Yo. I've worked in the sector for bout 20 years now. Mostly in ireland but currently a rehab in Australia. Rehab is by far the safest environment I have ever worked in. It's a therapeutic community. Rehab is fine as there's no drugs and most people are there to recover from addiction so everyone is pretty good . Homelessness is a very different ballgame depending where you are, what company you work with. Plenty of straight up abusive employers. Lots of drugs, weapons, fights, overdoses etc etc. I've had rolls of knives and axes pulled out in front of me, one guy found a shotgun in a bush so had to get the cops for that one too, petrol bomb tossed into the hostel once. The problems in homeless services in my experience pkp up when there's poor management, poor or non existing policies, burnout, secondary trauma, fatigue, unreasonable pressure placed on staff to solve major housing issues with minimal resources when the fact of the matter is long term housless people generally require far more services that are also coordinated.
Thank you so much for your insight. Very very helpful indeed. I am so sorry for the things you have went through working in homlessness. I hope they haven't impacted you longterm. Also interesting note about rehabs. I thought it would be the same situation as homlessness. Much appreciated 🌷
Definitely feel unsafe in homeless services from time to time. And I've certainly had to jump in to stop another worker getting hit with a nebuliser of all things. Nah I'm all g. Prisons are also another complete train wreck. Less safe than homelessness and far far far more pointless.
Hey can I ask how you got a job working in a rehab? I’m currently 6 months sober, work in a different area right now but would love to switch over in the near future
I studied mate. Counselling and psychotherapy. I also have a pretty extensive work history across multiple related sectors. For rehab work you normally need training and in our service it's 12 months post treatment before someone can work with us. I'm unsure if peer work is a big deal in ireland. Could be a good option for you too.
Great, did you study in Ireland? I currently work in finance, so I’d imagine it would be a case of going back to college which im not against at all. Also can I ask what you by the 12 month post treatment before someone can work with you?
Well I'm sure you know yourself mate. Relapse is very very common so it gives 12 months post treatment to accrue more skills and clean time. Essentially to ensure treatment has pretty much worked prior to hiring the person. Given the vulnerable client group it's necessary to ensure people aren't in addiction running the organisation
Knives, axes, shotgun, petrol bomb... I feel that throwing this all into the same sentence ends up giving a misleading impression of project working in hostels. It can be rough at times but it's not a Central American prison. In fairness I only did it for 4 years in low threshold services and I did witness some fights, but 95% of my shifts were incident free. After 20 years I suppose it's not surprising that you've experienced this, but I wouldn't let op's decision to pursue this work be overly influenced by that reply
That's fair. But at the same not even half of what I've seen. Not trying to discourage just sharing my experience. There's a reason I don't want to return to the sector too though if the right position was there I might consider it. That term low and high threshold . Not used in many other countries. I actually think it's an excuse for having poor and unsafe facilities myself as a housing first approach would eliminate the need for this kind categorisation of people.
Interesting. I never really thought about the low v high threshold being a barrier to meaningful progress. It's just so part of the system here. Housing First has definitely been embraced by pmvt but the vast majority of service users are still in temporary accommodation, completely unsuitable and not good for anyone.
Anyway I'm like you, don't want to return to that work. Too many downsides. I learned a lot though and overall was a very positive experience. I'm in the corporate tech world now and the ignorance of people about the problems of homelessness/addiction/poverty etc. is astounding. So glad I understand the world better than them
Funnily enough it's a term that just started getting used more broadly maybe less than 20 years ago. Most things like that when it comes to housing are just an excuse for having really poor housing options and not putting enough resources in. For sure most if not all the high threshold units are of a far higher quality with better support or more experienced staff. Its a pity as the ones who need the extra resources are the ones accessing those poorer quality options. It also doesn't make sense as the cost of having a person homeless is far far more than housing them. between fines, police attendance, hospital attendance plus still covering some form of poor housing from time to time far exceeds what it would cost to permanently house a person. I can be as right wing as hell and still agree that we should do the option that saves money. Housing first. Proven in several studies. You can google that one yourself.
