The Mobile Therapy Unit (MTU) was built in 2017 as a way for Encompass to eliminate distance-based hardship as a barrier to quality care. The first of its kind in Washington State, this therapy-center-on-wheels enables us to bring specialized services right into the communities that need them. The MTU contains all the specialized equipment of our Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) lab, including the therapy room itself. Families interact in the space at the rear of the van while Mental Health therapists sit in the adjoining space and provide live parent coaching via audiovisual equipment.
In addition to PCIT and Mental Health services, Encompass can provide other therapies like speech therapy and occupational therapy in the MTU, bringing these interventions to more rural and remote locations within our service area.
Washington Women’s Foundation generously provided a grant of $100,000 to make the project a reality, and Northwest Children’s Fund and Pacific Hospital Preservation and Development Authority have each provided additional funds to finish outfitting the van and provide supplies for ongoing therapy use.
The Mobile Therapy Unit goes to Snoqualmie on Mondays, North Bend on Tuesdays, Fall City on Wednesdays, and Carnation on Thursdays.
Families interested in receiving services in our Mobile Therapy Unit should go through our intake process for Mental Health. Our staff then compares a family’s home location to the current van placement schedule. If there is a match, or if one of the MTU locations is closer than our Pediatric Therapy Clinic to the family’s home, we would offer the family an appointment in the MTU, if available and appropriate.
We are always looking for new locations to provide services for our families. A suitable site must have enough consistent parking for a 19′ van plus a few cars and access to a restroom nearby. Locations close to a bus stop would be ideal so that families using public transportation could easily access the site. If you are the owner or administrator of a site that you think would be a good fit for the MTU, please contact Rochelle Clayton Strunk, Program Director II, at 425.888.3347 or rochelle.claytonstrunk@encompassnw.org.
Learn more about the therapies offered in the MTU:
Mental Health Clinic Therapy Services
Funding for the Encompass Mobile Therapy Unit generously provided by: