By james art MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Providing resources to people struggling with addiction is the mission of Madison-based Psychological Addiction Services (PAS).
But an even greater goal is to serve those seeking medical care in rural communities outside of Madison.
PAS’ mobile medication-assisted treatment unit has been operating for just over a year and has served about 53 patients, said Human Relations Manager Ashley Sattelmeier.
“The experience for patients accessing resources in rural areas is really important,” she said. “Having to go to Madison every day is a time constraint.”
The mobile unit makes daily trips from Madison to Baraboo and Portage.
“I drive this every day. Monday through Friday and some weekends,” said Mobile Unit driver David Haynes.
It helps Affordability patients take a healthy path to recovery in Sauk and Columbia counties.
“I love it,” he said. “Every day I go home feeling like I’m helping someone, and to me that means more than making a few extra dollars somewhere else, because you get a job, you go there, you work, but at the end of the day, it’s just a job.” Here I am changing people’s lives. I really help people.”
Hein says he sees the recovery progress every day.
“The biggest thing is seeing someone from when they first come in and you just see the growth. It means the world to me,” he said.
Whether it’s the progress he sees in strangers seeking medical help at the mobile unit or through his own loved ones.
“My brother had a drug addiction. And I experienced it through him,” Haynes said. “I’ve seen him at his lowest point, and now he’s pastoring two churches, owning five or six restaurants now, and doing great.”
The mobile unit, provided to PAS through government grants, provides the resources to those struggling with addiction.
“I would look at the mobile unit as access to the Madison clinic without actually physically going to Madison,” Sattelmeier said.
While providing access and hope.
“People have come on that bus and said, ‘You are lifesavers. I would probably still be using if you weren’t here. Because they have to get rid of the disease one way or another. And us treating them the healthy way is the good way,” Haynes said. “Don’t give up. Don’t give up on yourself.”
Sattelmaier says they hope to eventually have physical units among the rural population, with the hope of getting a second mobile unit through government subsidies.
“You can take our mobile unit and go to more rural communities that don’t have access to treatment,” she said. “That would be amazing. I mean, that’s the point. We want to be able to serve as many people as possible.”
The mobile unit offers methadone and suboxone, which are drugs used to treat drug addictions and the symptoms that come with them.
To learn more about PAS, visit their website or call (608) 416-5777.
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