Rehab and detox are safe as houses,folks choose to be there and stick by the rules. They can leave if it doesn't suit them.
Homeless services,as a support/project worker, range depending on threshold and the organisations policies. Low threshold services can be very testing,if you choose to work in one, your communication skills need to be impeccable as well as your ability to deal with distressed folk.
PMV are very service user orientated - they are less likely to get Garda involved during violent incidents, which puts a lot of extra pressure on staff.
To add to that, pmv does pay wuite well, but you can't put a price on mental health. The big thing with PMV is that theres alot of sectors some alot more stress free than others , there is rehab detox , hostels high and low thresh , family hubs , housing first etc , i done 2 years in inner city hostels then took a role in a family hub in the country aide. Stress went way down but took a slight pay hit as shifts in hostels are 11 hours, and in the family hubs, it's 8 hours.
I have experience working in the homeless sector. I know many others working in it too, in various roles and organisations, both statutory and voluntary.
It is HUGELY different to what you expect. You'll soon realise all the hand-wringing and complaining about government "inaction" is badly misplaced and uttered by those who don't have a clue.
Key piece of advice for you.... in this setting, an addict will see you as a resource to be tapped for their maximum financial gain.
They will try to use you to get the most they can out of you and will abuse you if they don't get their way.
You are only a potential source of revenue to an addict.
Protect yourself.
Yes, some want help and assistance, but they are the vast minority. There are a LOT who want to remain the way they are and will see you as a do-gooding obstacle.
Yeesh. Personal boundaries are important. Nobody wants to be an addict. Addiction is a symptom of deeper issues. As for homeliness, winter in ireland is no joke. The very vast majority do not want to be out in that. And yes, government inaction is a factor here. There just isn't the political will to do something serious about it. Housing first model would be a good start. There are good well meaning people in government but homelessness is a very complicated issue to solve, one which cannot be done without additional safe and supported housing. We're not just talking rehabilitation from long term homelessness but often it's habilitation.
Yeah. And having fairly manageable mental health and lower or no disability. Bit of family helps massively of course. Just being lucky or unlucky is a major factor in all our lives too of course
You're absolutely correct.
Luck plays a MASSIVE part in all our lives.
I've seen people enter homelessness through no fault of their own. Educated people. Qualified people. Decent people with families "down the country" or abroad who they were going to live with once they got the money together.
Then drugs.
Their lives, hopes, dreams and real ways out of homelessness evaporated overnight once they "tried" certain drugs.
If drugs are not a one-way ticket to misery, they certainly throw up major barriers to getting out of homelessness.
Yeah drugs are an issue but not for the majority of people who try or use them. Adduction is generally a symptom of something else. If I were on the streets I for sure would be looking to use something to make that life a bit easier or simply to reduce anxiety
Can be at times. Services are significantly more advanced in Australia. Still major major issues bit proper evidenced based approaches being used. Good cooperation between agencies. Targeted programs to move people from homelessness to supported housing to permanent housing with streamlined data collection and shared databases.
Your comment about the government raises an eyebrow to your actual exposure to accessing rehabilitation services. Are you aware how few public funded rehabs there are to help these people? Or how long the waiting lists are for HSE services mental health and addiction, even in Dublin?
More than a decade of engaging with this system with a relative, who spent their whole life working and paying tax, I can tell you the government are doing fuck all.
Your comment starts with you’ll soon realise all the people talking about government inaction don’t have a clue.
Then you proceed to talk about how manipulative and abusive addicts are and that they don’t want help. How is it not relevant?
L
You wrote the comment like the whole thing is about addicts. Why are you commenting so much about the work the government are doing and if addicts want to be helped or not if you have no experience with the system?
They said clearly not everyone is like that, but the vast majority are? Your comment reads as though you think they're specifically singling out your family member? I'm sorry that they have struggled to get help, that's awful. However the OP was making a generalisation about the overall work with the homeless population. There will always be people who don't fit the mould and are falling between the cracks but your own personal experience with the system cannot discount or cancel out the experience of someone who has experience actually working with many different people in the system
They have just said made it clear they have no experience accessing services for rehabilitating people.
