Mobile Units: Vehicles, Build-out & Staffing
A mobile clinic takes addiction treatment into the parts of Illinois with little or no care nearby. Our Year-1 vehicle is a buprenorphine outreach van — smaller, faster to launch, and payable outright from a county opioid-settlement grant; a larger mobile methadone unit follows later. This page covers the vehicles, what goes inside them, who staffs them, and how a grant covers the van.
What a mobile unit is — and the two kinds we run
A mobile unit is a small clinic built into a vehicle, bringing addiction medication and counseling into the communities where patients live rather than asking them to travel. It operates as part of a licensed treatment provider, not a clinic on its own. The two kinds differ sharply in how fast they launch and how much regulation they carry, so we keep them separate.
Buprenorphine outreach van
A van where a prescriber starts patients on buprenorphine (one of the three FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder), runs follow-ups, and connects to off-site doctors by video. It runs under the clinic's existing Illinois state license — the clinic practicing in the field. Because buprenorphine is lower-restriction, the rules are lighter: a standard prescriber registration suffices, with no federal clinic certification, accreditation survey, or patient limit. We launch this unit first; it feeds patients into the behavioral-health services that drive the economics.
Mobile methadone unit
Dispensing methadone on a vehicle first requires a full fixed-site clinic licensed to dispense methadone — an opioid treatment program — which means federal certification, independent accreditation review, federal drug-handling registration, and Illinois state approval. The van can only be added once the fixed clinic is running. It is a strong long-term asset (patients stay longer, and it unlocks Medicare payments) but a separate, slower build, not the first step.
Federal rules let an already-licensed methadone clinic add a mobile van that dispenses at remote stops with no separate federal registration — the van counts as an extension of the home clinic. The catch: there is no stand-alone mobile methadone unit. You need the fixed clinic first, the van must operate in the same state, and adding it is a simple notice to the local federal field office, not a new approval. The fixed clinic comes first.
The methadone van carries a locked, bolted-in safe meeting federal security standards and unreachable from outside the vehicle; it returns to the home clinic every night, so no controlled medication is stored aboard overnight. The federal registration is posted aboard, only qualified staff dispense, every dose is logged, and the van has an alarm and GPS tracking. verify
Vehicle types & specifications
The larger units are built on a medium-duty truck or coach frame — school-bus sized but fitted out like an RV — while the buprenorphine outreach van is a smaller, sprinter-style vehicle. Bigger vehicles cost more and serve more patients per route.
| Vehicle type | What it does | Approx. size | Cost to buy & outfit | License it runs under |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outreach van (sprinter conversion) | Buprenorphine, video visits, screening, peer support | ~20–24 ft | ~$170–290K | Clinic's existing state license |
| Mobile methadone unit (box/coach) | Methadone + buprenorphine dispensing, exam, counseling, dosing window | ~33–40 ft | ~$400–700K+ | Methadone clinic license + federal van approval |
| Large medical coach | High-volume urban route, multiple exam rooms, full lab draws | ~40 ft+ | up to ~$800K | Methadone clinic license + federal van approval |
Build-out: what's inside a full mobile methadone unit
The methadone unit is the harder build: every system below must meet federal drug-handling, state, and disability-access rules before it can operate. The buprenorphine outreach van carries a lighter version, without the methadone dispensing safe or linked dosing station.
