First of its kind in Massachusetts: Drug treatment on the road
WORCESTER — It’s hard to miss, and it’s the first of its kind in Massachusetts.
It’s the new Road to Recovery Mobile Unit, operated by Spectrum Health Systems Inc., and Wednesday morning it was parked behind St. John’s Catholic Church on Temple Street.
“Super proud” is how Amanda Bouchard described her feelings about the van, plastered with the big, bold phrase “On the Road to Recovery.”
Bouchard is Spectrum’s director of nursing, and while she gave a tour including of the van's plush interior, she said it’s providing a critical need in Worcester.
“The ultimate goal is to keep people alive,” she said.
Trailblazer in state
Bouchard also noted it's the first mobile unit in Massachusetts to offer all three medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) — methadone, suboxone and vivitrol.
Drug overdose deaths are on the rise in Worcester and the van will provide access to medication and mental health support that officials believe is desperately needed.
Worcester experienced a dramatic rise in fatal drug overdoses: 79 in 2022 compared to 34 in 2021, a 132% jump. Those numbers are from the Worcester Police Department, according by Dr. Matilde Castiel, the city’s commissioner of Health and Human Services.
Earlier this month, Castiel said the state medical examiner needs to confirm the numbers and she believes the van will help reduce the city’s overdose crisis.
“This mobile clinic is one of the many tools that is going to help bring our overdose rates and overdose mortality numbers down,” said Castiel in a prepared statement. “Methadone and other MOUD (medications for opioid use disorder) treatments this mobile van will provide eliminates the lethal contaminants that are in every drug sold on the streets, from fentanyl to Xylazine, and will provide access to treatment for those who are homeless — something that is so needed to stabilize people and ideally help them secure housing.”
Available to anyone
Bouchard explained the van’s services are available to anyone enrolled in Spectrum’s system. If someone isn't enrolled, they can be entered into a database on the spot.
A first visit includes two steps: a urine sample to determine the amount of opioids in the body and a health assessment to gauge the level of active drug withdrawal.
As for which of the three drugs are administered, Bouchard said it depends on each person’s situation.
Essentially, the medications reduce cravings for opioids and help make withdrawal symptoms more tolerable. If a person chooses, they can have access to Spectrum's treatment services.
When asked if some might view the service as enabling drug users, Bouchard said it’s important to end the negative stigma tied to drug use.
“It’s a disease. They didn’t choose it," said Bouchard. "These people have loved ones and the goal is to keep them around as long as we can.”
Parked in Worcester every day
The van will be busy, as it will be parked every day in Worcester at two locations: 6 to 7:30 a.m. at South Middlesex Opportunity Council's Greater Worcester location at 25 Queen St. and 8 to 9:30 a.m. behind St. John’s Church, 20 Temple St.
A third location is potentially in the works.
When asked why the hours are in the morning, Bouchard explained that the van will likely administer more methadone than the other two opioid inhibitors.
Methadone is taken daily and withdrawal symptoms are normally acute when one wakes up in the morning. So users, many of them homeless, will need access to the van in the morning hours to get their daily dose of methadone before navigating the rest of their day.
Inside the van is a secure drug dispensary. That is where Gina Ranalli was Wednesday morning, a licensed practical nurse at Spectrum, seated behind a plexiglass window.
“I’m super excited,” said Ranalli. “We’re going to help people who have a hard time getting to us.”
Some of the city’s vulnerable residents don’t have transportation to Spectrum's three Worcester locations at 585 Lincoln St., 105 Merrick St. and 475 Pleasant St.
'Really needed'
Wednesday morning, one man said “this is really needed,” as he walked past the $150,000 van, funded by the state Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.
Its first day of service was Tuesday, and while no one dropped by its parked spot at St. John’s Church Wednesday, Bouchard said 15 clients used it earlier in the morning on Queen Street.
Bouchard, who makes her home in Dudley, is counting on word of mouth to generate increased traffic for a van that she believes will save lives.
“I’m super proud that we’re taking on this challenge and that Worcester is taking on this challenge with us," she said. "Dr. Castiel helped to get this going and I’m proud of the clients that are doing the work every day. We show up for them.”
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Keeping people alive: First of its kind drug treatment van hits the road
