Delaware is introducing a new tool to connect mental health and substance abuse patients with the services they require.
The Delaware Treatment and Referral Network, or DTRN, is a digital system meant to expedite the placement of patients in need of mental health or substance abuse disorder treatment.
The program went live last week, enabling 13 behavioral health centers, hospitals and referral organizations to refer patients to 24 treatment centers statewide. It has already facilitated 95 online patient referrals. 72 requests were accepted for treatment.
Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Director Elizabeth Romero says the plan is to eventually expand the program statewide to include all of Delaware’s mental health resources.
“Our hope is to be able to get some of our sober living homes and other places on the platform. We’re just figuring out where our best utilization is in the first part and where most people are being referred to—to prioritize that—and then get more people on board,” said Romero.
The system is available 24/7 and displays bed and service availability at treatment centers in real time. It is also HIPPA compliant in its exchange of patient data between agencies.
“We’re trying to reduce the faxing and the phone calls because sometimes it can take 3 hours to make a referral or even more,” said Romero. “This is an opportunity to really get referrals timed in so people get into the right treatment system that they need.”
345 people died in Delaware from overdoses last year, according to the Division of Forensic Science (DFS). Through Oct. 1 of this year, 218 people have passed away in the state from suspected overdoses.
Officials say DTRN is meant to help connect overdose patients to substance abuse treatment when they might have otherwise been discharged from the hospital after being treated until medically stable.