| System / zone | Purpose | Required for |
|---|---|---|
| Private exam room | Intake, physical exam, monitoring a patient's first doses, regular check-ups | Both vans |
| Counseling / video station | One-on-one counseling and a video link to off-site doctors; connects to behavioral-health services | Both vans |
| Locked medication safe | Bolted-in safe meeting federal security rules, not reachable from outside; emptied to the home clinic each night | Methadone unit |
| Dispensing window + dosing station | Watching patients take their dose; the dosing station logs every dose into the health record | Methadone unit |
| Medication refrigerator | Temperature-controlled, monitored storage for medications and samples | Both vans |
| On-site lab | Drug screening, heart-rhythm test, vital signs; blood draws on the larger units | Both vans |
| Wheelchair lift + accessible entry | Disability-compliant access, usually a patient door separate from the cab | Both vans |
| Generator + heating/cooling | Climate control and power for medical and computer equipment at remote stops | Both vans |
| Security: cameras, alarm, GPS | Prevents theft, deters break-ins, tracks the vehicle; alarm linked to the safe | Both (required on the methadone unit) |
| Internet (cellular / Wi-Fi) | Live access to the health record, video visits, and real-time insurance checks | Both vans |
| Restroom + water supply | Observed urine collection, hand-washing, patient comfort | Both vans |
Who builds the vehicles, and what they cost
Several established specialty-vehicle companies build mobile treatment units. Top-of-range builders guarantee the safe and dispensing layout meet federal rules — worth paying for, since a layout that doesn't pass can hold up the federal sign-off the methadone unit needs to operate.
Matthews Specialty Vehicles
Custom mobile medical clinics (16–45 ft, NC), behavioral-therapy and counseling coaches; builds and outfits full fleets.
LDV, Inc.
45+ years building mobile medical vehicles (WI); engineers to spec for clinical and controlled-substance workflows.
Farber Specialty Vehicles
Medical, health and dental vehicles (OH) engineered for clinical workflow, durability and cleanliness.
Craftsmen Industries
Mobile substance-abuse / MAT treatment vehicles (MO) positioned for opioid-crisis response.
| Cost line (mobile methadone unit) | Estimated cost verify |
|---|---|
| Vehicle frame | $90K–140K |
| Medical and secure build-out (dispensing window, safe, cameras, heating/cooling, wheelchair lift) | $120K–200K |
| Equipment (drug screening, heart-rhythm test, video, fridge, computers/health record) | $30K–50K |
| Security, GPS, and alarm | $15K–25K |
| Licensing and certifications | $10K–25K |
| Starting medication stock | $15K–30K |
| Total per methadone unit (planning figure) | ~$375K |
The mobile methadone unit sits in a higher cost class because of its built-in safe and full dispensing setup — real-world prices run ~$400K–$700K+. We use ~$375K as a conservative planning mid-point but budget toward the top of that range for a fully compliant unit. The buprenorphine outreach van is far cheaper at ~$170–290K — no methadone safe or dispensing build — and launches in months rather than a year, which is exactly why it is our first vehicle.
Staffing model — per unit
Staff are the biggest operating cost of any mobile unit. The table below staffs one full mobile methadone unit using verified Illinois market salaries, except the addiction-physician line, which is a planning estimate. A board-certified addiction physician serves as Medical Director — a role federal rules require for a methadone program.
| Role | FTE | What they do | Annual cost (IL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioner prescriber (or addiction physician) | 0.5 | Starts patients on medication, runs follow-ups and check-ups. Nurse practitioner ~$126,900 full-time; addiction physician ~$250–300K verify | ~$63K |
| Registered nurse | 1.0 | Watches dosing, takes vitals, monitors patients' first doses, dispenses medication | ~$88K |
| Licensed clinical social worker (counselor) | 1.0 | Provides the program's counseling and hands patients off into behavioral-health services | ~$85K |
| Associate counselor (not yet licensed) | 1.0 | Runs groups, does screening and paperwork under a supervisor | ~$55K |
| Peer recovery specialist | 1.0 | Someone with lived recovery experience who keeps patients engaged; separately billable to Medicaid in Illinois | ~$39–44K |
| Coordinator / driver | 1.0 | Drives the vehicle, plans the route, handles security, and helps with intake | ~$45–60K |
| Per-unit clinical staff (fully loaded) | 5.5 | — | ~$375K |
A few roles support the unit without riding on it full time: the Medical Director, a consulting pharmacist (methadone inventory and controls), and billing and credentialing staff. New clinical staff complete required addiction-treatment training within six months of hire.
