Supporting People With Lived Experiences of Homelessness
Overview
People with lived experiences of homelessness may need basic care, comfort, and mental health support. Explore this collection to learn Psychological First Aid (PFA) skills to support people with lived experiences of homelessness, as well as stress management and self-care skills to support your own emotional health.
Courses
Assess, Recover, Mitigate, Strengthen (ARMS): A Wellbeing Regimen for Professionals
Assess, Recover, Mitigate, Strengthen (ARMS): A Wellbeing Regimen for Professionals was developed by Dr. Bill Nash, a pioneer and expert in the prevention, recognition, and treatment of moral injury and leading researcher, educator, and clinician in psychological health. This course covers concepts and tools to prevent and recover from occupational moral distress, moral injury, and burnout. It is appropriate for all human service professionals, including those in health care, social services, education, crisis response, and any other role requiring compassionate service to others. The framework ...
Enhancing Professional Wellbeing
The Enhancing Professional Wellbeing course is designed to explore ways to maintain personal wellbeing, support a positive working environment, and reduce feelings of burnout. Learn about wellbeing from fellow LA County employees and explore fictional situations to gain strategies for supporting professional wellbeing.
Kindness Counts: Strategies for Self-Compassion
An introduction to mindful self-compassion as a research-based tool for reducing stress, building resilience, and enhancing wellbeing in the workplace.
Printable Tools
Addressing Suicidal Thinking
Many people experiencing homelessness may feel hopeless or overwhelmed. Some people in this situation may begin to have thoughts of suicide. Use this informative tip sheet to learn strategies to identify and respond to the immediate mental health needs of people experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Basic Psychological First Aid
Many people are feeling overwhelmed and emotionally distressed, which can impact emotional wellbeing. Psychological First Aid (PFA) offers practical skills to use when supporting people in crisis. Download this wallet card to remember basic PFA skills and enhance the emotional wellbeing of people in crisis.
Compassion Fatigue and Self-Care
It can be hard to take care of ourselves when we spend so much time providing care to others. We often consider self-care something we can only participate in when we have large amounts of time to devote to it. Download this tool for some ways to practice self-care, even if you only have a few minutes.
Managing Intense Emotions
Emergencies and disasters are significant stressors that cause intense feelings of fear for many people. Disaster services workers (DSWs) and other community support staff may interact with people who appear shut down or frustrated as a result of feeling intense fear, which may lead to agitation. Download this tip sheet to learn skills to support those exhibiting intense emotions during times of crisis effectively and with compassion.
Videos
Psychological First Aid for Disaster Service Workers: Supporting People Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
People with lived experience of homelessness during COVID-19 may be in need of basic care, comfort, and mental health support. Disaster Service Workers providing support to those with lived experiences of homelessness require unique knowledge and skills to provide effective and compassionate care. Watch this webinar to learn Psychological First Aid skills to support people with lived experience of homelessness, as well as stress management and self-care skills to support your own emotional health during COVID-19.
Trainings
De-escalation and Safety Webinar
Due to stress factors caused by COVID-19, many people may be experiencing intense emotions. Watch this webinar about de-escalation and safety skills to keep yourself and others safe when working with people experiencing intense emotions. Anytime session recorded on April 17, 2020.
Helping Clients Transition to and Sustain Housing
This training will explore considerations for supporting previously unhoused or unstably housed individuals in transitioning into and staying in housing. Housing retention needs, barriers, and strategies will be reviewed, informed by core clinical approaches of recovery-oriented care, trauma informed care, and harm reduction, as well as the housing first model. Anytime session recorded on June 5, 2020.
Housing First
In discussing Housing First, there are often many conflicting thoughts about its effectiveness. This training will engage service providers to consider how Housing First has long-lasting impact by looking at measured and repeated examples from around the globe. Participants will explore what barriers they are faced with in implementing Housing First, and how to become an advocate for this practice to community members.
Housing Hurdles in LA County: Understanding the Housing Landscape and How to Navigate Limited Choices to Best Support Housing Access, Transitions, and Stability
This training will explore challenges and barriers that unhoused Los Angeles County residents and providers that support them experience in accessing, transitioning into, and maintaining housing. Current data on homelessness as well as housing types and system navigation will be reviewed alongside strategies and tools providers need to work with client readiness for housing, matching housing types to client needs, and core housing landscape navigation skills. This training will explore considerations for supporting previously unhoused or unstably housed individuals in transitioning into and staying in housing. ...
Websites
Los Angeles County Immigrant Youth Toolkit
This website helps professionals from all disciplines address the needs of their immigrant youth patients/clients with regards to healthcare, legal services, education, social services, and more. This website consolidates community resources in the greater LA area for immigrant youth and families.
