MaineHealth will be acquiring a van that will provide Portland's homeless with on-demand treatment for psychiatric and substance use disorders.

The Community Outreach Network Navigation Evidence-based Care and Treatment – or CONNECT – Outreach Van is being funded through a two-year $500,000 American Rescue Plan Act grant from the city of Portland.

There was also a two-year, $40,000 grant from the Doree Taylor Foundation and a one-year, $10,000 grant from the Hudson Foundation.

“The City’s Mobile Medical Outreach team (MMO) team addresses the physical medical needs of the population we serve, but our team is not trained to provide psychological care, which is a huge component of the recovery process,” said Portland Mayor Mark Dion in a press release. “We look forward to having another mobile unit addressing the needs of community members, particularly with the expertise in mental health and substance use disorder treatment.”

Dion also mentions in the press release that data collected through the Mobile Health Map at Harvard Medical Schools found that mobile clinics across the country reduced emergency room visits and saved communities an average of $20 for every dollar invested in such programs.

“People experiencing homelessness have unique and complex needs when it comes to accessing healthcare,” said Malia Haddock, lead clinician for the CONNECT program. “To truly meet these needs, systems of care must be trauma-informed, relationship-focused and flexible. The CONNECT Outreach Van increases our capacity to meet these needs and communicate to unhoused patients that they are seen, heard and valued.”

Starting July 1, the CONNECT Van will be traveling through the Portland area five days a week, incorporating regular stops.