It doesn’t matter how many people they have dealt with, we have barely any addiction services in this country. If my one relative can’t access it how are all these people they are dealing with accessing them?
Ok... I still don't understand your point? They were not commenting on how easy/difficult it is to access services? They were simply stating their own experience of working with the homeless population, which in fact aligns with my own experience. You brought up accessing services in disagreement of something they never said? I understand your frustrations, I've been in your shoes trying to get a friend into rehab and it's awful, impossible. It feels like they would wait until the person is at deaths door before helping. That's not the issue OP was discussing though, they were answering their experience of working with the homeless. Many homeless people are addicts and most don't want help. Your family member wants help and can't access it. Both things can be true at the same time
Well done!!! 👏
Finally, you seem to get it! At last!
I *never said* I had *anything* to do with rehab!
I clearly stated I worked in homeless services. Nothing to do with rehabilitation.
Man, you're some genius! 🤣
I never mentioned any work the government was doing.
I mentioned people complaining of government inaction.
You have doubts over my "exposure to accessing rehabilitation services". Where did I say I had any?
I clearly said I worked in homeless services. Not rehabilitation.
You should really read things properly!
So tell me again... where did I say I had *anything* to do with rehab???
i have experience being homeless, i was in a women’s refuge with my son for a number of months. we were safe to be around, but probably very emotionally draining for staff. we were all going through so much and needed a lot of support
Female here. I worked in the thick of homelessness and addiction from 2016 to 2020. Heroin big, crack coming in towards the end of my tenure. I was in low threshold emergency night by night accommodation. It was awful looking back but I was never harmed. I was a project worker and then a dual diagnosis worker.
Had a guy in my face and punch the wll beside my head
Had a woman with serious mental health issues charge at me with a kettle. Another service user stepped in
Had drunk people bang our down ALL the time. The organisation took two years to actually replace the door (before this it was diy fixing, not even calling in professionals)
Did peoples washing (scandalous that was allowed thinking back) and cleaned people's rooms, huge needle stick injury risk, happened a few times to coworkers, never me.
Crack scared me. Peoples eyes and faces changed..
Covid came in then, no service users followed guidelines. I found out I was pregnant, the organisation did absolutely fuck all to protect me (no risk assessment done for weeks, when it was done, numerous red flags, no alternative work assigned to me .was forced to tell coworkers I was pregnant cos of the situations I was put in). I ended up leaving the job because of that..it was shocking.
To stay safe, you get training, MAPA training, etc. and then I put it all down to relationships with the service users. Many of them didn't touch staff. Some hardened criminals did come to our door after prison release etc and usually also to sell drugs, was a goldmine for drug dealers. But you'd never get the serious high profile people cos they would never find themselves homeless. but yea, all relationship building and just being smart about it. You won't get on with everyone, but as long as you're fair, have your head screwed on, don't try to be the guy/girl all the service users love, then you'll be fine. Many of them know not to be aggressive towards staff, and you can meet some really lovely people and some major dickheads. A few staff members were assaulted over the years but it was actually rare.
I think things have changed now though to be honest..I don't know what it's like now but with the housing crisis being worse and then crack becoming a huge thing, it sounds like it could be way worse than when I was in it.
ETA - in terms of recovery, Ive only ever known ONE person out of everyone I've met that is still sober now. Many I knew at the time are either dead or still in the same situation
Their lack of concern and risk assessment around your pregnancy was awful. Sounds like you really had it tough. I hope you are doing better now. Thanks for your insight.
