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Trillium Health Resources has communicated with its provider network and agencies in order to ensure they continue to offer services and supports while making the adjustments necessary during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

“Children in particular can be impacted during high-stress situations as they may not have developed the proper coping mechanisms yet,” stated a Trillium press release.

According to Trillium, concern over this new virus, changes in the daily routine and feelings of isolation during quarantine can be very traumatic for children and can lead to anxiety. It is important for parents to realize that children look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events. Parents and guardians should reassure children that health and school officials are working hard to ensure that everyone stays healthy. Teaching children positive preventive measures, talking with them about their fears, concerns and questions and giving them a sense of some control over their risk of infection can help reduce anxiety. It is important that they know that they have supporting people around them to talk to.

Not all children respond to stress in the same way. Some common changes to watch for in children:

– Excessive crying and irritation

– Returning to behaviors they have outgrown (e.g., toileting accidents or bedwetting)

– Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits

– Irritability and “acting out” behaviors

– Avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past

– Unexplained headaches or body pain

– Use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs

Trillium has worked with multiple counties in recent years to secure school-based therapy services. Providers placed clinicians within the schools to complete assessments and outpatient therapy for children receiving Medicaid services and with parental permission. Trillium stated that the benefits of school-based therapy are that children did not have to miss school and parents did not have to miss work to make appointments, along with clinicians having direct referrals from teachers and school staff who were around the children for so many hours each day.

In an effort to help support children and families, Trillium Health Resources has created a list of services that are available for children who experience difficulty coping during this time and may not have access to school-based services. Some examples include:

– Telephonic therapy for school-aged children: available from clinicians who formerly provided school-based therapy; conversations take place over phone lines or through a video chat online once approved by the state. Call Trillium’s 24-Hour Access to Care Line at 1-877-685-2415 for help setting up an appointment.

– Mobile Crisis Services: Teams are made up of experienced clinical staff well-trained in crisis prevention and stabilization techniques. When a person experiences a behavioral health crisis, a member of the Mobile Crisis Team will respond and meet the person wherever it may be – at home, at school, at work or in the community and by telephone to help de-escalate the crisis. Call Trillium’s 24-Hour Access to Care Line at 1-877-685-2415 to request the Mobile Crisis Team.

– Crisis CHAT: A platform operated by Integrated Family Services, this offers emotional support, crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to individuals within Trillium’s catchment area. All crisis chat specialists are trained in crisis intervention.

Visit https://www.trilliumhealthresources.org/news-events-training/coronavirus-information for more tips on how to cope with this stress in the days or weeks to come. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has also requested certain flexibilities during this time from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Trillium will inform its provider network once approved.

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