The City of Austin’s Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) launched a Medication Storage Program to assist individuals experiencing homelessness. The program, located at 505 Barton Springs Road, offers a place for homeless individuals to store their prescription medications.
"The Medication Storage Program is a continuation of DACC’s approach to design services that are compassionate, person-centered, and effective to benefit the people we serve and the broader Austin community," said Jennifer Sowinski, Clinical Operations Manager at Downtown Austin Community Court.
The initiative is part of DACC’s Walk-in Case Management Services, which already serves over 70 people daily by providing various forms of assistance, including helping individuals sign up for public benefits, obtain and store documents, and access medical, mental health, and substance use services.
As part of the program guidelines, medications must be in their original prescription bottles, and while DACC staff can aid participants in reading the labels, no medical guidance will be provided. The court is also working on the second phase of the program, which will cater to prescriptions requiring refrigeration.
DACC’s homeless services play a role in the community court model to avoid criminal justice involvement by addressing people's needs before they escalate. For more information about DACC and its services, visit www.austintexas.gov/communitycourt.