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Trillium outlines pandemic adjustments to mental-health services for Washington County residents
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Summary
Trillium's regional director told commissioners the nonprofit increased provider payments, expanded telehealth, issued a COVID-19 brochure, and offered credentialing flexibility and frequent provider bulletins to maintain services during the pandemic.
Dave Peterson, Senior Regional Director for Trillium, addressed the Washington County Board of Commissioners on May 4, 2020 about Trillium's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is supporting behavioral-health providers across the region.
Peterson said Trillium is strengthening ties with Hope4NC and had produced a COVID-19 brochure intended for local distribution through the county's emergency management and MTW channels. He said Trillium is focusing on both clinical continuity and financial stability for providers, increasing payments to some providers in the range of 5% to 30% so those organizations can continue paying direct-care staff serving clients in the community.
To preserve services while maintaining infection-control precautions, Peterson described steps to expand telehealth options so residents can connect with providers from home. Trillium is also establishing temporary "in lieu of" service definitions and offering grace periods for staff re-credentialing so that providers can continue to operate. Peterson said the regional office has held regular provider question-and-answer sessions and circulates bulletins to providers every two to three days to share operational guidance.
Chair Phelps and Commissioner Johnson thanked Peterson and Trillium for their work; Peterson noted his presentation had been prepared before the pandemic and that he deviated from the original script to address COVID-19-related changes.