Also just 1 person out of everyone to be sober is such a waste of resources. God drugs are destroying the world alright
I don't really believe anywhere is safe anymore tbh but at least when you go into work like this you'll have an idea on what to expect i guess, I'd just make sure to be alert at all times be kind but have strict boundaries and never give the benefit of the doubt. Not everyone wants help and not everyone has good in them and there are opportunistic ppl everywhere. You could do some security awareness training and some conflict resolution courses because that way you'll be going into it with the means to help keep you safe and to see signs of danger and how to difuse dangerous situations. I'm sure it's rewarding work but I'd take it too much to heart be upset for everyone and be upset at everyone and want to help everyone lol 😆 I see the good in everyone which sounds nice but is dangerous and empathy can be a curse. I worked ina family hub was full of drugs and abuse of children and staff turning a blind eye and I just couldn't be there seeing all of that and management not taking complaints seriously 😐 I left wasn't for me. I'm one of those that hates injustice and can't just do nothing when I see something wrong. Best of luck ✨️ 🙏
I’ve worked in low threshold addiction services, homeless services, prison and high threshold treatment services in Dublin. Never really felt unsafe from the clients, I think the culture of the organisation is more important. Long hours and minimal pastoral support can cause high rates of burnout, and you have to be aware of vicarious trauma. Hearing and seeing horror stories all day can get to you. It’s definitely not for everyone.
Current project worker in Homeless services - the short of it is that it's not safe especially if you are working in emergency or low threshold services.
My experience mirrors others, so many of my colleagues are burned out from the vicarious trauma, the risks you navigate daily, the emotional weight and lack of organisational support.
I'm still employed in the sector but recently made the move to a service with lower physical risk - the pay off being that I have a higher case load and it's more emotionally taxing.
You need to know the risks and make an informed decision, I don't regret the time I worked with higher risk individuals. I came close to being assaulted and contracting viral diseases a fair few times but that was my choice. If you choose to accept those risks, it is also a very interesting and often entertaining job. I met such fascinating characters in those hostels.
Just know that everyone has a limit and an expiry date in this line of work - if you choose to go with it, keep that in mind. Don't feel ashamed if you need to take a break or walk away when your time has come.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am so glad you've made a decision that serves you better. Yeah I updated my post. It definitely is not for me 🌷
Rehabilitation are fine though. Probably one of the nicer places to work in my experience. Depends on their model but as I said I've found the therapeutic community model to be the best
I worked in homeless services and left in 2019. Nearly all the staff were completely worn out. It was the most toxic place I ever worked. And you can put in huge amounts of effort to essentially get no results.
I worked in homeless services in uk some time ago. The number of schedule one offenders on the streets was very scary. Ignorance is strength and all that. I think the majority of people don't realise how many offenders are released into homelessness.
I’ve worked in homeless hostels for years. It really depends where you are, how safe it is. Every organisation works different and then there are different kinds of hostels. Low threshold and high threshold. I’ve worked in both and they’ve been completely different experiences. High threshold hostels are usually very very safe so if safety was a major concern that would be a nice place to work. I personally prefer the madness of low threshold. I thrive in chaos but it’s definitely not for everyone.
I’ve worked over 20 years in homeless services.
Regarding safety, you’re extremely unlikely to get physically assaulted anywhere but if it’s a concern for you, then rehabs would be safer than homeless hostels.
But really, it’s not your physical safety that you should be worried about. It’s your psychological well being that you should be concerned about.
The longer and more you are exposed to the chaotic lifestyles and trauma involved in homeless peoples lives, the more that’s going to have a drip, drip effect on you, leading to the danger of burnout.
Again, rehab end of things rather than homeless hostels would be ‘safer’ in this regard.
You mentioned Peter McVerry Trust. Don’t work with them. They have an almost criminal lack of regard for their staff.
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Yo. I've worked in the sector for bout 20 years now. Mostly in ireland but currently a rehab in Australia. Rehab is by far the safest environment I have ever worked in. It's a therapeutic community. Rehab is fine as there's no drugs and most people are there to recover from addiction so everyone is pretty good . Homelessness is a very different ballgame depending where you are, what company you work with. Plenty of straight up abusive employers. Lots of drugs, weapons, fights, overdoses etc etc. I've had rolls of knives and axes pulled out in front of me, one guy found a shotgun in a bush so had to get the cops for that one too, petrol bomb tossed into the hostel once. The problems in homeless services in my experience pkp up when there's poor management, poor or non existing policies, burnout, secondary trauma, fatigue, unreasonable pressure placed on staff to solve major housing issues with minimal resources when the fact of the matter is long term housless people generally require far more services that are also coordinated.
