How can you effectively engage homeless populations in community outreach?

Community mental health centers and managed care organizations can be the first step to outreaching homeless populations. Hosting an event where people can get warm showers, hair cuts, clothing, food, a quick doctor/nurse check up and the option to visit with a social worker or licensed counselor is a great way to consider the needs of this population while providing them with information and resources to assist in lifiting them out of homelessness. Harm reduction is hugely important in that there is no "right" approach to each individual's needs and validating their reality or their process can create rapport and a willingness to explore other options.

Young people experiencing homelessness face distinct challenges. They often require specialized support such as education and employment services, mental health care, and safe housing options. Homelessness affects families with children, which can have severe and lasting impacts on children's well-being. Family-focused shelters and services are essential to address their needs.

First is identify reliable community entry points by this I mean certain people who are trusted by these communities. After identifying try at least to get some background information of this community like what certain times or days are they available. You can also ask pertinent questions to ensure that you are safe or the environment you are going to visit is safe. Plan to at least to visit them and familiarize they get to know you through the entry point. When visiting them at least be observant and speak less at the same time don't be soo empathetic (it might cost you).This will enable you understand or get a jist of the issues affecting them. Don't promise too much that you cannot fulfill and also be humble and non-judgemental.

The needs of homeless population can be different and complex it depends from the country. Legal rights and advocacy, community integration, social and health services etc... in this situation a holistic approach that address social, mental and physical needs and also understanding the causes of homelessness is very important.

I prefer the terms housing insecure or unhoused to homeless. We are living in a time post-pandemic where folks with masters degrees are living in their cars. The State of Connecticut considers a car shelter and skilled nursing facilities can discharge clients to their car post short-term-rehab. When an unhoused client is referred to me, I treat them like all of my paying clients and conduct the exact same intake. I then ask what Quality of Life looks like for them, and then consider what next-steps they are able to take. Our Care Navigators program specifically and all of my work engages autonomy and re-empowerment. All clients regardless of shelter should be engaged as partners in their own life plan.

? Reject the dehumanizing clinical approach of assess, treat and manage. ? Don't have an agenda for every interaction. Even if your goal is to treat a bleeding wound, they have to know that they, not you, are in charge of their bodies. ? All behavior is communication. What are they communicating in the present moment? Clarify and respect what you hear. ? Strive to be person-centered and strength-based, not problem-centered in your thoughts, words and behaviors. ? Be willing to say “I’m sorry” when you make a mistake and don’t take yourself or your role too seriously. ? On a daily basis have a clear understanding of your motives, limits, weaknesses, and strengths and have a circle of peers you trust and can be accountable to.

I concur with this article. As I reflect upon my own experience when I was a case manager, working specifically with the homeless population, I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by this population which included stigma and marginalization. It was vital for me to incorporate a safe and supportive environment for my clients to establish rapport to help them gain the services needed.

There is need of a transitional strategy pathway of engaging the homeless population. How intentional are we by engaging or supporting the homeless?

One thing I found helpful is an authentic and humble approach. All people have the ability to receive authenticity, even when traumatised. When we are authentic and humble in our actions and approach, we are more readily trusted.

A safe place or protective shelter is necessary, security and safety and protection needs pay attention to lots of factors, sometimes you think you found a safe place for homeless to live ! Sometimes that safe place you think is not the suitable shelter for your client for example if your homeless be a young man who involve of mentally disordered but you take him to a place that his roommate is a gay , he or she till yesterday could protect himself of sexual harassment but now how could handle such a plus trauma?! Finding a safe place needs to analyze both side. Both aspects means , studying about client (homeless) to know what causes lead them to homelessness I mean survey and check to know him/his problem and attention to the safe place.

First, their basic needs must be met according to the hierarchy of basic needs, and then we can talk about their engagement, of course the empathic skills are necessary working with marginalized groups

As a social worker we often tend to forget about client's frustration when they are homeless. Nobody wants to be homeless. Yet they face tremendous challenge trying to get out of their current situation; systemic barriers, poor informal support, lack of financial resources. So they typically present to be more frustrated and aggressive which forms yet another challenge for the professionals who are mostly trained to end session when client dysregulates. It helpes to really empathise and attend to their emotional needs before anything else is said and done.

I agree whole heartedly with this article, in reflecting upon my own experience in social work working with the homeless population, it is essential to provide a strength based perspective with a comprehensive assessment, as the article states. In my experience, personalizing services to the needs of my clients was an important part of their treatment process and to get the desire outcome that was related to their needs and goals.

At Dentaid The Dental Charity we take our mobile dental units to projects where clients already feel safe. Whilst taking a medical history, our team build a relationship with each client, spending time chatting to them and listening. Once on the mobile unit we carry out the normal checks, but the treatment we provide will be patient led as we wish to continue to build the relationship with the client, building up trust. We look to revisit the locations so that we can see clients on multiple occasions, whilst also recognising for some that we may only have the opportunity to see them once. We do not have specific appointments times or maximum length of time for appointments in recognition of the chaotic lifestyles of some of the patients.

I agree with this article, throughout my 20 + career in social work and working with the homeless population and in my work in general I have seen the benefits of working with various disciplines and organizations. When I worked as a case manager it was vital for me to work with various agencies and individuals that could provide comprehensive support to this population due to the unique challenges that they experienced.

Collaborate with other professional experts and agencies should be happened. Communication with other colleagues has lots benefits and help to reach to your goals sooner sometimes maybe they know or have safe place or they could help to solve some kinds of problems. Access to experiences of others could be as a good solution to get to goal.

In my former role as a case manager working with the homeless population and it’s a tool I use tool this day is “self-evaluation.” As the article suggest, it is pivotal to improve your social work practice. Often I would utilize supervision, mentorship, group supervision to gain professional feedback regarding my own interventions with the clients I served.

Dentaid The Dental Charity recognise the need to do this. We are constantly seeking feedback from patients, partner agencies and our volunteers to help inform and improve our service.

Homelessness is not solely a consequence of societal failure; it's equally a reflection of government policies. Drawing a parallel, my extensive driving experience in Northern Ireland and Kuwait reveals how stringent driving laws and hefty penalties ensure road safety in Northern Ireland. In contrast, Kuwait, with its well-established roads, struggles due to lax enforcement of driving laws, resulting in a less secure and uncomfortable driving environment. So, how does this relate to homelessness? Consider Kuwait, where homelessness is criminalized and the government takes a committed stance against it. As a result, Kuwait boasts a homelessness rate of zero. It is a very simple and effective way to help bringing people back to normal life.