Date

5-9-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Research shows that those who experience homelessness have both past traumatic events and experience trauma during their time on the streets. (Aguilar Delgado & Nunes, 2022). For these reasons, their recovery journey while they are temporarily housed in a homeless shelter is dependent on their own traumatic experiences and on the experiences of those who also reside in the shelter; this perpetuates their vulnerable condition and makes them almost entirely dependent on the caregivers in charge of that facility, even though the role of social service providers at organizations for combating homelessness is unclear. The purpose of this chapter is to discover the importance of the role of caregivers in the healing journey of their clients. This study consists of a qualitative analysis of interviews conducted at three social service providers at St. Vincent de Paul’s Ozanam Manor, a shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Phoenix, Arizona. The findings reveal that the role of caregivers was of high importance; moreover, there were three main aspects that contributed to their role: the meaning of Trauma-Informed Care for social service providers, building rapport with the clients, and the caregivers’ self-awareness. The expectation of this study is to initiate this pivotal conversation and potentially improve the quality of care provided to people experiencing homelessness.

Department

Criminal Justice

Thesis Comittee

Dr. Francisco Alatorre, Thesis Advisor
Dr. Emily Brissette, Committee Member
Dr. Jenny Shanahan, Committee Member

Copyright and Permissions

Original document was submitted as an Honors Program requirement. Copyright is held by the author.

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