PLYMOUTH, North Carolina – On Tuesday, Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley attended the launch of a Trillium Health Resources Mobile Integrated Care Unit in Washington County.

With funding from NCDHHS, Trillium Health Resources is launching seven mobile health clinics in eastern North Carolina to help bring mental health and addictions counseling to rural communities.

“It’s just as important to take care of our mental health as our physical health,” Governor Cooper said. “We want everyone in our state to have access to quality health care, and these mobile clinics will help reach our rural and historically underserved communities.”

“To provide care for the whole person, we must consider physical and mental health,” Secretary Kinsley said. “This innovative mobile unit integrates care and breaks down barriers, meeting people where they are to ensure mental health care is accessible to everyone.”

“Trillium is extremely grateful to our partners at NC DHHS for giving us the opportunity to work with our vendors to purchase these mobile clinics,” said Joy Futrell, MBA, CEO of Trillium Health Resources. “Mobile clinics are essential to increase capacity and access to services in our rural areas where providers cannot always find or afford office space, and also to reduce health disparities for people of color. The clinics enable people who otherwise could not access services due to transportation or other barriers to receive services in their community and in a timely and efficient manner so that they can improve their lives.

In July 2021, Trillium Health Resources launched its first integrated care mobile clinic for Perquimans and surrounding counties. In December 2021, NCDHHS awarded $4.4 million to organizations to better reach people with substance use disorders. Trillium received $1.42 million to create seven additional mobile health clinics. Mobile clinics offer mental health screenings, treatment for substance use disorders, traditional therapy, medication management via telemedicine, care management, and crisis and disaster response.

Governor Cooper and his administration continue to prioritize mental health care and addiction prevention and treatment. In August 2020, Governor Cooper earmarked $40 million of federal CARES Act money to hire more school nurses, counselors, social workers, and psychologists in our public schools. Since May 2021, the Governor has allocated $5 million of Governor’s Emergency Education Assistance (GEER) II funds to the UNC system for mental health support, including initiatives such as training Mental Health Awareness and Intervention and the After Hours Behavioral Health Telephone Service. In February 2022, NCDHHS launched a Child and Family Welfare Division that focuses on meeting the health, social, and educational needs of children and youth.

As the pandemic continues to impact people’s mental health, Governor Cooper and his administration have taken action to help North Carolina residents manage the impact of COVID-19. In 2020, NCDHHS created two new mental health resources, the Hope4NC Helpline and the Hope4Healers Helpline. Helplines connect North Carolinas to additional mental health support to help cope in times of crisis and provide support to medical professionals, emergency medical specialists, first responders and other members staff who work in health care facilities and their families.

North Carolina is part of a historic $26 billion deal that will help bring desperately needed relief to communities impacted by opioids. The funds will be used to support treatment, recovery, harm reduction and other vital programs and services in communities across the state. North Carolina’s Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan outlines concrete strategies to advance prevention, reduce harm, and connect people to the care they need.