Grant: CIHR Fellowship

The health of service providers plays an important role in providing high quality and effective health and social care. Symptoms, such as burnout, among service providers are linked to lower satisfaction and poorer health outcomes for service users. The health of service providers is especially important in the homelessness sector, where negative experiences can contribute to avoidance of services and extended periods of homelessness. The rates of common mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, burnout, and trauma, and the support needs of people working in the homeless service sector are largely unknown. This study aims to better understand the mental health and support needs of this population and learn how organizations are or can be supporting the positive mental health of their staff. This study will recruit service providers in three community settings in Canada: emergency shelters, supportive housing, and harm reduction services. Data will be collected in two ways: (1) an online survey of 430 service providers and (2) interviews with 30 service providers and 15 organizational directors. Data will be used to explore two research questions: (1) What are the rates of common mental health problems and the needs of service providers that are not being met? and (2) What factors are associated with common mental health problems among service providers? It is predicted that mental health problems will be more common among service providers who have less social support (colleagues, friends, and family); a higher workload; less supervision; and more experiences with traumatic events, such as violence and overdoses. To ensure that the study findings are easy to access and to facilitate future research, they will be shared publicly. An educational toolkit will also be made available for service providers and organizations in the homeless service sector.