How is participation related to well-being of homeless people?:An explorative qualitative study in a Dutch homeless shelter facility

The majority of homeless people is socially excluded which negatively affects their well-being. Therefore, participation-based programs are needed. The current research is conducted within a Dutch homeless shelter facility that offers educational, recreational, and labor activities to clients in an environment which is designed to feel safe (an enabling niche). The main aim of these activities is to facilitate social participation. We conducted two qualitative studies consisting of 16 semi-structured interviews, to explore clients’ experiences with participation in activities in relation to their well-being. The findings showed that clients experienced that participation had led to an improvement of physical, social, and mental well-being. In general, clients reported that due to participation in activities they have strengthened their social support network, improved their (mental and physical) health, self-esteem and personal growth. We concluded that in order to facilitate long-term positive outcomes of participation in practice, it is necessary to focus on group cohesion, and on the social worker’s behavior and attitud

Novel tools and best practices for education about invasive alien species

Increasing public awareness is a prerequisite for successful management of invasive alien species (IAS). Environmental education can play an important role in this process by providing relevant learning outcomes and experiences for youth and students, as well as professionals in different sectors associated with introduction pathways or who are involved in mitigation and eradication of IAS. This paper responds to the urgent call for the inclusion of the IAS topic in education through the development, implementation and evaluation of novel and user-friendly educational materials. The aim of this paper is to describe best practices in IAS education and to share the lessons learned from eight educational projects from seven different countries. We discuss four challenges for IAS education, related to (1) inconsistent and ambiguous terminology, (2) communicating risk, (3) implementation of education materials, and (4) evaluation of learning effects. Examples of best practices are the use of smartphone applications and gaming elements, place-based education and exhibitions. We also note the importance of open access publishing of education materials to make them easily available. We intend this discussion to serve as a source of inspiration to researchers, science communicators and teachers and to spur the development of new teaching materials worldwide.Peer reviewe

Social participation of homeless people. Evaluation of the intervention 'Growth through participation'

status: publishe

Het belang van organisatorische inbedding van een innovatieve interventie: Een praktijkvoorbeeld

In dit artikel wordt aan de hand van een praktijkvoorbeeld beschreven hoe organisatorische inbedding integraal onderdeel kan uitmaken van een interventie. Verder Door Doen (VDD) is een innovatieve werkwijze voor de begeleiding van dak- en thuislozen, waarbij organisatieaspecten als werkautonomie, leiderschapsstijl, organisatiecultuur en teamprestaties onlosmakelijk verbonden zijn met principes en werkwijzen gerelateerd aan cliënten. Dit heeft als doel om de beste resultaten te bereiken, namelijk het bevorderen van maatschappelijke participatie en welzijn van cliënten. Middels onderzoek is nagegaan of de organisatieaspecten gedurende de implementatie van VDD veranderd zijn en hoe deze aspecten met elkaar samenhangen. Uit dit onderzoek bleek dat de organisatiecultuur veranderd was, maar dat de variabelen niet de samenhang vertonen die op basis van de literatuur verondersteld werd. Geconcludeerd kan worden dat de praktijk weerbarstiger lijkt te zijn dan de theorie, maar veranderprocessen vergen tijd. De auteurs adviseren in het kader van vervolgonderzoek om de verbinding te zoeken tussen cliëntgerichte en organisatie-uitkomste

Growth through participation: A longitudinal study of a participation-based intervention for (formerly) homeless people

The current longitudinal study examined a participation-based intervention for homeless and formerly homeless clients, growth through participation (GTP), developed by a Dutch organization providing shelter services and ambulatory care. GTP is based on a combination of group and individual approaches, whereby clients are enabled to learn to identify their strengths and talents, to develop social skills through interaction with each other, and to learn to once more lead a structured life. The study was conducted among 172 (formerly) homeless clients and comprised three measurement time points. It examined whether (1) quality of life increased during the GTP intervention; (2) social participation (e.g., labor/recreation), self-esteem, clients’ experiences with care (i.e., satisfaction with the services received and with the client–worker relationship), and psychological distress improved during GTP; (3) clients exhibiting psychological distress benefit more from GTP than others. Results from latent growth modeling showed that quality of life and the amount of time clients spent on labor activities increased significantly, but the amount of time clients spent on recreational activities decreased over time. Clients with psychological distress experienced increased quality of life and self-esteem, and reduced psychological distress. Other variables did not significantly change during GTP. Although not all hypotheses were (fully) confirmed, it can be concluded that GTP seems to be a potentially promising intervention. It is recommendable to conduct a multisite RCT to determine the efficacy of GTP

