Trillium Health, a regional public health plan serving individuals with behavioral health needs, presented an overview of its services and expansion plans to Bertie County commissioners. Trillium operates across 46 counties—the largest of North Carolina’s four behavioral health organizations—serving approximately 3.1 million people, including more than 92,000 tailored plan members and over 216,000 individuals enrolled in Medicaid Direct.
Scope of Services and Reach
According to Trillium Regional VP Bobbie Lowe, the organization addresses significant mental health, substance abuse and use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries. From July 2024 through June 2025, Trillium served more than 103,000 unique individuals with severe behavioral health problems. In Bertie County specifically, 592 individuals received services during that period—442 treated for mental health conditions, 84 for intellectual or developmental disabilities, and 140 for substance use disorders.
Organizational Structure and Local Engagement
Trillium maintains five regions, each supported by advisory boards, consumer and family committees, and regional leadership teams. The structure ensures community-specific needs are addressed through local input. For Bertie County’s regional advisory board, the organization includes Dr. Patricia Wesson and therapist Emmie Lou Taylor, who has worked in the public system for more than 30 years.
Medicaid Transformation and Service Expansion
North Carolina’s Medicaid transformation includes expansion of Standard Plans and implementation of tailored plans beginning in December 2025, designed for individuals with complex behavioral health and intellectual or developmental disability needs. Trillium is also expanding crisis care services, including mobile crisis response and upgrades to the 988 behavioral health crisis system.
The organization is implementing mobile health clinics, community opportunity centers, and digital tools to enhance engagement and care continuity. Substance use prevention programs include school-based education addressing vaping and fentanyl dangers, plus distribution of Narcan and testing strips for fentanyl and xylazine. Evidence-based programs like Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) help identify at-risk students and connect them with appropriate services.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.dailyadvance.com/bertie/news/local/trillium-leader-outlines-services-offered-in-bertie-co/article_8ab99184-68a0-48a5-83b4-ff72240f666d.html