain a grim reality in North Carolina. Addiction Professionals of North Carolina (APNC) has been dogged, but resource-challenged, in supporting front-line workers help those caught up in the complex issues of dependency and recovery. Federal data show only 13% of mental health/substance use disorder needs are currently being met in the state.
State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, made APNC’s mission a little easier on Tuesday, Feb. 6. He invited representatives of the nonprofit to the Department of State Treasurer (DST) to present them with a check for $23,391.60. During a review of data in the department’s Unclaimed Property Division (UPD), commonly called NCCash.com, DST staff identified the funds as belonging to APNC. By law, money that has become undeliverable for a variety of reasons is safeguarded at UPD until the rightful owners claim it.
“We are pleased to return this money to help Addiction Professionals of North Carolina continue their important work across the substance use treatment system,” Treasurer Folwell said.
“We all recognize there is an addiction problem in North Carolina,” Treasurer Folwell said. “Fortunately, we have a strong treatment culture in our state, where nonprofits like APNC work tirelessly, out of the spotlight. They are a critical asset in helping individuals to overcome negative behaviors and consequences on the road to recovery, and achieving a higher quality of life for them and those who love them.”
“As the addiction crisis continues to plague North Carolina communities, these funds will allow APNC to bolster the depleted behavioral health workforce, pursue equitable and updated policies, and reduce the stigma associated with substance use and mental health disorders,” said APNC CEO Sara M. Howe.
“We are grateful to receive these funds and will put them to use for the betterment of our members and the addiction services field,” Howe said.
APNC is a statewide professional and addiction practice improvement nonprofit that shapes a healthier North Carolina by aligning programming to social determinants of health, supporting experts dedicated to substance use disorders, and curating resources and access to world-class research. Through advocacy, professional development, and technical assistance, APNC helps those on the front lines of the substance use disorder services field to provide the best possible prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services.
APNC connects addiction professionals, organizations, coalitions, corporations, and communities to encourage collaboration and innovative solutions to the addiction and overdose epidemic.
Under state law, UPD is currently safeguarding nearly $1.3 billion in funds that are escheated, or turned over, to DST. The money is awaiting return to the rightful owners after being lost, misdirected or overlooked. It represents 22.1 million properties statewide, and more than 25 million owners are associated with those properties. For the current fiscal year, UPD has paid 67,048 claims totaling more than $54 million as of Dec. 31, 2023. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2023, UPD paid 193,319 claims totaling $108,586,512, both historical records for a one-year period.
Unclaimed property consists of bank accounts, wages, utility deposits, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, bonds and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned.
Unclaimed property can result from a person or entity forgetting they are due money, or from a move of location and forgetting to provide a new address. It also could result from a typing error in a house number or zip code in an address, a name change, or data loss from a business converting its computer system. As society becomes more mobile and steadily moves to electronic transactions, the risk of having unclaimed property has increased.