Family & Children’s Services (FCS) has partnered with Mental Health Association Oklahoma (MHAOK) to enhance housing stability and supportive services in the Tulsa area. The coordinated effort between the two organizations includes the addition of a mobile clinic van designed to enable on-site, real-time engagement with individuals with a history of homelessness who are housed in MHAOK housing. This resource will enable providers to deliver wrap-around services for a population that may otherwise lack mental, physical, and social advocacy.
FCS and MHAOK established a partnership in October 2023 to provide expanded Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) services to individuals living in supportive housing. The Housing Opportunities through Meaningful Embedded Services (HOMES) program was formed through the partnership to provide case management, peer recovery support, therapy, medical care coordination, basic resources, and psychiatric care, among other CCBHC services. Services are community- and home-based, which further decreases barriers to resources.
The mobile clinic van will enhance service delivery by connecting clients to virtual services that may not otherwise be available or easily accessible. It will also increase the capacity to reach individuals who reside in apartment complexes owned by MHAOK, and it will allow for clients to be seen in person should their home be unconducive to in-home services. As a CCBHC, FCS will make available to the clients “whole person” care, including general case management, therapy, virtual /telehealth psychiatry services, and assistance with food, clothing, and employment, as well as medication, transportation, and insurance assistance.
Regarding the partnership, Kathy Loehr, Senior Program Director of Homeless and Diversion Services at FCS, commented, “Our partnership with MHAOK has been instrumental in connecting individuals to services. The new mobile services van will increase access by providing an extension of a traditional office, giving staff the ability to provide a comfortable, private space to meet with clients.”
As part of the HOMES partnership, FCS welcomed four service providers from MHAOK to serve as part of FCS’s CCBHC team. This unique partnership, in conjunction with the mobile clinic van, will allow clients to access the FCS psychiatry services and medication clinic and receive other mental health services via telehealth inside the mobile services van. Additionally, they can receive in-person services in a mobile clinic-based setting inside the van if they are uncomfortable being treated in their place of residence.
Mark Davis, Chief Programs Officer at MHAOK, shared, “We are thrilled about our partnership with FCS. By combining resources to create the HOMES program, we knew we’d be able to make a positive impact on individuals who may have previously experienced challenges in accessing outpatient treatment. Now, individuals will not only be able to speak with a mental health professional in their community, but they’ll also be able to learn more about the services offered by MHAOK, as well as its expansive housing portfolio.”
In addition to providing home-based services, the mobile clinic van is also equipped to provide outreach and engagement services to those experiencing homelessness, including individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Meeting clients where they are provides a first step in meeting their mental health, substance use, medical, and other basic needs, decreasing barriers, and increasing access to services.
The HOMES Mobile Clinic Van includes a modular interior designed for flexible accommodation of clients. The solar-powered facility includes a bicycle tie-up and storage compartments for pedestrian clients who seek services from the mobile clinic.