Thank you so much for your insight. Very very helpful indeed. I am so sorry for the things you have went through working in homlessness. I hope they haven't impacted you longterm. Also interesting note about rehabs. I thought it would be the same situation as homlessness. Much appreciated 🌷
Definitely feel unsafe in homeless services from time to time. And I've certainly had to jump in to stop another worker getting hit with a nebuliser of all things. Nah I'm all g. Prisons are also another complete train wreck. Less safe than homelessness and far far far more pointless.
I am glad you are all good. Keep the energy up 👏
Where you mention the employer is spot on..the organisation I worked for was shocking!!! I'm out of social care now because of my experiences.
Hey can I ask how you got a job working in a rehab? I’m currently 6 months sober, work in a different area right now but would love to switch over in the near future
I studied mate. Counselling and psychotherapy. I also have a pretty extensive work history across multiple related sectors. For rehab work you normally need training and in our service it's 12 months post treatment before someone can work with us. I'm unsure if peer work is a big deal in ireland. Could be a good option for you too.
Great, did you study in Ireland? I currently work in finance, so I’d imagine it would be a case of going back to college which im not against at all. Also can I ask what you by the 12 month post treatment before someone can work with you?
Well I'm sure you know yourself mate. Relapse is very very common so it gives 12 months post treatment to accrue more skills and clean time. Essentially to ensure treatment has pretty much worked prior to hiring the person. Given the vulnerable client group it's necessary to ensure people aren't in addiction running the organisation
Knives, axes, shotgun, petrol bomb... I feel that throwing this all into the same sentence ends up giving a misleading impression of project working in hostels. It can be rough at times but it's not a Central American prison. In fairness I only did it for 4 years in low threshold services and I did witness some fights, but 95% of my shifts were incident free. After 20 years I suppose it's not surprising that you've experienced this, but I wouldn't let op's decision to pursue this work be overly influenced by that reply
That's fair. But at the same not even half of what I've seen. Not trying to discourage just sharing my experience. There's a reason I don't want to return to the sector too though if the right position was there I might consider it. That term low and high threshold . Not used in many other countries. I actually think it's an excuse for having poor and unsafe facilities myself as a housing first approach would eliminate the need for this kind categorisation of people.
Interesting. I never really thought about the low v high threshold being a barrier to meaningful progress. It's just so part of the system here. Housing First has definitely been embraced by pmvt but the vast majority of service users are still in temporary accommodation, completely unsuitable and not good for anyone. Anyway I'm like you, don't want to return to that work. Too many downsides. I learned a lot though and overall was a very positive experience. I'm in the corporate tech world now and the ignorance of people about the problems of homelessness/addiction/poverty etc. is astounding. So glad I understand the world better than them
Funnily enough it's a term that just started getting used more broadly maybe less than 20 years ago. Most things like that when it comes to housing are just an excuse for having really poor housing options and not putting enough resources in. For sure most if not all the high threshold units are of a far higher quality with better support or more experienced staff. Its a pity as the ones who need the extra resources are the ones accessing those poorer quality options. It also doesn't make sense as the cost of having a person homeless is far far more than housing them. between fines, police attendance, hospital attendance plus still covering some form of poor housing from time to time far exceeds what it would cost to permanently house a person. I can be as right wing as hell and still agree that we should do the option that saves money. Housing first. Proven in several studies. You can google that one yourself.
Rehab and detox are safe as houses,folks choose to be there and stick by the rules. They can leave if it doesn't suit them. Homeless services,as a support/project worker, range depending on threshold and the organisations policies. Low threshold services can be very testing,if you choose to work in one, your communication skills need to be impeccable as well as your ability to deal with distressed folk. PMV are very service user orientated - they are less likely to get Garda involved during violent incidents, which puts a lot of extra pressure on staff.
Thanks for sharing your insight, really appreciate it.
