Critical incident reporting
An “incident,” as defined, is “any happening which is not consistent with the routine operation of a facility or service or the routine care of a consumer and that is likely to lead to adverse effects upon a consumer.”
Provider reporting
The following providers must report incidents involving members receiving mental health, developmental disabilities, and/or substance abuse services:
- Providers of publicly funded services licensed under NC General Statutes 122C (Category A providers), excluding hospitals, and
- Providers of publicly funded, non-licensed, periodic, or community-based mental health, developmental disabilities, and/or substance abuse services (Category B providers).
Reporting system
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) uses an online system called the Incident Response Improvement System (IRIS) to report and monitor level II and III incidents involving individuals receiving mental health, developmental disabilities, and/or substance abuse services.
Incident Response Improvement System (IRIS)
Incident types
Only level II and III incidents qualify for IRIS reporting.
Level II — Any incident involving a consumer's death due to natural causes or terminal illness, or that results in a threat to a member’s health or safety, or to the health or safety of others because of member behavior.
Level III — Any incident that results in:
- A death, sexual assault, or permanent physical or psychological impairment to a member,
- A substantial risk of death or permanent physical or psychological impairment to a member,
- A death, sexual assault, or permanent physical or psychological impairment caused by a member,
- A substantial risk of death or permanent physical or psychological impairment caused by a member, or
- A threat to a person's safety caused by a member.
Providers are required to report Level II and III incidents using the NC DHHS Incident Response Improvement System (IRIS) tool.
Additional information
For additional resources surrounding IRIS reporting please visit the NCDHHS IRIS Resources page or reach out to Healthy Blue via email for additional questions.