Every week, Monday through Friday, a van leaves Great Circle Recovery in Salem and drives to Grand Ronde to provide opioid use disorder treatment to members of the community.
The Grand Ronde mobile clinic is the first of its kind in Oregon. It has been operating for nearly two years, providing a range of services, including methadone treatment, drug and alcohol counseling and connecting people with resources for food or clothing.
The clinic is a part of Great Circle Recovery , a medication-assisted opioid treatment center owned by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
Great Circle Recovery has locations in Salem and Portland, serving people struggling with opioid addiction regardless of whether they are members of the Indigenous community.
Methadone must be administered in a clinical setting, so the mobile clinic helps reduce the barrier of transportation for those in rural areas.
“Mobile is really a way to meet people where they’re at and lowers barriers to treatment,” said Jennifer Worth, operations director for Great Circle Recovery.