The City of Minneapolis is celebrating one year of the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) meeting people where they are and connecting community members with substance use treatment, health care, and other critical services. This mobile clinic, funded by opioid settlement dollars, was established to address the opioid crisis and gaps in access to health care, as well as serve those experiencing homelessness and people who are uninsured or underinsured. The unit has focused its presence on communities with high drug-use activity.
“One year in, the Mobile Medical Unit is making a real difference, taking health care straight to the people who need it most,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “With more than 4,100 interactions and hundreds of connections to primary care, treatment, housing and other services, we’re building a healthier city by making sure help is not only available, but within direct reach on the streets of Minneapolis.”
A year in community
During its first year of service, the mobile clinic has established connections across the City with community partners, residents and healthcare providers. The six-person staff:
- Engaged with 4,100 community members
- Delivered 648 facilitated referrals during its first year, ensuring warm hand-offs to primary care, mental health and addiction services, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and housing and social service referrals
- Participated in more than 150 events across the city
- More than 70% of those events were street outreach, reflecting the mobile clinic’s focus on bringing services directly to people in the communities where they live and spend time. Many interactions provided opportunities to address immediate health and other resource needs while establishing relationships to support longer-term care.
The MMU also distributes resources designed to support health, safety and connection to services. During its first year, the unit and its partners distributed:
- 1,484 doses of NARCAN® (naloxone)
- 683 educational resource materials
- 2,589 miscellaneous hygiene supplies
Building a pathway from outreach to treatment
The City is committed to ensuring all community members have easy access to the MMU and to reducing the steps between when someone is ready for treatment and when they receive evidence-based medication, while providing the navigation and follow-up needed to maintain care.
Staff work alongside community organizations that already have trusted relationships with residents and understand the unique needs of the neighborhoods they serve. By returning regularly to the same locations, the MMU provides a reliable, familiar point of contact for people who may otherwise have difficulty navigating the health care system. This consistent presence allows staff to build relationships over time, respond to immediate needs and help people stay connected to care beyond a single encounter.
The City, along with its clinical and community partners, are building on these relationships to strengthen pathways to low-barrier treatment for opioid use disorder.
“Health care works best when it is accessible, trusted and responsive to the realities of people’s lives,” said Interim Commissioner Heidi Ritchie, Minneapolis Health Department. “Over the past year, our mobile clinic has brought that approach directly into Minneapolis neighborhoods, connecting thousands of residents with care, treatment, harm reduction resources, and a path forward. The relationships our team has built by showing up consistently, meeting people where they are and staying connected beyond a single encounter are at the heart of this work. As we enter a second year, we’re focused on making it even easier for someone who is ready for care to get the support they need, when and where they need it.”
Looking ahead
The City is building on its core foundation by expanding access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder and strengthening connections across street outreach, community clinics and other healthcare partners. This includes expanding access to opioid use disorder medications, including injectable buprenorphine (Brixadi).
We are expanding MMU services by creating a more direct, continuous connection from outreach to treatment and continuous care.
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