August 1, 2024 Edition 13

The monthly Provider Insider Newsletter will differ from the Network Communication Bulletins by offering an avenue to highlight community happenings across our catchment area. We will share information on various projects Trillium is working on within our local communities and introduce new skill development/training opportunities available to providers.

• Provider Spotlight: Easterseals PORT Health
• Welcome New Providers!
• Provider News
• Community Involvement
• Provider Resources
• New Opportunities
• Provider Knowledge
• In Case You Missed It 

Provider Spotlight

Easterseals PORT Health

On July 1, 2024 Easterseals UCP NC & VA and PORT Health Services combined to become Easterseals PORT Health! As a result, the combined organization offers addiction treatment, pharmacy, lab and expanded mental health services to Easterseals UCP’s statewide IDD and mental health continuum. The combined organization increases its overall service-offering capacity for communities and collaborative wraparound services for Trillium members, while expanding career path opportunities for its combined workforce.  

The mission of Easterseals PORT Health (ESPH) is to help individuals and families with disabilities, mental health and substance use challenges realize their potential, access opportunity, build resilience and thrive.

Easterseals PORT Health provides a comprehensive collection of services throughout the entire Trillium catchment area. ESPH employs a diverse and inclusive workforce with lived experiences to support the diverse population it serves. Its frontline team members are the heartbeat and driving force to becoming an IDEAL organization – an Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, Authentic and Learning organization.

IDD Services

Easterseals PORT Health understands and focuses on each person's individuality, while providing lifelong skills support for home and community engagement. Individuals can receive tailored one-on-one support, residential, after-school, employment, culinary arts therapy and ABA services. ESPH also helps families discover resources in their community and can provide periodic relief for primary caregivers. ESPH offers a variety of services through Innovation Waiver including Medicaid C, 1915 I-Waiver and State comprehensive funded services. To learn more, reach out to info@eastersealsucp.com.

Child Placement

Easterseals PORT Health believes all children deserve a loving and nurturing home. It strives to provide the best out-of-home care possible for foster children until permanent placement can be achieved. ESPH serves a diverse group of children who are predominantly school-age and may (due to prior trauma), have behavioral and emotional challenges. ESPH offers three levels of foster care: Family Foster Care, Therapeutic Foster Care and Intensive Alternative Family Treatment (IAFT). Like the children they support, ESPH foster parents come from all walks of life and are supported with 24-hour assistance, ongoing training and financial reimbursement. For more information, reach out to info@eastersealsucp.com.

Mental Health Services

Easterseals PORT Health offers client-centered, family-focused mental health services with an emphasis on whole-person care. Its comprehensive in-office, telehealth and community-based services are based on proven research to achieve the best possible outcomes. Community based services include ACTT, IIH, WRAP, IPS, Peer Support, Child First, Tailored Case Management and Mobile Crisis. In addition, its outpatient programs provide individual and group therapy, family and/or couples counseling, psycho-educational services and psychiatric medication management. To learn more, reach out to MHreferrals@eastersealsucp.com.

Substance Use Services

Easterseals PORT Health offers substance use prevention and residential services for teens, assessments, outpatient groups and individual sessions for adults and a men’s residential treatment program. Its Facility Based Crisis centers have 25 beds for individuals needing 24-hour support during substance withdrawal or those needing stabilization for a mental health crisis. In addition, ESPH provides outpatient medication assisted treatment in two clinics for opioid use disorders with either office-based buprenorphine/naloxone services or methadone daily dosing. ESPH’s team is committed to providing authentic, evidenced-based treatment and is dedicated to helping individuals in their recovery journey with dignity and respect. To learn more, reach out to SUSInfo@porthealth.org.

Consider joining the ESPH team. Learn more at www.eastersealsPORT.com/careers. For general information, visit www.eastersealsPORT.com.

If you or a fellow provider are interested in sharing your story, please contact us at info@trilliumnc.org. Thank you for all you do for our members!



Trillium Health Resources Receives Favorable Service Organization Control 2 Type II Report

Trillium Health Resources has received a favorable Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type II report. This accomplishment demonstrates our commitment to securely managing and protecting data and the privacy of our members. Cybercrime is a growing threat to companies across all industries, making information and data security a top priority for everyone.

The assessment, conducted by Cherry Bekaert LLP, confirmed that Trillium has implemented controls aligning with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Trust Services Criteria. The assessment included all five trust principles: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Privacy, and Processing Integrity. 