How a unit runs day to day
A unit runs a set weekly route across two to four nearby stops — county health departments, community health center lots, jails and courts, shelters, and rural town centers chosen by our deployment-targeting work. The methadone unit returns home nightly to off-load medication as the rules require; the buprenorphine van has no such restriction. Take-home doses for stable patients free up daily slots, so a unit cares for more patients than it doses in person on any given day.
At a full load of about 120 patients, medication alone brings in roughly $905K a year. Adding the full set of behavioral-health services — psychiatric medication management, therapy, intensive outpatient, care coordination, and peer support — lifts the same unit to ~$1.5–2.0M a year. verify A unit takes time to fill, so first-year revenue runs below this full-load figure — see the financial model.
Yearly operating cost — per unit
| Operating cost | Per year verify |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioner prescriber (0.5 FTE) | ~$63K |
| Registered nurse (1.0) | ~$88K |
| Licensed clinical social worker (1.0) | ~$85K |
| Associate counselor (1.0) | ~$55K |
| Peer recovery specialist (1.0) | ~$42K |
| Coordinator / driver (1.0) | ~$52K |
| Fuel, maintenance, and vehicle insurance | $35K |
| Medications (after reimbursement) | $40K |
| Security, drug screening, and supplies | $30K |
| Health record, billing, and IT | $20K |
| Total per unit | ~$545K |
Independent field studies put the typical monthly operating cost of in-person mobile treatment units at about $14K–$28K (rural to urban), with staff the biggest line — consistent with our ~$545K a year once a full clinical crew is aboard.
Which grant pays for the van
The funding logic is simple: grants buy and build the vehicle and cover early uninsured patients; Medicaid and Medicare then pay for ongoing operations. For our first vehicle — the buprenorphine outreach van — the clearest source is a county opioid-settlement grant that can buy and outfit the whole van. Two federal programs can cover the same vehicle or its running costs, and a dedicated state mobile-unit grant can rejoin the mix if it reopens.
County opioid-settlement direct-share
About a quarter of Illinois' opioid-settlement money (closer to a third counting Chicago) goes straight to counties and cities, which have the money but not the staff to spend it well. A licensed provider arriving with a ready-to-go mobile treatment plan solves that, and it's a clean, approved use of the funds. A local contract can be signed in 60 to 120 days — the fastest mobile-unit money available — and can pay for the whole van: purchase plus build-out, as a one-time capital cost. The ~$170–290K outreach van fits well within what one or several counties can fund. This is our main way to pay for the van.
State mobile-unit grant (MMHU)
Illinois set aside up to $15M of opioid-settlement money for a dedicated mobile treatment program covering the vehicle, licensing work, all three approved opioid-use medications, clinical staff, and the services themselves — up to about $700K per unit. Two rounds have run and both are now closed, with no new round announced as of mid-2026. As a licensed Illinois provider we qualify, so our application is ready to file the moment a new round opens. Action: watch the state's funding page and sign up for notifications.
Two federal programs can also pay for the van or its operating costs. The federal rural opioid program (RCORP) funds rural mobile units — up to $750K a year for four years, with for-profit providers eligible to lead the application — and is open now with a July 8, 2026 deadline. The state federal opioid-response grant (SOR) can cover staff, medication, and some mobile delivery, accessed as a subrecipient through the state agency. Both lean toward services over vehicles, so we pair them with county settlement money for the van itself. Full detail is on the Fundraising & Capital page.
The ~$170–290K buprenorphine outreach van is bought and outfitted with a county opioid-settlement grant (federal rural opioid program as backup). Running costs — fuel, insurance, maintenance, medication, and peer staff — can come from the federal rural opioid program and the state opioid-response grant. Once patients enroll, Medicaid and Medicare billing carries ongoing operations.
Year 1 needs no finished methadone fleet. It runs on grant funding, an in-clinic and telehealth buprenorphine plus behavioral-health ramp, and one buprenorphine outreach van (~$170–290K, paid for by a county grant) as the starting vehicle — while the larger mobile methadone unit is built in parallel (9 to 14 months) and adds revenue in Year 2.