The McIntosh County Department of Human Services was one of more than 30 DHS offices to close over the past three years due to budget cuts and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The County Health Department remains open, but it’s unlikely that the DHS will reopen, forcing clients who need its services to travel long distances for an in-person visit or to conduct business by phone or on-line.
But another option is now available.
A DHS office on wheels.
For the past four months two DHS mobile units, fully equipped buses that are able to handle any issue that a brick-and-mortar office might deal with, have been traveling to parts of the state to accommodate clients.
The buses travel within a 2 ½ hour radius of Oklahoma.
They are on the road Monday through Friday, stopping once a month at various locations.
A bus stops in Eufaula on the fourth Tuesday of each month from about 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
It made its first stop on July 23 at Under One Roof, 107 McKinley Ave.
Three or four case workers ride the bus to meet with clients.
Each Mobile Office contains all amenities found in any county office and is staffed by experienced Family Services Specialists who can serve community members who participate in the food (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP), medical and childcare subsidy assistance programs.
Mobile Office staff can process new applications, complete reviews and changes for active cases, issue EBT cards, receive documents and answer client questions.
Two Mobile Offices have been traveling the state to serve local community residents but were also designed to offer crisis response, when needed, such as the aftermath of tornadoes or other disasters, according to Family Service Specialist Le Wassana, who was on the inaugural bus visit to Eufaula.
“We have everything DHS offers,” he said.
Wassana said Oklahoma may be the first state to offer mobile DHS services.
Unless something changes, Under One Roof will be the monthly stopping site for the DHS mobile unit.
The mobile DHS unit enhances the already considerable services provided by Under One Roof, which has 16 different agencies helping families and individuals.
Executive Director Kim Woodruff was delighted that Under One Roof was able to join forces with DHS Mobile.
“We don’t have some things that people need that DHS can help them with, like housing,” she said. “Some people just need to talk to the DHS in person over some issue like kids, or something they can’t work out on their own or on a computer.”
Under One Roof sets up an outdoor site where its different organizations meet with people who visit the DHS Mobile unit but may also need things Woodruff’s organization can provide, such as clothing, food and other things.
The partnership came out of a monthly meeting with the Under One Roof Community Coalition.
They learned that Humanity 918 in McAlester, similar to Under One Roof, had an arrangement with DHS to have its bus meet at the Humanity 918 site where a wide array of services were provided.
“We just copied their idea,” Woodruff said.
