Mobile clinics can provide a solution for mental healthcare needs in areas that may not have easy access to that care. Rural and remote areas in America can especially benefit from this access.
A wide variety of challenges impact rural patients. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “rural residents face higher risks of death due to factors like limited access to specialized medical care and emergency services”. Individuals living in rural America experience some common challenges surrounding mental health issues. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that there is often a sense of shame and lack of support for their mental health struggles, with these issues occurring more for their rural areas than for their urban counterparts. These challenges can discourage them from seeking mental health care and prevent them from getting the help they need.
Furthermore, even after looking past their shame and deciding to get help, there are multiple barriers to accessing care in rural areas for people with SMI (serious mental illness). According to NAMI, these barriers include “difficulty finding or affording transportation; lack of reliable childcare; economic disparities impacting those with SMI such as homelessness or low-paying jobs; and issues with broadband”.
Improving the access that patients have can help, and by using mobile healthcare units that provide mental health services, rural Americans can focus on seeking care without additional barriers. When services are not easily accessible, patients must consider the cost of travel, getting time off work, and sometimes even spending hours to reach their destination, all while already feeling unsure or even ashamed to make the appointment. Mobile healthcare facilities allow patients to face their issues head-on and easily access care without facing extra hurdles along their way.
Mental health mobile units can provide a variety of services and can benefit rural areas. These services may include “crisis intervention, case management, individual and family therapy, suicide prevention, patient education, peer support, medication management” and even primary care services. These services can be extremely helpful for rural patients and improve their comfort throughout the process.
Additionally, psychiatric patients may benefit from mobile healthcare. Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine found that one Mobile Outreach and Crisis Services unit was able to decrease psychiatric symptoms in patients and improve their global functioning. Global functioning refers to a person’s psycological, social, and occupational functioning. This is just one example of mobile healthcare units improving psychiatric health, and these units are commonly used to help these individuals improve their mental health and day-to-day functioning.
Mobile Healthcare Facilities has extensive experience creating high quality mobile units. For example, we created a combination facility for both dental and mental health for the U.S. Government. Using this facility, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement provided immigrants with a place to receive mental healthcare. Many of these immigrant patients dealt with mental health challenges during their travel to the United States. Our mobile healthcare facilities give a brick-and-mortar feel that patients can feel comfortable in.
With the help of Mobile Healthcare Facilities, you can curate a facility with whatever services your community needs. Learn more about the difference mobile healthcare facilities could make for you by contacting sales@mhcfac.com OR (678)-232-4316.
