NCDHHS, Vaya Health to Celebrate Opening of First AYA House for Justice-Involved People in Rowan County

MEDIA ADVISORY - Credentialed media are invited to attend the opening of a new resource for people reentering their community following incarceration. NCDHHS Director of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Disorders Kelly Crosbie will be on-site to celebrate the opening of AYA House in Rowan County on Friday, Jan. 16, at 10:30 a.m.

KANNAPOLIS

Jan 12, 2026

Credentialed media are invited to attend the opening of a new resource for people reentering their community following incarceration. NCDHHS Director of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Disorders Kelly Crosbie will be on-site to celebrate the opening of AYA House in Rowan County on Friday, Jan. 16, at 10:30 a.m.

AYA House ensures people who are involved in the justice system have access to housing and supported employment services, tailored to their needs, to promote community-based integration and stabilization.

AYA House operates six diversion and re-entry locations in Cabarrus County. This is the first location in Rowan County and will serve adult men transitioning from jail or prison in Vaya Health's eastern-most counties: Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Franklin, Granville, Person, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes and Vance. AYA House provides wrap-around support and services, including employment and education, with these resources being designed to build long-term stability and independence.

NCDHHS awarded $1.5 million from a federal Expanding Supports for Justice Involved Adults-Community Based Initiatives grant to Vaya Health, which partnered with AYA House.

What:
AYA House Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Who:
Kelly Crosbie, Director, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities Substance Use Disorders, NCDHHS
Dennis Brown, Executive Director, AYA House
Larry Hill, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Vaya Health

When:
Friday, Jan. 16, 10:30 a.m.

Where:
2205 Harkey Ave,
Kannapolis, NC 28081

Media:
Credentialed media should RSVP to [email protected] if they plan to attend. Director Crosbie will answer questions from the media following the ribbon cutting ceremony.

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