Director
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Victor Armstrong, MSW, is Director of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service's Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services. Prior to joining the Department of Health and Human Services, Armstrong served as vice president for behavioral health with Atrium Health and served as facility executive of behavioral health in Charlotte. Armstrong previously served on the Board of Directors of National Council for Behavioral Health. He currently serves on the boards of RI International, i2i Center for Integrative Health, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention-NC and is former board president for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NC. In addition, Armstrong serves on the Mecklenburg County Mental Health Task Force and the Mecklenburg Provider Council Executive Board, among many other local committees and subcommittees. Armstrong is a recognized leader in behavioral health both in North Carolina and nationally for his advocacy in strengthening community mental health resources, including crisis intervention teams (CIT), rewriting of the basic law enforcement training (BLET) curriculum to expand training on mental health issues and leading the effort in developing a mental health court in Forsyth County, North Carolina. Armstrong was a 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from East Carolina University School of Social Work for outstanding contributions to the field of social work. He was recognized by Pride Magazine as “Best of The Best” 2018 and named to the list of “Who’s Who in Black Charlotte” in 2017, also by Pride Magazine. He and the BHC facility were awarded the i2i Center for Integrative Health’s 2108 Innovation Award for Whole Person Care. He is a staunch advocate for suicide awareness and reducing stigma around mental illness, as well as reducing health disparities. Armstrong graduated magna cum laude with a degree in business administration from North Carolina Central University and received his graduate degree in social work from East Carolina University.
