Dauphin County Partners with UPMC to Offer Mobile Addiction Services Clinic in Northern Dauphin County

MAT Cropped

A mobile addiction services clinic – powered and staffed by UPMC – makes weekly stops in Northern Dauphin County.

The medication-assisted treatment (MAT) vehicle offers treatment, referrals, and other resources to enable recovery.

The MAT unit carries UPMC staff who see patients, make evaluations and prescriptions, while directing them to counseling and other resources, as needed.

The project is a collaboration between Dauphin County and UPMC.

“Taking our services to the community is essential due to many of the barriers that our patients face that may prohibit them from getting the care they need,” said Greg Swartzentruber, MD, Addition Medicine and Emergency Medicine, UPMC in Central Pa.

The MAT stops at the Northern Dauphin Human Services Center every Tuesday, from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

“There are a number of reasons why people do not proactively seek treatment,” Dauphin County Commissioner George P. Hartwick III said. “The stigma attached to addiction can be a huge deterrent. For others, commuting to a brick-and-mortar facility is difficult.”

The majority of those making appointments for treatment are opioid and/or alcohol dependent.

The MAT concept and mission is to proactively reach those in need by connecting in their backyards.

“There is distance separating our northern end residents from services available in the Harrisburg region,” Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries said. “This collaboration brings treatment and the hope of recovery to those in need.”

You can make an appointment and find more information about MAT here. Contact Bonnie at NDHSC (717-905-2700) for MAT stops in northern Dauphin County and other available programs.

“We are proud of the work our human services team in northern Dauphin County is doing to make modern treatment and services available to everyone,” Dauphin County Commissioner Chad Saylor said. “And we are proud of our relationships with devoted professionals like those at UPMC.”

Dr. Swartzentruber added: “We know from data in our community health needs assessments that there is a need for these services across our region. While resources exist near the city, many of our rural communities are underserved. We are encouraged by all that our partners in northern Dauphin County are doing for public health and health care needs in our rural communities, and we are glad to be able to be a part of that work.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Brett Hambright, Press Secretary, 717-780-6311; bhambright@dauphinc.org.