How to enhance social participation and well-being in (formerly) homeless clients: A structural equation modelling approach

In the present study we examined care-related and demographic predictors of well-being among 225 (formerly) homeless clients of a Dutch organisation providing shelter services and ambulatory care (shelter facility). The role of social participation as a mediator was considered. Social participation is important for homeless people, as they are often socially isolated. Moreover, social participation enhances well-being and induces happiness. In this study we used the following care-related predictors: (1) participation in various group activities in the shelter facility, and (2) client's experiences with care, such as their satisfaction with the social worker and the shelter facility. Additionally, age and education level were included as demographic predictors. Results from Structural Equation Modelling show that the client's experiences with care and education level are predictors of well-being with a mediating role for social participation, and that participation in activities at the shelter facility is a direct predictor of well-being. However, age is not significantly related to social participation or well-being. We suggest that interventions for the homeless should be based on a combination of individual and group approaches. Special attention should be given to the client-worker relationship. We also recommend that vulnerable children are provided with solid education, and we call for research into the cost-effectiveness of group-based interventions

Het belang van organisatorische inbedding van een innovatieve interventie:Een praktijkvoorbeeld

In dit artikel wordt aan de hand van een praktijkvoorbeeld beschreven hoe organisatorische inbedding integraal onderdeel kan uitmaken van een interventie. Verder Door Doen (VDD) is een innovatieve werkwijze voor de begeleiding van dak- en thuislozen, waarbij organisatieaspecten als werkautonomie, leiderschapsstijl, organisatiecultuur en teamprestaties onlosmakelijk verbonden zijn met principes en werkwijzen gerelateerd aan cliënten. Dit heeft als doel om de beste resultaten te bereiken, namelijk het bevorderen van maatschappelijke participatie en welzijn van cliënten. Middels onderzoek is nagegaan of de organisatieaspecten gedurende de implementatie van VDD veranderd zijn en hoe deze aspecten met elkaar samenhangen. Uit dit onderzoek bleek dat de organisatiecultuur veranderd was, maar dat de variabelen niet de samenhang vertonen die op basis van de literatuur verondersteld werd. Geconcludeerd kan worden dat de praktijk weerbarstiger lijkt te zijn dan de theorie, maar veranderprocessen vergen tijd. De auteurs adviseren in het kader van vervolgonderzoek om de verbinding te zoeken tussen cliëntgerichte en organisatie-uitkomste

Grow through participation. A longitudinal study on a participation -based intervention for homeless people.

© 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. The current longitudinal study examined a participation-based intervention for homeless and formerly homeless clients, growth through participation (GTP), developed by a Dutch organization providing shelter services and ambulatory care. GTP is based on a combination of group and individual approaches, whereby clients are enabled to learn to identify their strengths and talents, to develop social skills through interaction with each other, and to learn to once more lead a structured life. The study was conducted among 172 (formerly) homeless clients and comprised three measurement time points. It examined whether (1) quality of life increased during the GTP intervention; (2) social participation (e.g., labor/recreation), self-esteem, clients’ experiences with care (i.e., satisfaction with the services received and with the client–worker relationship), and psychological distress improved during GTP; (3) clients exhibiting psychological distress benefit more from GTP than others. Results from latent growth modeling showed that quality of life and the amount of time clients spent on labor activities increased significantly, but the amount of time clients spent on recreational activities decreased over time. Clients with psychological distress experienced increased quality of life and self-esteem, and reduced psychological distress. Other variables did not significantly change during GTP. Although not all hypotheses were (fully) confirmed, it can be concluded that GTP seems to be a potentially promising intervention. It is recommendable to conduct a multisite RCT to determine the efficacy of GTP.status: Published onlin