SouthLight is a trusted provider of quality service for substance use and mental health treatment needs in the Central North Carolina. We help individuals gain the tools needed to build a strong foundation for long-term mental wellness. Every year our work helps transform the lives of more than 8,000 people.

The Heart of SouthLight: Our Mission in Motion

Meet the people and passion behind our work. This short Mission Video offers a meaningful glimpse into how hope, healing, and connection happen every day across SouthLight. Hear from our leaders and see our staff in action as they show up with compassion, expertise, and heart to support our community. Take a moment to watch—and be inspired by the mission that drives us forward.

Mission

SouthLight Healthcare provides access to high-quality mental health and substance use treatment, fostering a resilient community by supporting individuals in their recovery.

Vision

To be the leading provider, partner, and employer, serving as a beacon of hope to those seeking compassionate care in a supportive recovery community.

SouthLight Provides Innovative Care for those Living in and through Addiction.

For more than 55 years SouthLight has offered a safe and supportive treatment environment where individuals in crisis can receive comprehensive care, offered with compassion and respect. We believe in treating the whole individual, not just the illness. We also offer supportive services that enhance the effectiveness of substance use and mental health treatment.

Our Core Values

Compassion

We show up with acceptance, kindness, and a genuine desire to be of service.

Excellence

We are committed to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Collaboration

We believe that working together strengthens teams and builds effective partnerships.

Inclusion

We embrace diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, cultivating an environment in which all people feel safe, valued, and respected.

Hope

We inspire each other to seek and realize change.

Authenticity

We act with integrity to create a space where people can show up as their true selves.

We have the unmatched ability to address the need

1 in 5 adults in the US experience mental illness each year. (NAMI)
1 in 8 emergency room visits involves mental illness and substance use. (NAMI)
50% of the people who have a severe mental health condition also have a substance abuse problem. (Journal of the American Medical Association-JAMA).
37% of people who abuse alcohol have a mental illness, as do 53% of those who abuse drugs. (JAMA)

70% of people are unemployed when first coming to SouthLight for support and services.
Nearly 30% of people are homeless when first coming to SouthLight for support and services.
40% of those SouthLight serves are indigent, uninsured, or underinsured.
North Carolina is one of the top 5 states with the highest percentages of addiction in its population.

Many clients face the highest barriers to wellness, including untreated mental illness, chemical dependency, and history of incarceration, cognitive and physical disabilities, trauma, and chronic illness. At SouthLight, many of our clients benefit from receiving both substance use and mental health programs.

Learn more on the SouthLight Blog.

“SouthLight provides me the opportunity to serve others, sit with individuals in their most challenging moments and provide acceptance and encouragement, AND work among individuals that continue to humble me and push me to grow.”

—Erika Carey, MS, Chief Operating Officer

SouthLight is a CARF Accredited Agency. CARF accreditation signals our commitment to continually improving services, encouraging feedback, and serving the community.

SouthLight is a National Board for Certified Counselors Approved Continuing Education Provider™, NBCC ACEP No. 7214. As an ACEP, SouthLight is authorized to offer NBCC continuing education credit for programs that satisfy NBCC requirements.

About SouthLight