Trillium Health Resources briefs Bladen County commissioners on behavioral-health coverage and local services

Cecilia Pierce, southern regional vice president of Trillium Health Resources, told the Bladen County Board of Commissioners on May 5 that Trillium operates across a 46-county region and provides several tailored behavioral-health plans for Medicaid and uninsured residents.

"We are your local public health plan," Pierce said, explaining that Trillium serves roughly 3.1 million people across the merged region and employs about 17,000 staff. She described Trillium’s four benefit plans, including a tailored “whole person” plan that covers both physical and behavioral health and a locally funded Thrive Local plan that supplements services not covered by Medicaid.

The presentation traced recent Medicaid changes: a child and family specialty plan operated by Blue Cross shifted about 17,000 members in December, and some behavioral-health services are being delivered through carved-out or standard plans. Pierce said Trillium still coordinates with county Departments of Social Services and has staff dedicated to DSS engagement and reentry-care management for people leaving jail or prison.

Pierce gave county-specific data: last fiscal year Trillium assigned about 1,100 members in Bladen County, with roughly 63% receiving mental-health services, 21% substance-use services and 16% IDD (intellectual and developmental disability) services. She said the organization’s Medicaid-related claims run in the billions regionally and that about 11% of Trillium’s total budget is administrative.

On access and crisis response, Pierce said many services do not require prior authorization and the network operates a 24/7 behavioral-health crisis line; she also reminded the board that 988 remains an option for behavioral-health crises when there is no imminent physical danger.

Commissioners asked whether Trillium could subsidize temporary housing for children entering foster care who were staying overnight in a DSS office. Pierce said Trillium does not provide rent directly to house children but described available services — respite, facility-based crisis centers and other provider arrangements — that can serve children in crisis depending on eligibility and the services purchased under Trillium’s benefit plans.

The board thanked Pierce for the update and said staff would follow up with specific questions about local provider capacity and any needed contracts or funding requests.