Trillium Health Resources briefs Duplin County on tailored Medicaid behavioral‑health plan, local service numbers

Trillium Health Resources representatives told the Duplin County Board of Commissioners on March 3 that the managed‑care organization served more than 80,000 unique individuals across its 46‑county catchment from July through December 2024 and spent more than $802 million on care during that six‑month period.

Victoria Jackson, Trillium's South Central regional vice president, said the tailored plan that launched in July 2024 moves toward whole‑person care and prompted higher call volumes during rollout. "This is for individuals that have the most severe behavioral health needs," Jackson said, describing the population Trillium manages under Medicaid or for uninsured and underinsured residents.

Jackson and associate regional vice president Terrell Austin reviewed how Trillium contracts with local providers rather than delivering direct clinical services and noted a regional structure that includes advisory boards and locally appointed consumer and family representatives. For Duplin County specifically, Jackson reported 1,378 unduplicated members served from July to December 2024 across mental health, substance‑use and intellectual/developmental disability services: 971 for mental‑health services, 279 for substance‑use services and 128 for IDD services.

Trillium described several community projects and responses to feedback from town halls, including:

• A free, evidence‑based recovery support mobile app and a 24/7 online peer community; • A play‑together accessible playground grant awarded to the town of Wallace; • Community opportunity centers in early planning to address health disparities, workforce development and digital connectivity; and • Substance‑use prevention work in schools and distribution of lockbox kits to community partners.

Jackson said the tailored plan covers care coordination across behavioral and physical health, long‑term services and nonemergency medical transportation for eligible members and that eligibility and plan enrollment can change daily. She also reminded commissioners that another statewide plan, a foster‑care/children and families specialty plan, is slated to move to Blue Cross Blue Shield on a date stated in Trillium's materials (December 1 as reported in the presentation).

Jackson left business‑card contact information and said Trillium will host additional town halls to address local service needs and increase communication with providers and members. The presentation was informational; the board did not take formal action on Trillium material at the meeting.