This is the third article in a three-part series that describes six mobile treatment programs that RTI International interviewed in August 2020; it profiles Project Rapid Initiation of Drug Treatment Engagement in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
This is the third article in a three-part series that describes six mobile treatment programs that RTI International interviewed in August 2020. This article focuses specifically on Project Rapid Initiation of Drug Treatment Engagement (RIDE) in Philadelphia, PA, and the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (NYS OASAS). Project RIDE is evaluating whether the mobile treatment program quickly engages participants with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD); Project RIDE’s study is a non-randomized controlled trial with two Philadelphia-based centers for crisis response (CCRs) as comparison groups; it aims to compare outcomes among 125 participants who receive assistance from the mobile units with outcomes from 125 participants who receive assistance from the CCRs. NYS OASAS administers funding to mobile addiction treatment and transportation units (MTUs) across New York State’s most rural and underserved regions; its objective is to increase access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) within affected regions by allowing current providers to establish mobile clinic extensions. The article concludes with some general takeaways and lessons for law enforcement and public safety professionals who are interested in collaborating with a mobile treatment program.