"I love the ease of access. The setup was amazing, and it's plug and play. I don't have to call 10 different municipality utility companies, and it just works."
— Amber Darrow, GPD Program Manager, Salvation Army
Business Introduction
Operating across three states, this specialized Salvation Army program manages transitional housing for some of society's most vulnerable individuals.
The GPD (Grant and Per Diem) program provides federally-funded temporary housing and support services for homeless veterans and individuals facing serious life challenges including dementia, mental health conditions, and addiction recovery.
Unlike typical social services, this program serves residents who often cannot maintain basic life necessities—including something as fundamental as a personal phone. For someone with dementia who loses phones constantly, or individuals in early recovery who might sell devices for drugs, traditional communication solutions simply don't work.
When communication failures meant residents could disappear for days without contact or miss critical medical appointments, the program needed a phone solution that was reliable, compliant with federal grant restrictions, and foolproof enough to work for their unique population.
Program Overview:
- Organization: Salvation Army Veterans Services Program (GPD - Grant and Per Diem Program)
- Coverage Area: Multi-state operation across 3 territories
- Mission: Operating a federally-funded transitional housing program that helps homeless veterans and vulnerable individuals stabilize their lives and move toward permanent housing. Providing transitional housing and support services to high-vulnerability veterans and individuals
- Population Served: Homeless veterans and vulnerable individuals in transitional housing who struggle with maintaining basic life skills like phone ownership due to conditions such as dementia, mental health issues, and addiction challenges
- Program Structure: 5 program staff members plus 1 program manager
- Unique Structure: Operates independently within Salvation Army due to specialized grant requirements and multi-territory coverage
The Challenge
The Salvation Army's veterans services program faced a complex communication challenge that went far beyond typical business phone needs. Unlike a traditional business, they were responsible for providing essential communication infrastructure to vulnerable individuals living in transitional housing who often lack the ability to maintain personal phones due to mental health conditions, dementia, or other life challenges.
Their unique challenge involved three critical requirements:
- Providing reliable communication for vulnerable residents who needed daily contact with healthcare providers and emergency services
- Maintaining strict federal grant compliance that prohibited providing cell phones to transitional housing residents
- Ensuring 24/7 emergency access for individuals who might face life-threatening situations without warning
Key Pain Points
- Client Population Challenges: Managing communication for residents in transitional housing who face serious barriers to phone ownership, including serving veterans with conditions like dementia who frequently lose personal phones, creating safety and communication gaps.
- Grant Compliance Requirements: Federal grant restrictions prohibited providing cell phones to clients, limiting communication options.
- Emergency Access Needs: Ensuring vulnerable residents in transitional housing could reliably access 911, healthcare providers, and community services when needed.
- Multi-Location Coordination: Managing communication across different sites with various staff members responsible for equipment.
- Traditional Landline Limitations: Previous systems lacked the flexibility needed for their unique operational structure.
- Equipment Security: Needed phones that couldn't be easily sold or pawned by vulnerable clients.
Business Impact
The lack of reliable communication infrastructure created several critical risks:
- Residents with dementia or mental health conditions going missing without any way to contact them – Vulnerable clients disappearing for days without contact (common with dementia patients)
- Healthcare disruptions that could derail recovery progress – Missed medical appointments due to communication breakdowns
- Life-threatening emergencies where residents couldn't call for help – Inability to reach emergency services when needed
- Staff coordination difficulties across multiple locations
- Potential grant compliance issues if communication requirements weren't met
"We have one vet who we're pretty sure has dementia, and he loses his phone constantly. He disappeared for seven days, which is not uncommon with dementia patients when they have the means. But having a house phone, they can keep up with that in a way that helps us keep track and make sure he's okay."
The Solution
Community Phone provided a customized business phone solution that addressed both the technical requirements and the unique regulatory constraints of a federally-funded veterans services program.
The solution needed to work for people who couldn't maintain personal phones, comply with federal grant restrictions that prohibited providing cell phones to transitional housing residents, and still ensure reliable communication for safety and healthcare needs.
Key Solution Components
- Plug-and-Play Setup: No complex installation or technical expertise required - equipment works immediately out of the box
- Reliable Technology: Business phone infrastructure that works independently of internet connectivity
- Equipment-Based Service: Fixed handsets that transitional housing residents can't easily lose, sell, or pawn, providing stable communication access even for those with severe life challenges. Traditional handsets that can't be easily resold, addressing security concerns with vulnerable populations.
