DELAWARE -The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services is rolling out a new platform, called DTRN360. It connects behavioral health providers statewide and gives care teams access to real-time information as people move between crisis services, hospitals, outpatient treatment and community-based support programs.
Developed by the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health within DHSS, the system is designed to improve communication between organizations and close long-standing gaps in care coordination.
According to DHSS, DTRN360 is the first system of its kind nationally. It currently supports more than 14,000 client care journeys and has nearly 600 registered staff users across Delaware’s behavioral health network.
Participating organizations include DSAMH programs such as Mobile Crisis and PROMISE teams, along with contracted providers including Dover Behavioral Health System, Rockford Center, Sun Behavioral Health, Recovery Innovation crisis stabilization centers, Northeast Treatment Centers, Conexio Care, Horizon House and Resources for Human Development.
By bringing multiple sources of information together in a single system, providers can better track a person’s care history and coordinate treatment as individuals move through different levels of care.
“Delawareans living with mental health conditions, substance use disorder, and complex social needs depend on a system that is coordinated, responsive, and prepared to meet them where they are,” said DHSS Cabinet Secretary Christen Linke Young. “DTRN360 represents the kind of innovation that strengthens connections across our behavioral health system and equips providers with better tools and information to build a more responsive, connected system of care.”
Developers conducted more than 200 interviews with clinicians, crisis responders, emergency department staff, justice partners and community organizations across Delaware to guide the platform’s design.
According to DHSS, DTRN360 integrates several data sources into one workflow, including hospital admission and discharge alerts, crisis response details, prescription monitoring data, treatment referrals and connections to social services. Providers can see a broader picture of a person’s care and coordinate next steps in real time.
Michelle Singletary-Twyman, RN, director of operations for DSAMH, said the platform represents a major step forward in addressing gaps that have long existed across the behavioral health system.
“Fragmentation in behavioral health is more than inconvenient, it can be dangerous,” Singletary-Twyman said. “DTRN360 was designed to close those gaps by bringing critical information together in one place so providers can see the full picture of a person’s care journey and intervene earlier when support is needed.”
Frontline providers say having access to more complete information can also improve coordination during a crisis and help plan safer transitions when someone leaves inpatient care.
“One of the challenges in inpatient behavioral health is understanding the care someone may already be receiving when they arrive during a crisis,” said Lindsey Huttie, Dover Behavioral Health director of business development. “DTRN360 gives us clearer insight into a person’s care across the system and helps us coordinate more effectively with community partners to support safer transitions and better outcomes.”
DHSS encourages people seeking behavioral health support to call the Delaware Hope Line at 1-833-9-HOPEDE or 1-833-946-7333 for 24/7 assistance from clinicians and peer specialists. People can also visit Bridge Clinics for in-person assessments, search for providers at TreatmentConnection.com, or explore services through HelpIsHereDE.com.
Anyone experiencing an immediate crisis can call or text 988 for support. Call 911 if someone has overdosed and needs emergency medical attention.