Casey
Full Title
Optimizing Digital Case Management and Enhancing Mental Health among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Design and Pilot Testing of the Casey Chat
Background
People experiencing homelessness frequently face mental health challenges. Those individuals also struggling with substance abuse, mental illness, and/or STIs/HIV may encounter additional stigma and discrimination. The negative experiences faced can deter them from seeking necessary mental health services.
In collaboration with EnableYou and The Kearney Center, Casey aims to be an accessible and personalized mental health intervention. This LLM-powered chatbot is used to understand users' needs and connect them with appropriate resources. Casey provides information specifically for individuals experiencing homelessness, helps manage appointments, and offers companionship to support their mental well-being.
Aims
Aim 1: Conduct stakeholder interviews to assess needs.
Aim 2: Employ iterative design, building, and testing through workshop sessions.
Aim 3: Execute a feasibility pilot trial.
The primary study endpoint (Aims 1 and 2) focuses on the successful development of the Casey Chat intervention. Secondary endpoints (Aim 3) include assessing intervention acceptability, feasibility, usability, and changes in mental health outcomes pre/post-intervention.
Partnerships
EnableYou
Connecting communities with essential services to foster accessibility, support, and growth.
The Kearney Center
The Kearney Center is a 24-hour comprehensive emergency service center that serves as a point of entry into assistance by coordinating services and responding to immediate needs of individuals until appropriate permanent housing can be arranged.
Articles
- EnableYou. (2024, December 16). Tallahassee Kearney Center founder developing mobile app 'Casey Chat' for underserved communities.
Publications (Under Review)
- Wang, L., Lee, M., Belalcazar, S., Kearney, S., Flynn, H., & Hightow-Weidman, L. (2024). Bridging gaps in case management for individuals experiencing homelessness: Stakeholder perspectives on CaseyChat, a large language model (LLM)-powered chatbot. NPJ Digital Medicine
Conference Activities
- Wang, L., Lee, M., Belalcazar, S., Kearney, S., Flynn, H., & Hightow-Weidman, L. (2026, March). Iterative Design and Usability Testing and Development of CaseyChat: A LLM-Powered Conversational Agent for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness [Poster Presentation]. Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) 2026 Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, Chicago, IL.
- Wang, L., Belalcazar, S., Kearney, S., Flynn, H., & Hightow-Weidman, L. (2025, June 26). Bridging Gaps in Mental Health Support for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: A Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation of Casey, a Large Language Model (LLM)-Powered Chatbot [Oral Presentation]. Generative AI for Smart and Connected Healthcare (GenAI4SCH) Workshop, IEEE/ACM CHASE 2025, New York City, NY.
Funding Source
Florida State University