Keeping the Door Open: Strategies for Moving People Who Are Homeless to Employment

Keeping the Door Open: Strategies for Moving People Who Are Homeless to Employment Joyce GrangentProgram OfficerCorporation for Supportive HousingJune 30, 2005www.csh.org

A Clash of Agendas • The Homeless (Formerly Homeless) Person • Multitude of losses • Depth of mostly negative feelings • Unique and uniquely acquired strengths • The Professional Support Person • Duties and responsibilities • Product oriented • Caring (We hope!)

Resolving the Clash • Don’t create more losses • Understand the feelings • Uncover and build on strengths • Using strategies and techniques • Harm Reduction • Stages of Change • Motivational Interviewing • Reflective Listening

Guiding Principles • There are many different harm reduction strategies and plans. • Drug use is usually a coping mechanism for larger issues. • Quality of life and well-being measure success not drug use reduction. • The individual in collaboration with the service provider sets his or her own goals.

Person-Centered Counseling Strategies

Harm Reduction “…A client-centered approach to working with people ‘where they are’ rather than ‘where they should be’ as dictated by treatment providers.” G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D.

Three Principles of Harm Reduction • The user’s decision to use drugs is accepted as a fact. • The user is treated with dignity as a normal human being. • Harm reduction is neutral regarding long-term intervention goals.

Enhancing Motivation for Change “When given a choice between changing and proving that it is not necessary, most people get busy with the proof” John Galbraith

The Stages of Change • Pre-Contemplation: Who, me? • Contemplation: I can handle it. • Preparation: I have a goal. • Action: I am doing this. • Maintenance: Hey, it works! • Lapse (Relapse): Here’s what worked.

“Habit is habit and not to be flung out the window by anyone, but coaxed downstairs, a step at a time.” Mark Twain

What is Motivational Interviewing? “A client-centered, directive intervention focused on resolving ambivalence in the direction of change.” Miller and Rollnick, 1991

What is Motivational Interviewing? • Goals • Increase client’s internal motivation to change • Increase hope that change is possible • Style • Non-authoritarian and client has final responsibility for change • Strategies • More supportive and emphasizes why to change, not how to change

Principles of Motivational Interviewing • Express empathy/understanding by using reflective listening • Develop discrepancy between client goals/values and their behavior • Avoid argument and direct confrontation • Adjust to client resistance rather than directly opposing it • Support client ability and optimism

Motivational Interventions • OARS • Open-ended questions • Affirmations • Reflective listening • Summaries

Motivational Interventions • “How can I help you?” • “Would you tell me about?” • “How would you like things to be different?” • “What are the positive things and what are the less good things about ?” • “What will you lose if you give up?” • “What have you tried before?” • “What do you want to do next?”

Affirmations • Statements of recognition of client strengths • Builds confidence in ability to change • Must be genuine in your praise

Reflective Listening • Reflect back what is heard to help build motivation-active selection • Clarifications by staff of what the client is saying to be sure that we hear and see is what our client meant • Has the potential to strengthen your relationship with your client

Summarizing • Special form of reflective listening • Ensures clear communication • Use at transitions in conversations • Be concise • Reflect ambivalence or uncertainty • Highlight “change talk” or self-motivational statements

Job Development and Placement

Individualized Job Placement “Focus on what the person wants to do and can do now rather than determining what he or she has to do to change to become ‘job ready’…” Hoff, Gandolfo, Gold, Jordan. Demystifying Job Development.

Choosing: Planning to Increase Success • Help job seeker identify his or her personal needs and wishes around employment • Preferred job settings • Social needs • Supervision needs

Getting: Job Development • Builds from the planning process of determining job seeker’s employment preferences • Work from an asset based approach • Job seekers can be job developers for themselves • Fit skills and assets of the job seeker to the right work environment

Keeping: Post Placement Supports • Plan supports ahead of time to head off problems after placement • Drug use triggers and how to deal with them • Plan for doctor’s appointments and medication needs • Who will provide which supports-residence, family, employer • Budgeting and money management-entitlements

Job Placement Case Study: Craig Discussion questions: • Using the stages of change framework, identify where you think Craig is right now. • Depending on which stage he is in, how will his status affect your working with him? • Identify an employer that could match Craig’s interests and skills.

Keep the Door OpenEngage Your Tenant • Work at the tenant’s pace. Don’t jump ahead. • Be a good listener, observer, and communicator. • Have realistic expectations. • Don’t make assumptions or judgments about the tenant. • Be consistent and reliable.

Keep the Door OpenFocus on Strengths • Explore and identify individual’s skills and strengths • Evaluate drug or alcohol use issues in relation to skills, strengths, needs, and problems • Celebrate the smallest success • Stay “up” when your client is “down”

Our Mission CSH helps communities create permanent housing with services to prevent and end homelessness.

Keeping the Door Open: Strategies for Moving People Who Are Homeless to Employment