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Hospital Social Workers & Homelessness
Being There
The value of interaction
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Page available as handout
A social worker shares
"Being There" is based upon a simple premise: hospital social workers often experience demoralization while caring for homeless patients because their focus is on the wrong thing.
Providing resource information is important, but since this rarely alters housing status immediately, it's hard for social workers to feel that doing so is meaningful. Hopelessness can occur because social workers feel powerless to make a difference.
An alternative exists. The social worker's use of self to create mutually rewarding relationships yields immediate benefits. It increases hope and decreases demoralization by building confidence that homeless patients' lives CAN be positively affected by meaningful interaction.
"Being There" is a Relational-Cultural approach that acknowledges the immense potential of human interaction to convey acceptance, connection, and hope. Purpose and direction can be derived from the quality of our relationships, despite the continued burden of homelessness. Even brief intervention can make a difference.
Curious about relational-cultural theory? Check out "How it works," next page.
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