Most insurance plans will cover either all or a portion of the treatment.
- Content Reviewed By:
- Andrew McKenna - JD
- SUD's treatment executive, national news contributor & keynote speaker.
Navigation:
- Overview
- What Clinical Services Do Mobile Medical Units Offer
- Do Mobile Medical Units for Addiction Treatment Work?
Overview
As thousands of people battling substance use disorder still face access barriers when they endeavor to find treatment, mobile medical units are emerging as an increasingly viable solution to facilitate optimal care.
Mobile medical units for addiction treatment are vehicles staffed with clinical personnel (doctors, nurses, therapists, etc.) and equipped with supplies to provide treatment. These mobile units address access gaps in care that have proven effective in reducing overdose fatality and creating a more direct pathway to recovery resources. They are most often deployed to treat opioid use disorder but can be applied to a variety of addiction types.
What Clinical Services Do Mobile Medical Units Offer
While each organization has different resources, mobile medical units historically offer a comprehensive range of medical and behavioral health resources, such as appropriate opioid maintenance medications, such as buprenorphine and naltrexone. They also provide general medical supplies to help patients in crisis and to alleviate severe acute withdrawal symptoms.
Mobile medical units may also include mental health personnel to help offer counseling and rehab services, and harm reduction resources, which may consist of the overdose reversal drug Narcan, fentanyl test strips and other resources that help reduce the possibility of overdose fatality.
Do Mobile Medical Units for Addiction Treatment Work?
While they’re still a relatively new resource in the opioid addiction treatment and recovery toolkit, mobile medical units have been found to significantly improve access to treatment where it has often been lacking. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that multiple states have effectively deployed these clinics to save residents’ lives. You can access mobile medical units in your area by contacting your state’s Department of Health or you can also contact the treatment center you’re considering and see if they have any mobile treatment options.
