CHR Launches the Mobile Pathways Program
Willimantic, Conn. – Nonprofit behavioral healthcare provider Community Health Resources (CHR) today celebrated the launch of a mobile program to bring personalized, effective, and recovery-focused treatments to people across northeastern Connecticut who are struggling with opioid use disorders. The Mobile Pathways Program is an extension of CHR’s Putnam Pathways Program, an outpatient Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) that has been part of the community for more than 20 years.
“The Mobile Pathways Program will bring high-quality, comprehensive care to people across northeastern Connecticut, including individuals who may have limited access to transportation,” said Heather Gates, President and CEO of CHR. “We are very concerned about the ongoing opioid use crisis and are delighted to expand access to lifesaving services,” she said, noting recent data showing a surge in overdose deaths across the state since mid-May.
Northeastern Connecticut, including the 395 Corridor, has been hard hit by the opioid use epidemic and has among the highest per-capita rates of overdose deaths in the state, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The Mobile Pathways Program was made possible by a grant to CHR from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS).
“Today, we’re celebrating a new approach to care that brings care directly to people in need,” said DMHAS Commissioner Nancy Navarretta.
Staffed by a team of highly trained professionals, services on the Mobile Pathways Program will include:
- Medications for Opioid Use Disorders, including Methadone.
- Same-day inductions provided by on-site prescribers and nurses, as well as initial and annual physical exams.
- Recovery-focused counseling from clinicians.
- Ongoing support from on-site Recovery Support Specialists – people in recovery who will share their stories, struggles, and successes, and link people to recovery support services.
- Access to Narcan and other lifesaving measures.
The final schedule for the Mobile OTP is still under development and will include daily stops at CHR’s outpatient behavioral health clinic on 1310 Main Street in Willimantic.
The Mobile Pathways Program will provide the same comprehensive care that individuals can access in a CHR office. Interesting facts include:
- The vehicle is a Fleetwood Flair 32S and weighs approximately 22,000 pounds.
- It’s more than 33 feet long, eight feet wide, and 12 feet high and is outfitted to provide comfortable, confidential, and respectful care.
- The vehicle includes heating, AC, water, refrigeration for medications, and more.
CHR worked with Mission Mobile Medical, a nationally recognized leader in mobile health equipment, to outfit the vehicle. Recent studies link mobile opioid use treatment to higher rates of engagement and recovery, especially in rural areas and locations with limited public transportation.
For more information about substance use treatment at CHR, please call 1-877-884-3571.
About CHR: CHR is Connecticut’s most comprehensive, nonprofit behavioral healthcare agency and was the first nonprofit agency in CT to meet all of the rigorous federal criteria as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. CHR is licensed by the state and accredited by The Joint Commission and the National Commission of Correctional Health Care. Known for its supportive culture, CHR has repeatedly been named among the Top Workplaces in the state and has been recognized by USA Today and Newsweek as a top workplace nationally. Learn more at www.chrhealth.org.
June 16, 2026
For more information, contact mmcguire@chrhealth.org.