Stark health department gets mobile unit for overdose prevention

The Stark County Health Department has received a mobile care unit to bring overdose education across the county.
The vehicle was given to the department by the HEALing Communities Study.
It will provide overdose education, naloxone distribution and linkages to opioid use disorder services.

Transportation is one of the biggest obstacles keeping those affected by drug addiction from getting the care they need.

The Stark County Health Department is looking to bridge that gap by bringing services into the community with its new mobile integrated care unit. Employees with the health agency plan to take the 30-foot vehicle to community events and areas in need to provide overdose education, naloxone distribution and links to opioid use disorder services.

“It’s a way to take these services to the people that need them,” said Amanda Kelly, manager of health promotion and planning at the Stark County Health Department.

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The mobile care unit has two exam rooms, a blood draw station, a bathroom and access for those who use wheelchairs. It was given to the agency by the HEALing Communities Study, a national initiative working to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths. Stark is one of several Ohio counties participating in the study, along with communities in Kentucky, Massachusetts and New York.

Kelly said the HEALing Communities Study has provided mobile units to other communities, but this is the first for the county.

Why is a mobile outreach unit needed?

One hundred and fifty-six Stark County residents died of overdoses last year, according to the county health department. In December, the department issued a warning that Stark had seen an uptick in suspected fatal drug overdoses.

Kelly said the department intends to have a full-time and part-time outreach specialist to bring the vehicle to different events in Stark County. The vehicle has an awning and space in front of it for a table so that residents can walk up and get information and resources.

The exam rooms will be used by partner agencies. The health department has teamed up with AVO Behavioral Health & Recovery to provide direct links to treatment in the mobile unit.

Kelly said the agency hopes to develop partnerships with other area organizations that offer food and housing assistance or legal aid. She said also the agency is working to make it possible for event organizers and other individuals to request the mobile care unit to come to specific areas.

Hoping for a big impact in the community

James Fye, community engagement facilitator for Stark County with the HEALing Communities Study, said he expects the mobile care unit to have a big impact on the area. He said transportation is a huge issue when it comes to treatment access and that the vehicle will help bring services to the public.

The HEALing Communities Study has provided the health agency with funding to operate the mobile unit through the rest of the year, Kelly said, but the department will need to secure funds for 2024 and beyond. She said the department is seeking between $100,000 and $150,000 in grants per year to help pay for costs related to the vehicle, including fuel, insurance and maintenance.

“We are fortunate to have been provided this vehicle from the HEALing Communities Study as a resource for overdose prevention and linkages to treatment where it is needed most in Stark County,” Health Commissioner Kirkland Norris said in a prepared statement. “Overdose deaths can be prevented and lives saved by giving people the chance they need to get access to resources to live healthy lives.”

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