Mobile Integrated Health (MIH)

What is MIH?

Mobile Integrated Health (MIH)

Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) is the non-emergency follow-up team for Kirkland residents who call 911. MIH is a three-person team, two firefighter/EMTs and a clinical social worker. Our model provides the fire department with additional resources to address the increasingly complicated medical and psychosocial situations faced in the community.

How the Service Works

Fire departments often respond to incidents where additional needs are identified but fall outside of a firefighter’s traditional scope of responsibility. With the MIH program, firefighters can make a referral and know that the MIH team will outreach and work to address the resident's needs.

What We Do

We collaborate with residents to clarify and accomplish their goals. Examples of what we do:

• Establish or re-establish primary care
• Fall Prevention Services
• Home Health Services
• Mental health and substance use/dependence support
• Caregiver support
• Connection to senior services
• Assistance with transition from hospital to home
• Linkage to any resources that enhances a citizen’s quality of life

The MIH program has allowed fire departments to provide meaningful intervention and truly impact a patient’s wellbeing outside of the 911 emergency system.

Meet the Team!

Darren Broekhuis

Darren has been a Firefighter/EMT for the Kirkland Fire Department for over 15 years. In that time, he's taken on a number of roles, including Rescue Technician on the Ladder, Water Rescue Swimmer, and HazMat Technician. In his current role, Darren works as part of the MIH Team to help connect residents of Kirkland who have called 911 with the services and resources, they need to stay safe and healthy. He and his fellow MIH Firefighter bring their experience as EMTs to help address any low acuity medical needs their clients may have.

 

Taryn Robinson

Taryn started her role as the Clinical Social Worker for MIH in July of 2023. Prior to Kirkland MIH, Taryn spent two years managing a court advocacy program for Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault survivors and a year and a half providing clinical therapy to incarcerated individuals. Her background also includes 12 ½ years as a wildland firefighter/EMT for the U.S. Forest Service. Taryn holds a masters degree in clinical social work with an emphasis on mental health and trauma. Her role within MIH includes providing community members with psychoeducational tools and brief therapeutic interventions. Along with her Firefighter/EMT colleagues, Taryn works to provide individuals with the right resource(s) to address the full range of problem areas identified. This work includes addressing systemic barriers affecting access to appropriate care and centralizing the client as the expert in solution-building.

Sabi Avcu

Andrea Varner