February 1, 2025 Edition 19

The monthly Provider Insider Newsletter will differ from the Network Communication Bulletins by offering an avenue to highlight community happenings across our catchment area. We will share information on various projects Trillium is working on within our local communities and introduce new skill development/training opportunities available to providers.

Inside this edition

Provider Spotlight: October Road, Inc.
Welcome New Providers!
Provider News
Community Involvement
Provider Resources
New Opportunities
Provider Knowledge
In Case You Missed It

Provider Spotlight

October Road, Inc.

Founded in 1999, Pyramid Healthcare has a quarter-century of experience serving community behavioral healthcare needs. Pyramid Healthcare offers a complete continuum of care through a network of more than 80 residential and outpatient behavioral health treatment facilities across North Carolina as well as Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Each year, Pyramid Healthcare serves more than 60,000 clients, with over 14,000 patients enrolled in the system at any given time. Open 24/7/365, Pyramid Healthcare’s call center answers more than 60,000 calls per month, staffed by real people dedicated to connecting individuals with the help they need. Pyramid Healthcare’s wide range of offerings comprises substance use, mental health, co-occurring and eating disorder treatment services, schools for children with developmental disabilities and specialized programming for veterans.

In North Carolina, Pyramid Healthcare serves individuals with substance use, mental health and eating disorders through a network of affiliated programs, providing a full continuum of care from detoxification/withdrawal management and residential treatment services to outpatient and community-based care. Among the Pyramid Healthcare family of programs in North Carolina is October Road, bringing outpatient treatment services to the Asheville, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Rocky Mount and Stokes County areas.

Since 2006, October Road has been committed to providing high-quality, community-based behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment in North Carolina. With the launch of its newest location in Jacksonville, the brand has begun transitioning the October Road name to Pyramid Outpatient Programs.

Currently, Pyramid Outpatient Programs in Jacksonville offers Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) services aimed at meeting clients’ mental health, substance use, vocational and housing needs. Pyramid Jacksonville’s ACTT is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team of professionals who provide support with symptom management, independent living, employment and housing in addition to substance use and mental illness. Studies have shown ACTT services to improve outcomes for vulnerable, at-risk individuals such as those living with severe mental illness.

Additional services coming soon to Pyramid Jacksonville include substance abuse comprehensive outpatient treatment (SACOT), substance abuse intensive outpatient program (SAIOP), mental health IOP, outpatient treatment, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and medication management.

For more information on Pyramid Healthcare programs, reach out to Drew Wallace, Senior Director of Marketing, at dwallace@pyramidhc.com or (570) 578-9685.

If you or a fellow provider are interested in sharing your story, please contact us at info@trilliumnc.org. Thank you for all you do for our members!

Welcome New Providers to Trillium!

PROVIDER NAME	COUNTIES SERVED	SERVICES OFFERED	AGE GROUP SERVED
Aubrey's Safe Haven	Gaston and surrounding	Level III Residential	Children and Adolescents up to age 18
Be Wise Behavior LLC	Franklin and surrounding	Research Based Behavioral Health Treatment (RB-BHT)	Children and Adolescents up to age 21
Carolina Concierge Therapeutics	Pitt and surrounding	Research Based Behavioral Health Treatment (RB-BHT)	All
Speech Tactics PC	Mecklenburg, Union, and surrounding	Psychological Testing and Outpatient Therapy	All

Provider News

Trillium Welcomes New Governing Board

On July 7, 2024, changes to North Carolina law necessitated adjustments to Trillium’s Governing Board. On July 19, 2024, in compliance with the new law, Trillium submitted a new proposed alternate board structure to NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley for approval. On December 30, Secretary Kinsley approved the proposed alternate structure and selected new initial board members to serve on Trillium’s Governing Board, effective December 31. Importantly, Trillium’s regional structure will remain unchanged, ensuring that we continue to hear local and regional voices. In addition, the new members appointed to the Governing Board, as listed below, bring a strong mix of healthcare, social services and financial experience, and collectively, it will be these voices, thoughts and experience that form the foundation for our new governance structure.

Each county will continue to appoint two individuals to our five Regional Advisory Boards. That structure will not change. Trillium has utilized a long-standing alternate board structure to give every county an equal voice in our work. This new requirement does not alter that historical approach to hear about vital local issues.

Moving forward, one (1) member of each regional board will serve on the Governing Board, plus one (1) member of each regional Consumer Family Advisory Committee. The remaining five (5) voting members are appointed by the Governing Board. Two (2) non-voting provider representatives will be appointed by our Provider’s Council and the DDFA Council, and one (1) non-voting member from the Health Equity Council.

