09/09/2026
**** LONG POST, To my fellow advocators, when you read this comment with any info I may have missed or need to update….. we need to make sure we inform people*****
Working in Health & Human Services comes with responsibilities that go beyond simply telling your supervisor when something happens. When an incident involves the safety, rights or well-being of the people we serve, an internal incident report may only be the FIRST step.
Depending on the incident, your role, the population being served and state requirements, there may also be an obligation to report outside of your organization.
And here’s the important part:
If you report something internally and nothing is done, do not automatically assume your responsibility ends there. Abuse. Neglect. Exploitation. Serious injuries. Rights violations. Unsafe care or practices. Know WHAT must be reported, WHO must receive the report and WHEN the report is required.
And if you witness something and choose not to report it, understand that the incident may still come to light later. When an investigation begins, investigators may ask who witnessed the incident, who knew about it, when they became aware, who they told, what actions they took and whether required reporting procedures were followed. Depending on the circumstances, your role and the law that applies, failing to make a required report can create consequences of its own.
Silence does not necessarily remove you from the incident. Once an investigation begins, what you witnessed, what you knew and what you did with that information may all become part of the review.
📍 NORTH CAROLINA REPORTING RESOURCES
🔹 ADULT ABUSE, NEGLECT OR EXPLOITATION
Concerns involving an older adult or an adult with a disability should be reported to the local County Department of Social Services / Adult Protective Services.
NC Adult Protective Services:
https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/adult-services/adult-protective-services
Find your local County DSS:
https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/local-dss-directory
🔹 CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT
North Carolina requires suspected child abuse, neglect, dependency or death resulting from maltreatment to be reported to the County Department of Social Services.
NC Child Abuse & Neglect Reporting Information:
https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/child-welfare-services/child-protective-services/about-child-abuse-and-child-neglect
Find your local County DSS:
https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/local-dss-directory
🔹 COMPLAINTS ABOUT CARE OR SERVICES IN A REGULATED FACILITY/AGENCY
NC Division of Health Service Regulation Complaint Intake Unit
☎️ 1-800-624-3004 — within North Carolina
☎️ 919-855-4500
NC DHHS Contact & Complaint Information:
https://www.ncdhhs.gov/contact
🔹 MENTAL HEALTH, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY & SUBSTANCE USE PROVIDER INCIDENTS
Applicable Level II and Level III provider incidents are reported through North Carolina’s Incident Response Improvement System — IRIS.
NC IRIS:
https://iris.ncdhhs.gov/
If IRIS cannot be accessed, providers are instructed to contact their Tailored Plan’s QA/QI office and still complete the required reporting within the applicable timeline.
🚨 If someone is in immediate danger or there is an immediate medical or law-enforcement emergency, call 911.
Reporting is not about getting someone in trouble.
It is about protecting the people entrusted to our care, protecting yourself professionally and making sure concerns reach the people responsible for addressing them. Policies protect organizations. Proper reporting protects PEOPLE.
Training shouldn’t only teach staff how to respond DURING an incident. We should also be teaching professionals what their responsibility is AFTER the incident occurs.
See it. Report it. Document it. Follow the required process.