The Type II report reviews management’s description of the service organization’s system and the suitability of the design and operating effectiveness of the controls to provide reasonable assurance that the service organization’s principal service commitments and system requirements were achieved based on the applicable trust services criteria throughout a specified period.

As a North Carolina Managed Care Organization (MCO) & Tailored Plan, becoming SOC 2 Type II compliant is a requirement that aligns with our goal to be a trusted partner for our members as they navigate wellness. 



News Release



North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Launches Comprehensive Workforce Plan to Address Direct Support Professional Shortage

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today released a multi-year Direct Support Professional Workforce Plan. This plan aims to address the critical shortage of DSPs who provide in-home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in North Carolina. Implementation began on July 1.

The comprehensive plan is part of NCDHHS’ Inclusion Connects initiative, which is dedicated to connecting people with I/DD to more choices and more access to services and supports. This includes developing a robust, high quality DSP workforce through improved recruitment, retention and training strategies. The comprehensive workforce plan also addresses directives from the recent Consent Order stemming from the Samantha R. et al. vs. NCDHHS and the State of North Carolina Case.

"Direct Support Professionals play a critical role in helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live lives of their choosing in their communities," said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. "With the projects identified in our plan, we hope to create a workforce pipeline and the tools employers need to recruit and retain a strong, well-qualified DSP workforce."

Learn More Here



Governor Cooper Takes Action to Lessen the Burden of Medical Debt for North Carolinians

On July 1, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced new actions leveraging the state’s Medicaid program that will encourage hospitals to relieve a potential $4 billion in existing medical debt for approximately two million low and middle-income North Carolinians and ease the burden of medical debt in the future.

NCDHHS submitted a request to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to approve a set of conditions hospitals must meet to be eligible to receive an enhanced amount of Medicaid funds. These conditions include relieving existing medical debt and establishing policies to prevent the accumulation of medical debt for low- and middle-income North Carolinians. Hospitals that choose not to meet these conditions will receive the standard amount of these funds.

News Release



NCDHHS Awarded $2.5 Million to Expand School-Based Health Services

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to expand school-based health care in North Carolina. The grant will support NCDHHS’ ongoing work to ensure school-aged children and their families have equitable access to health care and behavioral health services readily available in the same places where they learn and grow.

NCDHHS has committed $80 million of the state’s historic $835 million investment in behavioral health to innovative services that meet children and families where they are — including in schools. The department this year announced a $7 million investment in school-based behavioral health services, such as telehealth and school-based health centers, that provide treatment and support for children. The department is also engaging community-based partners to implement behavioral health programs that serve students across school districts, helping to reach children in rural and underserved communities. Additionally, more than 1,200 school staff across the state have been trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid to ensure they know how to identify and respond when students need support.

Read More Here



NCDHHS Announces $11 Million Investment in Family-Based Behavioral Health Services for Children with Complex Needs

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced on July 17 an $11 million investment in treatment services designed to keep children who have complex behavioral health needs in homes and communities, and out of inappropriate boarding. The department is partnering with Rapid Resources for Families to expand access to family-based therapeutic programs, enabling children to receive trauma-informed treatment in a home-based setting.

"Children do best when they are in a home environment and surrounded by a supportive community," said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. "We’re investing in family-centered services that provide a safe, nurturing place for children with complex needs to get the right level of support, when and where they need it."

Among NCDHHS’ top priorities is to build an integrated behavioral health system in North Carolina that provides children with the right level of care at the right time. Of the historic $835 million committed to behavioral health in the 2023 state budget, the department is investing $80 million in services to improve outcomes for children with complex behavioral health needs and their families.

Press Release



Community Involvement

Oxford House Opens in New Bern

Oxford House and Trillium have opened a new residence in New Bern to serve eight men. Oxford Houses offer a clean, sober housing option for individuals in recovery. The new site expands the 30 Oxford House facilities and more than 100 beds currently operating in Trillium’s region under this contract. There are a total of 93 Oxford Houses in the 46 counties covered by Trillium.

“Recovery is strengthened when safe and sober living is combined with supportive community,” Trillium’s Head of Housing, Amy Modlin, said. “Trillium is proud to stand with Oxford House as we expand the opportunity for hope and healing to New Bern.”

The New Bern site hosted an open house on July 24. Individuals interested in participating in the program can call Oxford House staff at 252-631-2005 to set up an interview or visit oxfordhousenc.com for more information on availability in houses in other areas.

