Mobile Unit
Funding for the purchase of a Mobile Unit for SCLHSA was made possible because of British Petroleum’s (BP) commitment to assist individuals in the Region III area after the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010 with behavioral health support. The SCLHSA serves a large diverse population in its seven parish catchment area. The geographical area covers over 31,297 square miles and contains a population of approximately 406,000 individuals. The Mobile Unit is used to reach individuals in their communities making it easier for them to remain compliant with their medication regimen and treatment plan.
The Mobile Outreach Program is an enhanced service program that consists of outreach, engagement, brief intervention, counseling, resource linkage and case management to assist survivors in obtaining direct services such as utility assistance, rental assistance, shelter, and commodities. Outpatient treatment will be available to clients who do not have transportation to assist them in attending scheduled clinic appointments. The unit will also be available to respond to crisis events in our seven parish catchment area and in other areas of the state when an event occurs. SCLHSA will also use the unit for health fairs, festivals and educational events to increase understanding of behavioral health and developmental disability services available in our area.
The goal of the SCLHSA Outreach Program is to help create strong, effective links between members of the community, families, friends and appropriate behavioral health resources in order to assist individuals in maintaining recovery-focused wellness. The objectives of the SCLHSA Mobile Outreach Program are:
- To work creatively to improve engagement.
- To reduce relapse by working collaboratively with other community service providers.
- To reduce likelihood and duration of admission to a hospital.
- To improve social functioning.
- To promote stability in the lives of service users and their families.
We are excited at the possibilities that we have to use this vehicle to enhance the lives of individuals in our community. We now have a vehicle to literally touch individuals in the communities where they reside and we intend to use it to help people change their lives by focusing on recovery and resiliency through intervention!