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Dignity and Well- Being

Dignity and Well- Being. Practical Approaches to Working with Homeless People with Mental Health Problems. Warsaw May 2019. O U T R E A C H. INTRODUCTION :

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Dignity and Well- Being

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  1. Dignity and Well- Being Practical Approaches to Working with Homeless People with Mental Health Problems Warsaw May 2019

  2. O U T R E A C H INTRODUCTION : PERCEPTION of POVERTY - in the past - was seen as personal, as an INDIVIDUAL CONDITION of LIFE : beggars and homeless people were perceived mainly as unfortunate examples of extreme, but individual poverty. Charitable Institutions and Associations offered for centuries, basic help – food, shelter, clothing – for people living on the streets. Poverty / extreme poverty today is increasing everywhere in Europe. More than 22.5% (Eurostat 2018) of the EU population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion and more than 4 million European citizens are homeless (FEANTSA estimation). POVERTY today is a STRUCTURAL PROBLEM of our SOCIETY. Poverty - as slavery - is not fatality. Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice! It’s the protection of a fundamental human right : the Right to Dignity and a Decent Life. Nelson Mandela

  3. POVERTY and MENTAL HEALTH Many studies and our daily experience have demonstrated the strict connection between poverty / extreme poverty and mental heath problems & disorders. The progressive and subsequent loss of ahome, of affection and links, of employment and resources are as many wounds that do not heal, after that – progressively - sinking more and more into solitude and abandonment... Down into the abyss as Jack London wrote. When a minimum hope of recovery is lost, then the street becomes the only refuge and that makes any for of intervention more and more difficult.

  4. OUTREACH : definition – aptitude – challenge During the 1980s many of these organisations / associations focused on providing for basic needs, distributing food and blankets to those living on the streets focused attention more on the original causes of the situation, apart from the increasing numbers of people affected by homelessness and mental illness, but more for difficulty (impossibility) for such people in accessing appropriate social and health services. The voluntary workers were flanked by more and more professionals of the social and health field the aim: to meetthese abandoned people, to listen their voice to understand their word. This is description more than definition of Out-reach: To meet…, go to meet…, to be present …., Get out off… A person exists when his voice, his word is heard and understood

  5. DESCRIPTION : outreach It is to provide services to any group of people who might not otherwise have access to those services. Such services go to meet those in need of heir services where they are, rather than expecting them to come to an office or clinic.(Wikipedia encyclopaedia) Outreach is more than a specific pillar in our scheme it is the common element that links the other service pillars and creates a pathway from exclusion on the streets to social inclusion and connection with health and social services. Different definitions of outreach share some ideas: 1. To find, to meet and to engage with people who need help 2. To identify and provide assistance for basic needs. 3. To break barriers and to build bridges with social & health services to facilitate both access to services and continuing contact withthem.

  6. MAIN IDEAS : Attitude - Method - Practice Outreach is an internal attitude, more than method: to be open - to be attentive - to be accessibleto people who do not have access to health and social services. Offered where the person lives spends time - streets, shelters, squat Open to the person ,without any request necessary, but with respect and without being invasive The first priority is to establish a person-to-person relationship …more than to satisfy political or bureaucratic aims. to believe in residual capacity, facilitating their progress Respectful of the person’s dignity, the same kindness, the same right To listen attentively the person, to be attentive to their body language and emotions, to be flexible enough to accommodate their feelings

  7. Social and Health Outreach A. Phases of outreach work: Identification of a person in need: Establishing contact: Clarification: Getting to know the person Interventions: Establishing the right form of help Support: maintaining support and contact Conclusion: to cure & to care

  8. DIFFICULTIES In relation to homeless people: Fire-fighting:…focusing on emergency…. Risk : person merely becomes dependent on the service, without any change in their underlying situation. Superficially answers … and repetition and dependence Asking nothing and refusing everything Aggressivity Urban hygiene: Interventions of police or cleaning services…. Widespread fear and distrust (of homeless people) towards those in any kind of authority. Increased risk of suicide (permanent despair) more than acting out… Loneliness at home homeless at home home street home ! ! ! Homeless at home ! ! !...

  9. DIFFICULTIES In relation to workers : Discouragement: In spite of great efforts, the homeless person refuses , disappears or dies. Institutional & personal barriers to access: - clinic opening hours, physical accessibility etc. Competition and individualism (own flag…, application for money) of NGOs and statutory services: tendering culture Discourages collaboration and encourages organisational self-aggrandisement Lack of reciprocity in giving and receiving. Time, urgency and lack of resources limit options for more permanent solutions. The stigmatisation of homeless people on the street: they can be seen as unhelpable – or as not deserving of help. CO-WORKING : Competition - Collaboration - Coordination

  10. GOOD PRACTICE: Is the one whose gratification comes from who received it Phases of outreach 1. Preparation (prior to meeting with someone on the street) The collection of as much information as possible before first contact. Preparemultidisciplinary team: co-ordinator, salaried & volunteer. To plan a “program” of interventions. To assign the ‘ case ‘ to a member of the team 2. Planning the first meeting on the street: To assess risks, opportunities and the objective of proposed meeting with a potential client. 3. Continuing recovery: Regular meetings to monitor and plan the progress of social and/or health re-integration

  11. GOOD PRACTICE: Is the one whose gratification comes from who received it Time: One may need to manage time differently from that used In outreach work on the street, time is far less under your control Patience: It can take weeks and months to get close to another person Recognise and respect the client’s needs and desires. Trust/credibility: must be earned. It is not enough good intentions alone. External supervision …

  12. www.smes-europa.org • Tel. +32.2.5385887 / +39.3339133849received it

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