- Single Vendor Management: Eliminated the need to coordinate with multiple utility companies across different municipalities
- Multi-Line Management: 11 separate lines managed through a single account for simplified administration
- Guaranteed Emergency Access: Direct 911 connectivity that works regardless of other system failures
- Custom IVR/Dial Menu: Six-option menu system routing calls to appropriate staff members or directly to the program manager
- Smart Call Routing: Ability to forward calls to staff mobile phones when needed while maintaining business number display
- Grant-Compliant Solution: Meets federal funding requirements by providing reliable phone service rather than prohibited cell phone access
The system was designed so that each staff member received two phone bases to distribute to responsible tenants, while the program manager maintained direct access to her dedicated line for oversight and emergency situations.
This created a stable communication network for transitional housing residents who otherwise would have no reliable way to contact emergency services, healthcare providers, or maintain the connections necessary for their recovery and transition to independent living.
Implementation Process
- Day 1: Initial consultation with program manager to understand grant requirements and client needs
- Day 2: Custom dial menu setup with routing options for different staff members and direct emergency access
- Day 3: Equipment distribution across 5 staff members, each receiving 2 base stations for client assignment
"I do remember our three-hour call when we were setting the service for the first time, and we had lots of tic-tac, so I love it.”
The Results
By providing reliable communication infrastructure that works for vulnerable populations, the Salvation Army program eliminated the administrative complexity and safety risks that had plagued their multi-state operation.
In just one implementation, they transformed communication across 11 lines and 3 territories, delivering 100% grant compliance while ensuring life-saving emergency access for their most vulnerable residents.
"And it's nice because I don't have to call 10 different municipality utility companies, and it's plug and play."
Here's what that looked like in practice:
- 11 reliable communication lines deployed across 3 states
- Zero grant compliance issues while enhancing resident services
- 24/7 emergency access for vulnerable residents with dementia and mental health challenges
- Single vendor relationship eliminating coordination with 10+ utility companies
- 3-hour setup process replacing weeks of complex utility coordination
Operational Impact
| Area | Before Community Phone | After Community Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor Management | Coordinating with 10+ utility companies across 3 states | Single vendor relationship with unified billing |
| Setup Complexity | Complex utility coordination and installation processes | 3-hour setup call with immediate plug-and-play deployment |
| Emergency Access | Unreliable communication for vulnerable residents | 24/7 guaranteed 911 access for all housing locations |
| Grant Compliance | Risk of compliance issues with communication requirements | 100% federal grant compliance maintained |
| Client Safety | Residents disappearing for days without contact | Reliable communication preventing safety incidents |
Program Benefits
Administrative Efficiency
- Eliminated time-consuming coordination across multiple utility providers
- Streamlined billing and account management through single vendor relationship
- Reduced administrative burden on program staff across 3-state operation
Enhanced Resident Safety
- Reliable emergency access for residents with dementia and mental health challenges
- Consistent communication with healthcare providers preventing missed appointments
- Reduced incidents of vulnerable residents "going missing" without contact
Organizational Compliance
- 100% federal grant requirement compliance maintained
- Professional communication system supporting program credibility
- Foundation for potential expansion to other Salvation Army territories
When asked what features or improvements she would want from Community Phone, Amber's response demonstrated complete satisfaction with the solution:
"Nothing. I mean, no, because we've used landline service through other providers, no. Our needs are pretty basic. What am I missing? Nothing."
Key Takeaways
- Specialized Populations Need Specialized Solutions: Community Phone's flexibility allowed customization for unique compliance and operational requirements
- Reliability Equals Safety: For vulnerable populations, communication reliability isn't just convenient – it's a safety necessity
- Simplicity Scales: A straightforward solution worked better than complex systems for multi-location, multi-staff operations
- Compliance Compatibility: The right phone solution can meet strict regulatory requirements while improving service delivery
Is Your Organization Facing Similar Challenges?
Whether you're managing transitional housing, senior care facilities, or other programs serving vulnerable populations, Community Phone provides the reliable, compliant communication solutions your organization needs.
Our business phone services are perfect for:
- Organizations with strict grant or regulatory requirements
- Programs serving populations who can't maintain personal phones
- Multi-location operations needing unified communication
- Services requiring guaranteed 911 and emergency access
Ready to provide better communication for those who need it most?
See our pricing and discover how Community Phone can support your mission with reliable, compliant communication solutions starting at just $35/month.
