A study co-led by investigators at Mass General Brigham reveals that mobile addiction services can be implemented across multiple organizations and communities to bring addiction treatment, harm reduction services and basic healthcare directly to people who use drugs, especially those disconnected from traditional care. The findings are published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Our model proved highly adaptable across different regions, and the successful deployment of new mobile teams demonstrated that street-based mobile addiction services can be effectively operated by differing entities, ranging from academic medical systems to community health centers."
Elsie M. Taveras, MD, MPH, senior author, Chief Community Health and Health Equity Officer at Mass General Brigham and Executive Director of the Kraft Center for Community Health
First launched as a single clinic in Boston in 2018, the Kraft Center's Community Care in Reach® uses mobile clinics to provide care to people at high risk of drug-related morbidity and mortality who are unhoused or at risk of losing housing. The model has grown to include six programs across Massachusetts with support from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Kraft Center.
When Taveras and colleagues assessed the impact of this growth, they found that from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024, there were 17,887 harm reduction encounters which minimized the negative health, social and legal consequences associated with drug use. There were also 16,117 clinical encounters providing care to 4,645 individuals. Buprenorphine (a key medication for opioid use disorder) was initiated among 1,227 individuals, of whom 15% remained in buprenorphine-based treatment after 180 days. The researchers identified various challenges among the programs across the state, but all programs were able to engage hard-to-reach individuals.
"Our findings reveal that the model can be expanded to reach and serve adults with very complex needs, and that the physical presence of mobile units can offer a popular, low-barrier access point for care," said Cynthia A. Tschampl, PhD, a Senior Research Scientist at The Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Research, Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Source:
Journal reference:
Tschampl, C. A., et al. (2026). Multisite Mobile Addiction Services: Four-Year Outcomes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph23060756. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/23/6/756
Facts Only
* A study co-led by Mass General Brigham investigators examined mobile addiction services implementation.
* Mobile services can bring addiction treatment, harm reduction services, and basic healthcare directly to people who use drugs, especially those disconnected from traditional care.
* The model proved highly adaptable across different regions.
* Street-based mobile addiction services can be operated by entities ranging from academic medical systems to community health centers.
* The Kraft Center's Community Care in Reach® launched as a single clinic in Boston in 2018.
* This program uses mobile clinics to care for people at high risk of drug-related morbidity and mortality who are unhoused or at risk of losing housing.
* From January 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, there were 17,887 harm reduction encounters.
* During the same period, there were 16,117 clinical encounters providing care to 4,645 individuals.
* Buprenorphine was initiated among 1,227 individuals, with 15% remaining in buprenorphine-based treatment after 180 days.
* The model has grown to include six programs across Massachusetts with support from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Kraft Center.
Executive Summary
Mobile addiction services can be implemented across various organizations and communities to deliver addiction treatment, harm reduction services, and basic healthcare directly to people who use drugs, particularly those disconnected from traditional care. This model proved adaptable, allowing street-based mobile addiction services to be effectively operated by entities ranging from academic medical systems to community health centers.
A program launched in Boston in 2018, the Kraft Center's Community Care in Reach® uses mobile clinics to provide care to individuals at high risk of drug-related morbidity and mortality who are unhoused or at risk of losing housing. Growth efforts across Massachusetts involved six programs supported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Kraft Center.
Assessment of impact between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024, showed 17,887 harm reduction encounters and 16,117 clinical encounters serving 4,645 individuals. Buprenorphine was initiated for 1,227 individuals, with 15% remaining in buprenorphine-based treatment after 180 days. Researchers noted challenges across state programs but confirmed that all programs successfully engaged hard-to-reach individuals. Experts suggest the physical presence of mobile units offers a low-barrier access point for care to adults with complex needs.
Full Take
The successful deployment demonstrates that infrastructure built around physical mobility can bypass significant systemic barriers, offering access to care where traditional systems fail to reach vulnerable populations. The adaptability across academic and community health structures suggests a solution rooted in flexible delivery rather than monolithic institutional reform. However, the documented outcomes—harm reduction encounters and buprenorphine initiation rates—must be scrutinized alongside the challenges identified among state programs to assess whether mere access translates into equitable, sustained health improvements for those with complex needs. The core tension lies between the feasibility of low-barrier physical presence and the long-term sustainability required to support those individuals across fluctuating housing and social circumstances.
The implication is that access provision is fundamentally decoupled from fixed geographical or institutional constraints. The success hinges on maintaining that operational flexibility while addressing secondary, ongoing challenges related to housing instability and complex medical needs for the served populations. Further inquiry is needed into how these mobile services integrate long-term follow-up care and address the socioeconomic determinants that drive drug use among unhoused individuals outside of immediate clinical encounters.
Bridge questions: What are the long-term costs associated with sustaining these mobile service models compared to static infrastructure solutions? How can operational flexibility be leveraged to build stronger, integrated relationships with housing and social services providers to ensure continuity of care beyond initial encounters? What measurable outcomes exist for reducing drug-related mortality and morbidity in relation to housing stability post-intervention?
Sentinel — Human
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