Austin Smith

Glasgow Homelessness Network

Disempowerment and

Disconnection: trauma

and homelessness

(GHN 2003)

What’s trauma?

I got beat upand

set on

fire

I was in care

and

then I got raped

I saw my dad in the bath with his throat and wrists

slit and the bath all

full of blood and

the memory is still with me

My four year old daughter

was murdered and

my wife committed

suicide

I was abused by my

brother when I was 9

What does trauma look like?

• Isolated, isolating• Mistrustful – ‘living on nerves’• Aggressive, suspicious• Feels emotion ‘too much’ – takes drugs to

suppress emotion• Anxious / wary• Feels bad / unworthy• Self-harms• Indulges in risky behaviour

• Neglects self / own health

• Cannot remember past

• Capable of ‘zoning out’ the present

• Uses services ‘inappropriately’

• Re-presents at services

• Is the ‘client of all clients’

• Is “complex”

Homelessness is loss

• of home

• of family & social networks

• of contact with children

• of employment

• of opportunity

• of social standing / status

Is this complex?

Substance misuse and homelessness can be caused by trauma.

Substance misuse and homelessness cause trauma

Is this complex ?

Trauma Substance

Misuse

Mental health problems

Homelessness

Who are the idiots?

Glasgow Homelessness Network Trauma Working Group

• Established 2002 & produced report 2003

• Produced paper – A Trauma Service For People Affected By Homelessness 2004

• Trauma Service established 2005

Glasgow Homelessness Network Trauma Working Group

• How non-health professionals can shape and change service development

• The environment in which this will happen

Helpful environment #1

The link with the Health Board

A Trauma Service For People Affected By Homelessness

• Work with people who perceive themselves as survivors of trauma who see a connection with their present situation/behaviour or who are still troubled by past traumatic events

A Trauma Service For People Affected By Homelessness

• Called in rather than referred to• Use relationship between

frontline staff member and client as basis of work

• Empower, advise and support staff

A Trauma Service For People Affected By Homelessness

• Work with people finding stability in the main but not exclusively

• Provide space for people to talk / express themselves – counselling / art therapy

Helpful environment #2

The existence of the Glasgow

Homelessness Partnership

Helpful environment #3

A network of

‘critical friends’

in partner organisations

Helpful environment #4

Efficient liaison between partner organisations

Helpful environment #5

A genuine desire by all partners to work together

A Trauma Service For People Affected By Homelessness

Update