(Image: King County)

Seattle will spend $500,000 of its emergency funding to address the homelessness crisis operating a new “mobile medical van” that will bring health services to people living on the city’s streets.

“As we continue to address the city’s homelessness crisis, we know there is not one answer, but many as we try to help those who are most vulnerable,” Mayor Ed Murray said in a statement announcing the new program Wednesday. “This mobile medical van will enable us to deliver critical health care to those in need and serve as an entry point to long-term support services and permanent housing.”

The new Seattle RV-style van will join an existing unit operated to serve south and east King County.

Inside the mobile clinic, “clients can get assistance from a physician, nurse, chemical dependency professional, and mental health case manager,” according to the announcement. The van’s staff can “arrange for additional treatment at a community provider,” sometimes even escort a patient on their first visit for help. The program will make scheduled visits to meal programs and community sites around Seattle.

Federal funding covered the cost of setting up the van. The annual cost of operating the new mobile clinic is around $700,000 and will be paid for with the City of Seattle funds plus patient payments and federal funding, according to the announcement.