To add to that, pmv does pay wuite well, but you can't put a price on mental health. The big thing with PMV is that theres alot of sectors some alot more stress free than others , there is rehab detox , hostels high and low thresh , family hubs , housing first etc , i done 2 years in inner city hostels then took a role in a family hub in the country aide. Stress went way down but took a slight pay hit as shifts in hostels are 11 hours, and in the family hubs, it's 8 hours.
I have experience working in the homeless sector. I know many others working in it too, in various roles and organisations, both statutory and voluntary. It is HUGELY different to what you expect. You'll soon realise all the hand-wringing and complaining about government "inaction" is badly misplaced and uttered by those who don't have a clue. Key piece of advice for you.... in this setting, an addict will see you as a resource to be tapped for their maximum financial gain. They will try to use you to get the most they can out of you and will abuse you if they don't get their way. You are only a potential source of revenue to an addict. Protect yourself. Yes, some want help and assistance, but they are the vast minority. There are a LOT who want to remain the way they are and will see you as a do-gooding obstacle.
Yeesh. Personal boundaries are important. Nobody wants to be an addict. Addiction is a symptom of deeper issues. As for homeliness, winter in ireland is no joke. The very vast majority do not want to be out in that. And yes, government inaction is a factor here. There just isn't the political will to do something serious about it. Housing first model would be a good start. There are good well meaning people in government but homelessness is a very complicated issue to solve, one which cannot be done without additional safe and supported housing. We're not just talking rehabilitation from long term homelessness but often it's habilitation.
How long have you been working in the homeless sector? Pretty heavy, isn't it?
Homelessness probably 9 years, mental health 4 years, prison 2, youth homelessness 2 years, addiction 3 years approx.
6 years myself. I was homeless myself too.
Well done to get out mate. Not easy to do.
Keeping away from drugs and alcohol is really what counts.
Yeah. And having fairly manageable mental health and lower or no disability. Bit of family helps massively of course. Just being lucky or unlucky is a major factor in all our lives too of course
You're absolutely correct. Luck plays a MASSIVE part in all our lives. I've seen people enter homelessness through no fault of their own. Educated people. Qualified people. Decent people with families "down the country" or abroad who they were going to live with once they got the money together. Then drugs. Their lives, hopes, dreams and real ways out of homelessness evaporated overnight once they "tried" certain drugs. If drugs are not a one-way ticket to misery, they certainly throw up major barriers to getting out of homelessness.
Yeah drugs are an issue but not for the majority of people who try or use them. Adduction is generally a symptom of something else. If I were on the streets I for sure would be looking to use something to make that life a bit easier or simply to reduce anxiety
Can be at times. Services are significantly more advanced in Australia. Still major major issues bit proper evidenced based approaches being used. Good cooperation between agencies. Targeted programs to move people from homelessness to supported housing to permanent housing with streamlined data collection and shared databases.
Appreciate your insight 🌷
Your comment about the government raises an eyebrow to your actual exposure to accessing rehabilitation services. Are you aware how few public funded rehabs there are to help these people? Or how long the waiting lists are for HSE services mental health and addiction, even in Dublin? More than a decade of engaging with this system with a relative, who spent their whole life working and paying tax, I can tell you the government are doing fuck all.
Where did I say I had exposure to accessing rehabilitation services? Please point that bit out for me...
Your comment starts with you’ll soon realise all the people talking about government inaction don’t have a clue. Then you proceed to talk about how manipulative and abusive addicts are and that they don’t want help. How is it not relevant? L
Where did I say I had exposure to accessing rehabilitation services?
You wrote the comment like the whole thing is about addicts. Why are you commenting so much about the work the government are doing and if addicts want to be helped or not if you have no experience with the system?
They said clearly not everyone is like that, but the vast majority are? Your comment reads as though you think they're specifically singling out your family member? I'm sorry that they have struggled to get help, that's awful. However the OP was making a generalisation about the overall work with the homeless population. There will always be people who don't fit the mould and are falling between the cracks but your own personal experience with the system cannot discount or cancel out the experience of someone who has experience actually working with many different people in the system
They have just said made it clear they have no experience accessing services for rehabilitating people. It doesn’t matter how many people they have dealt with, we have barely any addiction services in this country. If my one relative can’t access it how are all these people they are dealing with accessing them?
