New smartphone app provides real-time alcohol recovery support to homeless adults

By Sally Crocker

Scott Walters WebA new smartphone application is helping residents of a Dallas homeless shelter combat problem drinking through an innovative program that uses machine learning to predict the feelings, triggers and situations that can lead to alcohol misuse.

Scott Walters, PhD, Regents Professor at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (HSC), leads the study on this health intervention and recently published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.

Dr. Walters and a team of researchers are partnering with The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center in Dallas, where residents are provided smartphones to better understand and predict when, where and why they may be more apt to drink and to aid in their journey toward recovery.

“The program begins as these individuals interact with the phone app, responding to surveys at different times throughout the day for several weeks, to gather data on their location, who they are with, their mood, and what’s happening in the moment that could influence them to drink,” Dr. Walters said.

“Much like Amazon Prime or Netflix give suggestions tailored to the individual, this program uses algorithms to evaluate a person’s risk factors and predict – within the next 4 hours, with over 80% accuracy – when that person is likely to drink.”

The app features more than 800 potential messages based on the time of day and the person’s mood, cravings, location, and motivation at that moment.

“For example, if the program predicts a person is about to drink because alcohol is nearby, a pop-up message might encourage them to practice refusal skills, engage in mindful breathing or other awareness techniques, or move to a different location,” Dr. Walters said.

“The content of the message is unique to the particular risk the person is experiencing at that moment.”

In addition to suggestions from the app, individuals also have access to videos and online resources.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that alcohol problems are prevalent among people experiencing homelessness, with rates of drinking that can be up to eight times higher than for other groups. The stresses of living on the street or in shelters can be complicated by other life factors as well, impacting not just a person’s reasons for drinking but also success in recovery.

“Treatment provided in homeless shelters can be very effective,” Dr. Walters said, “but people move on or may have complicating mental health needs or other issues, so completion rates tend to be poor. Only around 15% of people who start a substance abuse treatment program finish it.”

This new program is in its final phase – where the messaging effectiveness is being tested. Dr. Walters said the hope is that this application can serve other homeless populations. This would help them maintain their treatment plans by interrupting the urge to drink.

David Woody, III, PhD, President and CEO of The Bridge, noted that this research and the app provide a “unique communication channel and ongoing assessment that is important to the homeless recovery model, supporting individuals’ resiliency and ultimately their pilgrimage toward recovery.”

Working with Dr. Walters on this application are Professor Eun-Young Mun, PhD, and postdoctoral research fellow Xiaoyin Li from HSC, and faculty researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center.

Recent News

Dr. Teresa Wagner 768x960 1 240x300
  • Our People
|Jul 9, 2025

Dr. Teresa Wagner co-authors a national statement on health literacy from an interprofessional perspective

Teresa Wagner, DrPH, associate professor in the College of Public Health at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, collaborated with interprofessional colleagues on a national health literacy statement on behalf of the National Academies of Practice. The National Acade...
Professional Photo Wesling 2025
  • Community
|Jul 8, 2025

College of Pharmacy’s Dr. Megan Wesling to join the AACP Academic Leadership Fellows Program

Megan Wesling, PharmD, chair and associate professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth College of Pharmacy, has been selected for the 22nd cohort of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Academic Leadership Fellow...
Hsc Leadership Team.
  • Our People
|Jul 3, 2025

TCOM’s Dr. Frank Filipetto among the first in world to earn Certified Professional in Human Factors in Health Care

Frank Filipetto, DO, CPPS, CPHFH, FACOFP, one of the leading voices for changing how health care is delivered, has become one of the first in the world to earn the Certified Professional in Human Factors in Health Care credential. Filipetto, an Everett Endowed Distinguished Professor at The Unive...
Tonychris Nnaka Headshot 240x300
  • Our People
|Jul 1, 2025

American Academy of Nursing to induct Tonychris Nnaka into 2025 class of fellows

Tonychris Nnaka, Ph.D., MPH, RN, CPH, associate dean for research and associate professor at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s College of Nursing, will be inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s 2025 class of fellows during the organization’s annua...