County OKs ranking to acquire third care‑mobile unit focused on behavioral health for people experiencing homelessness

Pinellas County agreed on Sept. 4 to proceed with procurement for a third mobile medical unit to serve people experiencing homelessness; the new vehicle will be focused on behavioral health outreach and continuity of care. County Human Services staff described the vehicle as an addition to an existing fleet that already includes a 45‑foot clinical vehicle and a street‑medicine van.

Why it matters: County leaders said the mobile behavioral health unit will expand access to diagnosis, treatment, and referrals for unsheltered residents and may be used to continue Suboxone and related opioid recovery services in coordination with the county’s Pinellas Matters program and opioid settlement funding.

Details from staff: Karen Yatcham, director of Human Services, told the board the selected vendor ranking is for a vehicle that would be dedicated to behavioral health outreach. The existing clinical unit provides full clinical services and a second vehicle delivers primary care at encampments and other unsheltered locations; the new unit would specifically target behavioral health needs and connections to medical homes. County staff estimated the broader Healthcare for the Homeless program serves roughly 2,100 unique people annually and that the street medicine van serves about 500 unsheltered clients per year.

Board action: The board approved the ranking and related procurement motion unanimously. County staff said all clinical services on the vehicle would be provided through contracted providers (the county will own the vehicle but not directly staff it).

Next steps: Staff will proceed with contracting under the approved ranking, finalize the vehicle specifications and vendor agreement, and plan deployment of the unit to outreach locations. Commissioners asked staff to report back on estimated service volumes and the vehicle’s operating schedule once a contract is finalized.

Attribution (select quote): Karen Yatcham, director of Human Services: “This van is going to be specific to behavioral health… we’re also exploring the potential of using this van for an extension of the Pinellas Matters program.”