“Every new Oxford House in North Carolina is the chance for a new beginning for individuals in recovery, as well as their families and communities,” Modlin said. “We’re grateful to have New Bern join us in offering more opportunities for stable and sustainable support for those in their recovery journey.”

News Release

ECU Health Behavioral Health Hospital Celebrates Milestone Beam Ceremony

A beam bearing the names of more than 100 ECU Health staff members was hoisted to its rightful place on June 18 to mark a tangible step in the construction of a behavioral health hospital on in Greenville.

Construction began on the 144-bed facility in November and as of June 18, crews had installed nearly all of the required cement and steel framework for the project according to Tommy Williams, a project manager with Thomas Construction Group, the hospital’s general contractor. The hospital will sit at 2280 MacGregor Downs Road.

The facility is on track to open in summer of 2025. It is a joint project by ECU Health and Acadia Healthcare, a Tennessee-based mental health care provider with more than 250 facilities in almost 40 states and Puerto Rico.

The beam signed by staff will be visible in the facility’s gymnasium. Glenn Simpson, ECU Health system service line administrator for behavioral health, said the facility also will boast walking trails and courtyards to treat patients in pleasant surroundings.

“For me today is the culmination of almost 15 years of hoping, strategizing and advocating that we could bring a state of the art psychiatric facility at ECU Health to serve our communities here in eastern North Carolina,” Simpson said. “For those of you, and there’s a lot here, who will have the opportunity to work in this facility starting next summer, today is only the beginning of the excitement.”

The hospital will be the third largest behavioral health facility in the state according to Todd Hickey, chief strategy officer for ECU Health.

News Article



NCDHHS Launches New Toolkit to Share Disaster-Specific Mental Health Resources and Support for North Carolinians

Natural disasters and incidents of mass violence continue to impact individuals, families and communities. NCDHHS launched a new, multilingual Disaster and Behavioral Health Resources Communications Toolkit on June 20 to provide communities with tips, guidance and resources to support mental and emotional health before, during and after a disaster.

The new, multilingual Disaster and Behavioral Health Resources Communications Toolkit provides disaster-specific resources to support the needs of North Carolinians as well as ways to strengthen mental and emotional health. The toolkit includes fact sheets, social media posts and videos on how to find mental health resources nearby, online or by phone; navigate stressful events while living with a disability or as a caregiver; access care if someone struggles with substance use; learn safety guidance and more. Several materials are also available in Spanish, Mandarin and Arabic to inform and support more North Carolinians.  

Access Toolkit Here



Trillium to Host Additional Re-Entry Simulations

Trillium Health Resources will host additional reentry simulations this summer. These events will provide a hands-on experience of the barriers for individuals released from incarceration, including those with severe substance use, mental illness, and intellectual/developmental disabilities.

Through volunteers and role-playing, attendees experience situations trying to access services and resources that are often challenging and difficult to navigate. Previous events have helped educate our communities on this necessary information.

Upcoming Re-Entry Simulations are scheduled for the below dates. Click on the underlined links to register:

• August 20 at Ahoskie, Roanoke-Chowan Community College
• September 10: Beaufort, The Beaufort Hotel
• September 24: Bolivia, Odell Williamson Auditorium

News Release



Roadmap to Ready

Our Community Crisis and Disaster Response team works within each of our counties to help communities prepare for natural disasters, public health situations, or behavioral health crises. We work with the local and state Emergency Operations Center during and after events, to help share important information with the public along with looking at improvements that may be needed for the future.

Our Roadmap2Ready campaign was developed with guidance from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), Federal Emergency Management Federation (FEMA), and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety to help prepare our communities. The Hurricane Season is from June 1 to November 30 but severe weather and other emergencies can occur year round.

View our Roadmap to Ready for Providers page to access helpful resources and links. Audrey Hart, Head of Regional Behavioral Health Community Crisis and Disaster Response for Trillium, wrote a blog titled "Lessen the Stress" with tips and information about preparing for emergencies, such as hurricanes.



Network Communication Bulletins 2024

Click above for more information.

Have Questions/Need Support?

If you have questions, need additional information, or require technical assistance, please contact our Network Management Department at NetworkServicesSupport@TrilliumNC.org or call Provider Support Services at 1-855-250-1539 during the hours of 7 a.m.–6 p.m. EST, Monday–Saturday. 

We appreciate your commitment to helping us achieve this mission by meeting the needs of members!

Provider Insider is a newsletter for the Trillium Health Resources provider community. Please send comments and suggestions about this publication and its contents to NetworkServicesSupport@TrilliumNC.org.