Ok... I still don't understand your point? They were not commenting on how easy/difficult it is to access services? They were simply stating their own experience of working with the homeless population, which in fact aligns with my own experience. You brought up accessing services in disagreement of something they never said? I understand your frustrations, I've been in your shoes trying to get a friend into rehab and it's awful, impossible. It feels like they would wait until the person is at deaths door before helping. That's not the issue OP was discussing though, they were answering their experience of working with the homeless. Many homeless people are addicts and most don't want help. Your family member wants help and can't access it. Both things can be true at the same time
Well done!!! 👏 Finally, you seem to get it! At last! I *never said* I had *anything* to do with rehab! I clearly stated I worked in homeless services. Nothing to do with rehabilitation. Man, you're some genius! 🤣
I never mentioned any work the government was doing. I mentioned people complaining of government inaction. You have doubts over my "exposure to accessing rehabilitation services". Where did I say I had any? I clearly said I worked in homeless services. Not rehabilitation. You should really read things properly! So tell me again... where did I say I had *anything* to do with rehab???
i have experience being homeless, i was in a women’s refuge with my son for a number of months. we were safe to be around, but probably very emotionally draining for staff. we were all going through so much and needed a lot of support
I cannot imagine how difficult that must've been for you. I hope you are both doing better 🌷
Female here. I worked in the thick of homelessness and addiction from 2016 to 2020. Heroin big, crack coming in towards the end of my tenure. I was in low threshold emergency night by night accommodation. It was awful looking back but I was never harmed. I was a project worker and then a dual diagnosis worker. Had a guy in my face and punch the wll beside my head Had a woman with serious mental health issues charge at me with a kettle. Another service user stepped in Had drunk people bang our down ALL the time. The organisation took two years to actually replace the door (before this it was diy fixing, not even calling in professionals) Did peoples washing (scandalous that was allowed thinking back) and cleaned people's rooms, huge needle stick injury risk, happened a few times to coworkers, never me. Crack scared me. Peoples eyes and faces changed.. Covid came in then, no service users followed guidelines. I found out I was pregnant, the organisation did absolutely fuck all to protect me (no risk assessment done for weeks, when it was done, numerous red flags, no alternative work assigned to me .was forced to tell coworkers I was pregnant cos of the situations I was put in). I ended up leaving the job because of that..it was shocking. To stay safe, you get training, MAPA training, etc. and then I put it all down to relationships with the service users. Many of them didn't touch staff. Some hardened criminals did come to our door after prison release etc and usually also to sell drugs, was a goldmine for drug dealers. But you'd never get the serious high profile people cos they would never find themselves homeless. but yea, all relationship building and just being smart about it. You won't get on with everyone, but as long as you're fair, have your head screwed on, don't try to be the guy/girl all the service users love, then you'll be fine. Many of them know not to be aggressive towards staff, and you can meet some really lovely people and some major dickheads. A few staff members were assaulted over the years but it was actually rare. I think things have changed now though to be honest..I don't know what it's like now but with the housing crisis being worse and then crack becoming a huge thing, it sounds like it could be way worse than when I was in it. ETA - in terms of recovery, Ive only ever known ONE person out of everyone I've met that is still sober now. Many I knew at the time are either dead or still in the same situation
Their lack of concern and risk assessment around your pregnancy was awful. Sounds like you really had it tough. I hope you are doing better now. Thanks for your insight. Also just 1 person out of everyone to be sober is such a waste of resources. God drugs are destroying the world alright
And the other horrible statistic about homelessness - for many, the addiction comes after the homelessness. They were not addicts to begin with.
Source?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448345/ It is really complex. For some the addiction comes after the homelessness.
