CareSource announces new mobile mental health unit to increase access to care, with a focus on new and expecting moms

Addition of mobile mental health unit expands the CareSource “Wellness on Wheels” network

A resource is coming to Georgians seeking mental health services who might not have ready access to them in their communities—a mobile mental health clinic. The new mobile clinic is part of the Wellness on Wheels™ (WOW) network of providers supported by CareSource, a nonprofit, managed care organization. The mobile mental health unit provides CareSource members care through a psychiatric nurse practitioner, Joanne Patterson, DNP and will start operating this month in areas that have limited access to mental health care services.

“Approximately a third of Georgians report experiencing a mental health concern such as anxiety or depression, which tracks with national figures, but nearly five million people in our state live in places without enough mental health care services to meet the need,” said Dr. Minh Nguyen, medical director for CareSource Georgia. “Given the impact that our mental health has on so many other aspects of our wellbeing, CareSource is committed to finding solutions to increase access to care.”

The CareSource team will analyze member data to assess where access to mental health services is limited and then work to connect members to the mobile mental health unit. The program will serve all members, with a primary focus on new and expectant mothers as the access gap can be particularly challenging for women. In Georgia, one in seven moms experience a perinatal mood disorder and recent reports have found that four out of five maternal deaths in Georgia are preventable, with mental health disorders accounting for 23% of preventable maternal deaths. Lack of access to physical and mental health care services, resources and transportation can serve as barriers to receiving treatment.

“I am grateful for CareSource’s partnership and its commitment to improving access to health care for vulnerable populations," said Joanne Patterson, DNP, MSN, PMHNP-BC, founder of Nurse Practitioner on Wheels. “When providers and health plans work together to meet patients where they are, we can make a real difference in the communities we serve. For many moms, these mental health services can provide a lifeline and help establish continuity of care.”

Members that seek services with the mobile mental health clinic will be treated based on their health care needs. After initial in-person visits, members will be able to receive follow-up care both virtually and in-person.

The CareSource WOW program was created in 2023 to close care gaps and increase access to health care across the state by bringing physicians into communities to provide medical care. CareSource WOW also helped to connect members to resources that would allow them to update their demographic information with the state to help retain Medicaid coverage during the redetermination process. Since the launch of the program in 2023, CareSource has reached more than 15,000 members.