On Monday, April 4, Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson was honored as the 2022 Steve Jordan Lighthouse Award recipient at this year’s North Carolina Providers Council (NCPC) Annual Conference held at the Hilton DoubleTree Biltmore in Asheville.
This award recognizes Commissioner Dobson’s previous work as a legislator in the North Carolina House of Representatives, working across the aisle to enact changes to the state’s mental health law regarding involuntary commitment (IVC) of individuals in behavioral crises.
“I am honored to receive the Steve Jordan Lighthouse Award and proud of what we were able to accomplish during my time as a state representative,” Commissioner Dobson said. “My approach to politics has aways been a bipartisan one. Adopting that philosophy has allowed us to develop more compassionate mental health policies in our state.”
His efforts while serving as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and the Health Policy Committee were instrumental in bringing about the first major change to IVC legislation since the adoption of the state’s Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Act of 1985.
The Lighthouse Award was created in memory of Steve Jordan, who served as president of NCPC in 2010, and honors those who have made extraordinary contributions to intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health and/or substance abuse disorder systems in North Carolina.