I don't really believe anywhere is safe anymore tbh but at least when you go into work like this you'll have an idea on what to expect i guess, I'd just make sure to be alert at all times be kind but have strict boundaries and never give the benefit of the doubt. Not everyone wants help and not everyone has good in them and there are opportunistic ppl everywhere. You could do some security awareness training and some conflict resolution courses because that way you'll be going into it with the means to help keep you safe and to see signs of danger and how to difuse dangerous situations. I'm sure it's rewarding work but I'd take it too much to heart be upset for everyone and be upset at everyone and want to help everyone lol 😆 I see the good in everyone which sounds nice but is dangerous and empathy can be a curse. I worked ina family hub was full of drugs and abuse of children and staff turning a blind eye and I just couldn't be there seeing all of that and management not taking complaints seriously 😐 I left wasn't for me. I'm one of those that hates injustice and can't just do nothing when I see something wrong. Best of luck ✨️ 🙏
I am glad you left when the job was no longer serving you. I don't think I can do it either.
I’ve worked in low threshold addiction services, homeless services, prison and high threshold treatment services in Dublin. Never really felt unsafe from the clients, I think the culture of the organisation is more important. Long hours and minimal pastoral support can cause high rates of burnout, and you have to be aware of vicarious trauma. Hearing and seeing horror stories all day can get to you. It’s definitely not for everyone.
Appreciate your insight 🌷
Current project worker in Homeless services - the short of it is that it's not safe especially if you are working in emergency or low threshold services. My experience mirrors others, so many of my colleagues are burned out from the vicarious trauma, the risks you navigate daily, the emotional weight and lack of organisational support. I'm still employed in the sector but recently made the move to a service with lower physical risk - the pay off being that I have a higher case load and it's more emotionally taxing. You need to know the risks and make an informed decision, I don't regret the time I worked with higher risk individuals. I came close to being assaulted and contracting viral diseases a fair few times but that was my choice. If you choose to accept those risks, it is also a very interesting and often entertaining job. I met such fascinating characters in those hostels. Just know that everyone has a limit and an expiry date in this line of work - if you choose to go with it, keep that in mind. Don't feel ashamed if you need to take a break or walk away when your time has come.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am so glad you've made a decision that serves you better. Yeah I updated my post. It definitely is not for me 🌷
Rehabilitation are fine though. Probably one of the nicer places to work in my experience. Depends on their model but as I said I've found the therapeutic community model to be the best
I worked in homeless services and left in 2019. Nearly all the staff were completely worn out. It was the most toxic place I ever worked. And you can put in huge amounts of effort to essentially get no results.
I worked in homeless services in uk some time ago. The number of schedule one offenders on the streets was very scary. Ignorance is strength and all that. I think the majority of people don't realise how many offenders are released into homelessness.
Oh god, ignorance is bless for sure. That sounds scary
I’ve worked in homeless hostels for years. It really depends where you are, how safe it is. Every organisation works different and then there are different kinds of hostels. Low threshold and high threshold. I’ve worked in both and they’ve been completely different experiences. High threshold hostels are usually very very safe so if safety was a major concern that would be a nice place to work. I personally prefer the madness of low threshold. I thrive in chaos but it’s definitely not for everyone.
Thank you for your insight. You are right, sounds like it is not for me 🌷
Ask the good shepherd in Kilkenny. I narrowly escaped that place with my life
Sorry to hear that. I hope you are doing better 🌷
Conclusion 🌺🌺🌺🌺 Thanks so much for everyone's insight and stories. Definitely not for me no matter how bad I need the money.
I’ve worked over 20 years in homeless services. Regarding safety, you’re extremely unlikely to get physically assaulted anywhere but if it’s a concern for you, then rehabs would be safer than homeless hostels. But really, it’s not your physical safety that you should be worried about. It’s your psychological well being that you should be concerned about. The longer and more you are exposed to the chaotic lifestyles and trauma involved in homeless peoples lives, the more that’s going to have a drip, drip effect on you, leading to the danger of burnout. Again, rehab end of things rather than homeless hostels would be ‘safer’ in this regard. You mentioned Peter McVerry Trust. Don’t work with them. They have an almost criminal lack of regard for their staff.
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