A recent report on substance use in Barnstable County listed transportation as one of the main barriers for people trying to access care.
Now, a mobile methadone unit is stepping up services on the Outer Cape.
Yarmouth Comprehensive Treatment Centers is the only licensed methadone clinic on Cape Cod.
The center launched its mobile unit last fall with the van making five trips a week to Wellfleet through a partnership with Outer Cape Health Services.
The unit recently went fully-operational, with patients now provided take-home medication for the weekends.
Matt Davis, Regional Vice President of Acadia Health Care which operates Yarmouth CTC, said the mobile unit improves access for patients.
“They can receive treatment close to their home. Rather than driving three hours round trip. Let’s say from the farthest part of Provincetown, all the way to Yarmouth, it takes up a significant part of your day,” he said.
Davis said less time commuting for treatment gives patients more time to focus elsewhere.
“Our goal is to really have people transition back into their lives as they’re developing a recovery plan and be able to be employed, spend time with their family, go to school.”
A change in the law two years ago allows mobile clinics to provide increased access in hard-to-reach communities.
