The City of Austin’s Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) has enhanced services available for individuals experiencing homelessness through the creation of a Medication Storage Program for prescription medications. These services are now available through DACC’s Walk-in Case Management Services, open 8:00 am-4:00 pm Monday through Friday at DACC, located at 505 Barton Springs Road.

DACC’s Walk-in Case Management serves on average over 70 people per day, and provides assistance signing up for public benefits, obtaining and storing vital documents, use of DACC as a mailing address, linkages to medical, mental health, and substance use services, and as of this month, prescription medication storage to help ensure individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness have a safe and secure place to store prescribed medication.

When medications are lost or destroyed due to weather conditions such as rain or heat, it can be challenging, expensive, and time-consuming to have those medications replaced. By providing a secure place for people experiencing homelessness to store prescribed medications, barriers to maintaining access to medical and mental health resources are being addressed.

"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. “Having reliable access to prescription medications helps individuals experiencing homelessness maintain stability leading to better outcomes, and ultimately reduces impacts on emergency response systems.”

To be stored at DACC, medications must be in the original prescription bottle. DACC staff can assist participants with reading the label on their medication container but will not provide any medical guidance. Should medical questions arise, DACC staff will help connect participants with their pharmacy or medical provider.

During the first phase of this program, any prescribed medications that do not require refrigeration may be brought to DACC for storage. DACC is developing phase 2 of this program that will provide storage for prescriptions requiring refrigeration, expected to be available later this year.

DACC’s homeless services are an integral part of the department’s community court model, serving as a deflection from criminal justice involvement by meeting people’s needs before situations escalate to involve law enforcement. For more information about DACC, please visit www.austintexas.gov/communitycourt.