County hears proposal for mobile opioid treatment unit to expand local access
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Summary
Behavioral Health and Aegis Treatment Center presented a proposal for a mobile medication‑assisted treatment unit to serve Calaveras residents, funded by state grants and operating as a mobile OTP with daily dosing, wraparound case management and telehealth counseling; board offered informal support and asked staff to return with formal approval language.
Calaveras County supervisors received a presentation on Jan. 27 from Aegis Treatment Center and county behavioral health about a proposed mobile medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) unit to expand local access to opioid use disorder care.
Aegis presenters described a state grant program that funded mobile OTP vehicles, noting they had received multiple grants (presenters said four awards of about $1.7 million each), procured a mobile unit and were awaiting Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) licensing approval. The presenters said the unit would provide medication and counseling (via telehealth) and planned daily stops in Amador and Calaveras counties with a typical on‑site stop of two to three hours.
‘‘We would be stopping for a few hours at a time to service patients with their medication needs, to intake patients should they need that,’’ a presenter said. Aegis said it would staff the vehicle with two nurses, a security guard/driver and patient navigators to provide case coordination and warm handoffs to county behavioral health.
Behavioral Health Director Wendy Alt said the county currently lacks local opioid treatment capacity and that residents now travel to Sonora, Stockton or Lodi for care. County staff and public commenters — including probation staff — said a mobile unit would reduce transportation barriers, improve continuity of care and lower the burden on the hospital emergency department. Probation’s representative said daily observed dosing would also make supervision easier for court‑involved individuals.
Aegis and behavioral health described a proposed stop at the HHSA parking lot at 509 E. Charles St. while noting that the mobile unit could relocate and that a relocation would require an address update in the DHCS application (about 4–6 weeks for approval). Board members gave a nonbinding thumbs‑up to proceed with planning and asked staff to return with formal approval or an agenda item for action.
Aegis representatives said, if approved and licensed, they hoped to begin operations in about 4–6 weeks from the meeting depending on DHCS scheduling and final paperwork.
Public comment and several supervisors expressed support for the proposal and suggested additional coordination with Valley Springs Health and Wellness and other partners.
