Halifax County commissioners today agreed to enter into an agreement with Trillium Health Resources to serve as its Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organization for mental health services.
The action today means that the county will disengage with Vaya Health, the company which in June announced it was consolidating with Cardinal Innovations, the company that has been the county’s LME/MCO.
LMEs/MCOs manage the care of beneficiaries who receive services for mental health, developmental disabilities or substance use disorders.
“This is no reflection on Vaya,” board Chair Vernon Bryant said after a 4-0 vote which disengaged the county with Vaya. “It’s what’s best for the county.”
County Manager Tony Brown said a committee which studied Vaya, Trillium, as well as Eastpointe recommended that the county begin to disengage with Vaya and align with Trillium.
The county manager said the committee determined the pros of joining Trillium included that no counties had ever disengaged, there would be an ease of transition, and the counties the business serves are in the same judicial district.
With headquarters in Pitt County, Brown said most providers in Halifax County are already contracted by Trillium, which offers a consistency among service provision.
“Trillium has begun a pilot program in Onslow County where a clinician is embedded with the community paramedic program which would dovetail nicely with our existing community paramedic program and could lead to a request for additIonal community paramedics to expand the program,” a comparison of the three providers says.
One factor important to Halifax County, Bryant said, is the Stepping Up Initiative, a program which seeks to reduce the number of people with mental illness in jails.
Trillium representatives serve on the state Stepping Up workgroup, however the company would have to create an initiative for Halifax County.
Another selling point of Trillium to the committee was it has staff which specializes in department of social services engagement and there are opportunities for the county to be part of the governing board and processes.
