The widow of a Delaware state trooper killed in the line of duty last year has launched a foundation in his memory to support families of law enforcement officers.

Two months ago, Lauren Snook’s world looked different. Her husband, Corporal Grade One Matthew T. “Ty” Snook, a devoted father, husband, and friend, filled their house with laughter and love. Then in an instant, everything changed.

“He just went to work one day and didn’t get to come home,” Lauren told NBC10.

Two days before Christmas, Cpl/1 Snook, a 10-year veteran, was killed while working an overtime shift at the DMV in Wilmington, Delaware.

Lauren said that she was at their home, making salt dough ornaments in the kitchen with Letty, their 15-month-old daughter.

“When the two Tahoes pulled up out in front of my house. You know it, you see it in movies, you hear about it, and I knew. But I didn’t want to, and it took about 7 times for them to tell me he’s gone,” Lauren shared.

Lauren said the life they built together is now marked by a painful reality, learning to live without him. She clings to the memories and a bear with his uniform that Letty calls “Dada Bear.”

“On a quiet day, it’s totally ugly. I’ll grab his clothes that no longer have his scent, wear them, hold them, cry in his closet, grab his deodorant, dryer sheets, his cologne and make this scent cocktail, and I’m like bring me Ty back for a second and I’ll look at pictures, and then I look over at that cute little girl and see her smile and immediately see him because they share the same smile,” said Lauren.

Lauren explains that the grief isn’t just in the big moments; it’s in the quiet ones, too. She said Letty can feel it also.

“She knows. She waits by the baby gate at the top of the stairs. She grabs his shoes and sits in them so she knows. Before she knows her name,” Lauren said.

Lauren said that following Cpl/1 Snook’s death, she leaned on her faith and the support from others to help her through it.

“People have given so much of themselves, their heart to us, it’s a gift I know I can never repay, but it’s forever touched and shaped who I am,” said Lauren.

Through heartbreak, Lauren is choosing to turn pain into purpose by starting the “Ty Snook Foundation,” a community for families and children of law enforcement officers navigating life after losing a parent.

Lauren said, “Headlines fade, people go back to real life, but this is going to be Letty’s forever, it’s forever going to shape who she is, and I’m a firm believer that the community shaped us, and she needs her own community to talk about loss.”

DOVER – Leaders from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), behavioral health providers, and health care partners gathered Thursday at Dover Behavioral Health System to highlight DTRN360, an innovative care coordination platform designed to strengthen collaboration across Delaware’s behavioral health system and improve care for individuals living with mental health conditions and substance use disorder.

Developed by DHSS’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), DTRN360 connects behavioral health providers across the state and gives them access to real-time information to better coordinate care as individuals move between crisis services, hospitals, outpatient treatment, and community-based supports.

The system is the first of its kind nationally and currently supports more than 14,000 client care journeys with nearly 600 registered staff users across Delaware’s behavioral health system. Participating organizations include DSAMH programs such as Mobile Crisis and PROMISE teams, as well as 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 critical information together in one place, DTRN360 helps providers close long-standing gaps in behavioral health coordination, improving communication across organizations, strengthening care transitions, and ensuring individuals receive the right support at the right time.

“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.”

DTRN360 was built by DSAMH with strategic design and implementation support from HEALTHe Insights. The platform incorporates technology from Bamboo Health and FindHelp to unify treatment referrals and connect individuals to community-based services that address social determinants of health.

The platform was developed through more than 200 stakeholder interviews with frontline clinicians, crisis responders, emergency department staff, justice partners, and community organizations across Delaware.

Today, DTRN360 integrates multiple data sources into a single workflow, including hospital admission and discharge alerts, crisis response information, prescription monitoring data, treatment referrals, and social services connections. Through integration with the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN), providers can view a more comprehensive picture of an individual’s care history 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 fragmentation that has historically 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.”

For providers delivering care on the front lines, access to better information helps improve coordination and discharge planning from the very beginning of treatment.

“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.”

To help address behavioral health needs of Delawareans, DHSS has several ways for individuals or their family members to connect:

• Call the 24/7 Delaware Hope Line at 1-833-9-HOPEDE or 1-833-946-7333 – a single point of contact where callers can connect to a variety of resources and information, including support from clinicians and peer specialists plus crisis assistance.
• Stop by one of DHSS’ Bridge Clinics for an in-person assessment.
• Visit com to find out which treatment providers are located near you.
• Visit com, DHSS’ one-stop website where Delawareans can search for treatment services and resources in Delaware or nearby states.
• Call 988 if the individual is in crisis and needs immediate support.
• Call 911 if someone has overdosed and needs emergency medical attention.
• Learn where to find Narcan training, get the medication through the mail, and download the OpiRescueDE App

Print