Mobile Technology for the Treatment and Support of Homeless People Living with SMI-Presentation And Q&A

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Niranjan Karnik, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, presented a webinar on using mobile technology for the treatment and support of homeless people with serious mental illnesses. The webinar was part of the SMI Advisor initiative, which aims to help clinicians implement evidence-based care for those with serious mental illnesses. Dr. Karnik discussed the challenges faced by homeless populations, including the digital divide and the lack of access to technology. He emphasized the importance of providing homeless individuals with the best technology available, as it can be a valuable tool for engagement and support. Dr. Karnik also highlighted the potential of mobile technology for precision psychiatry, including the use of wearable devices and gamification in interventions. He shared the findings of the Stepping Stone studies, which involved providing smartphones and automated apps to homeless youth, and gathering passive data on their geolocation and use of Wi-Fi networks. Dr. Karnik discussed the potential of this data for developing interventions and improving support for homeless populations. He also pointed out the need for data reduction strategies to make the collected data more clinically actionable. Dr. Karnik highlighted the importance of transparency in building trust with homeless youth and addressed questions on topics such as the preference for Apple devices, the challenges of keeping phones charged, and recommendations for toolkits on mobile devices for working with homeless youth. The webinar aimed to provide clinicians with insights and strategies for using mobile technology to support homeless individuals with serious mental illnesses.

Keywords

Dr. Niranjan Karnik

webinar

mobile technology

homeless people

serious mental illnesses

SMI Advisor initiative

challenges

precision psychiatry

Stepping Stone studies

interventions