News Release

Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

There are federal laws like the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 that Trillium must follow. This law requires health plans to treat behavioral health services the same as physical health services. Rules for mental health and substance use services must be like those for medical or surgical services. This includes limitations like copays, visit limits, and prior authorization requirements.

Trillium Health Resources offers helpful information regarding the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Visit Trillium's webpage to learn more, access trainings, and stay up to date.

View the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Kickoff presentation from January 21, 2025 here.

Providers are encouraged to submit questions or comments using this link.

Mental Health Parity Webinar Series

Registration is required for each webinar. Please visit Trillium's Events and Trainings page to register for this webinar series.

February 7, 2025

9:00AM-10:00AM - Child Mental Health Parity Clinical Pathways and Standards of Care for Child Mental Health Prevalent Diagnosis

10:30AM-11:30AM - Child Mental Health Parity Clinical Pathways and Standards of Care for Child Mental Health Prevalent Diagnosis for Tailored Care Management Staff Referrals

1:00PM-2:00PM - Adult Mental Health Parity Clinical Pathways and Standards of Care for Providers

3:00PM-4:00PM - Adult Mental Health Parity Standards of Care for Tailored Care Management Providers

February 21, 2025

10:00AM-11:00AM - Mental Health Parity Substance Use Disorder Clinical Pathways and Standards of Care

11:00AM-12:00PM - Mental Health Parity Substance Use Disorder for Tailored Care Management Providers

Community Involvement

Sensory Saturday- Make Your Own Beach

One Community invites you to join us for

Sensory Saturday at Walter B. Jones Park!

Missing the warm weather and beach days? We invite people with I/DD and their family or Caregiver to join One Community to make our own miniature beaches. After our activity, you’re welcome to stay and explore this accessible park!

Saturday, February 8

11:00 am -1:00 pm

2 Governmental Ave, Havelock, NC

Questions? Email Isabella Cece at Isabella.Cece@OneCommunityNC.org.

*Note: this is not a drop-off event. Parents or caregivers must remain to supervise their attendee.

Provider Resources

NC Medicaid Health Disparities Report

NC Medicaid serves roughly 3 million low-income individuals and families, placing it in a unique position to track health disparities and improve the health of populations that have been historically marginalized. To help identify and address these disparities, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Division of Health Benefits (DHB) developed the 2022 NC Medicaid Annual Health Disparities Report, which outlines health disparities across the entire NC Medicaid beneficiary population.

The 2022 results reveal that the domain with the largest count of identified disparities was the substance use domain, and the demographic stratifications with the highest count of identified disparities were beneficiaries who identify as having a disability and those with long-term services and support needs. Read the NC Medicaid Annual Health Disparities Brief 2022.

In addition to identifying health disparities, the report highlights programs across NC Medicaid that are working towards eliminating health inequities. This report will serve as a tool, alongside other Department and Division efforts, to identify areas of need and track health disparities over time. If you have any questions about the report, please email Medicaid.Quality@dhhs.nc.gov.

New Opportunities

Mapping the Future of CIT in North Carolina

Get ready to dive deep into CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) and SIM (sequential Intercept Model) at this conference as we map out the future of CIT in North Carolina! From understanding the intersection points of SIM to celebrating CIT achievements at the awards luncheon, this event is not to be missed.

Join us on February 20 for pre-conference activities and gear up for a full day of excitement on February 21 at the Greensboro-High Point Marriott Airport. Let's innovate, collaborate, and shape the future together!

The conference is sponsored by the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services.

Provider Knowledge

February is Black History Month

Join us during Black History Month for these free, virtual webinars. Click on the link below to learn more and register for each webinar.

Heart Wellness By Grace Through Faith: Connecting Wellbeing with our Spiritual Journey with Cliff Barnett, Jr., Temple Builders Fitness Ministry

February 18, 2025 at 1:00PM

Promoting Social Justice through Story Telling with Pastor Darron Carmon

February 20, 2025 at 10:00AM

Breast Cancer: Addressing Racial Disparities with Veronica Carlisle, UNC Lineberger Cancer Center

February 25, 2025 at 11:00AM

In Case You Missed It

Trillium receives two Innovations Awards from I2I

Trillium Health Resources and our partners accepted two Innovations Awards at the Center for Integrative Health (also known as I2I) winter conference. Trillium and Victory Junction received the “Individual and Family Initiatives” Award and we joined Monarch, The Autism Society of North Carolina, and Physicians Alliance for Mental Health in accepting the “ Technology” Award. The Innovation Awards honor innovative services and programs that aim to enhance comprehensive approaches to care by employing cutting-edge methods, tools, and partnerships.