Meeting Residents Where They Are: Mobile Recovery Services Expand in East Orange County

Orange County, FL - Orange County Health Services today announced an increase in access to primary care, mental health services, recovery resources and free HIV and Hepatitis C testing in east Orange County through a new partnership with Specialized Treatment, Education and Prevention Services Incorporated (STEPS, Inc.). STEPS, Inc, will provide free primary care, mental health and substance-use recovery services through the Better Access to Treatment (BAT) Mobile unit.

Beginning April 27, 2026, the BAT Mobile unit will be parked at Transformation Village in Bithlo every Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to bring these crucial services to residents facing housing instability.

Dr. Thomas Hall, director of the Orange County Drug-Free Coalition, underscored the initiative's importance, citing Transformation Village data showing that more than 1,000 east Orange County residents are facing housing instability or limited access to essential care.

"By bringing these services to Transformation Village, we're helping residents strengthen their connection to the health-related resources available in their community, while reinforcing our goal of ensuring positive health outcomes for all of our residents," Dr. Hall said.

STEPS, Inc, a local non-profit, focuses on providing continuous, high quality comprehensive substance use treatment services and education across central Florida. CEO Cheryl Bello says incorporating recovery services into this initiative will help a reoccurring issue for people who deal with housing instability.

"This population is nine times more likely to die from an overdose than people who have stable housing," said Bello. "Through this partnership, we're actively working to lower the number of drug-related deaths in Orange County while helping people realize there are recovery and medical resources available to them."

For more information on medical and recovery resources in Orange County, visit Orange County Responds.