UT study provides cell phones to Austin’s unhoused population

While working as a pharmacist in Richmond, Virginia, Leticia Moczygemba Ph.D. interviewed unhoused service providers — caseworkers, nurse practitioners and physicians — to better understand the core issues impacting those experiencing homelessness. Across the board, the practitioners identified losing track of people as the biggest challenge affecting the unhoused population's access to care.

Now a professor at UT's College of Pharmacy, Moczygemba serves as the principal investigator on the Interactive Care Coordination and Navigation study, providing unhoused people with cell phones and case managers. The iCAN team pre-loads the phones with useful apps and a contact list for emergencies.

"Because the phone has ready access to the internet, it truly is a lifeline to the entire world," Moczygemba said. "It's a great tool that people have at their fingertips."

The study received a five-year federal grant in 2018 and now resides in the data analysis phase. Researchers randomly selected 60 people in Austin experiencing homelessness for the intervention group and 60 people for the control group. Those in the intervention group received a case manager and a cell phone with an unlimited data plan.

"We also developed motivational messages (on the phones) that would encourage people," Moczygemba said. "Sometimes just a word of encouragement can be helpful."

James Baffoe, a graduate research assistant, said the study allows him to better understand the complexity of homelessness on a day-to-day basis.

"There's a lot of layers," said Baffoe, who works on data analysis for iCAN. "One person said they don't go to the doctor's office because they need to choose between their possessions on the street versus going to the doctor. This person had a provider that they had to go to ... but the doctor would not allow them to bring all their stuff to the visit."

Researchers on the study collaborated with local unhoused advocacy groups including Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center, The Charlie Center and Trinity Center Austin. Leah Hargrave, the executive director of The Charlie Center, said the study offers a point of connection for those experiencing homelessness.

"We ask them if they have a backup or emergency contact," Hargrave said. "Many people say no. They have no one on earth to list as someone that would care if they got hospitalized or injured."

Hargrave said the study helps engage the unhoused community in a project that will shed light on their lived experiences.

"It's been neat to have (the researchers) come out and connect with our clients," Hargrave said. "It helps the people that are involved to feel validated and seen — that their opinions are important, their lives are important. The information that they have to offer is valuable."

The study employs a holistic approach, Baffoe said, focusing on aspects like care coordination and community engagement.

"Having a cell phone and these resources helps connect them not just to social services, but to their social life," Baffoe said. "They're able to call friends. One person said, 'Oh my gosh, I just checked my Facebook. I haven't done that in years, and I have all these friend requests.'"