abstract: Human connection is fundamental for a shift toward sustainable societies. Small groups of people working in response to their unique conditions and environment can find joy in the co-creation of a shared existence. A collaborative network of related efforts can contribute to a broader understanding of resilience and adaptation, aiming toward a regenerative relationship with the Earth and all species. Such an approach ameliorates both pervasive loneliness and extreme inequity that have grown from modern consumerist individualism, through a strong focus on trust, respect and authenticity. I have created a structure to pursue these goals as an applied Sustainability researcher and artist. First, I present a tool that measures and guides community-based work to support the values of equity, justice, transformation and connection. I follow this with an in-depth process of qualitative inquiry grounded in an applied participatory design project to gain insight on the act of building connection across perceived divides. Finally, I share “The Building Community:” the group and process I formed with formerly homeless individuals who are co-designing a tiny home ecovillage of transitional supportive housing for homeless human beings in the Skid Row neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles. The Building Community method combines Council-style talking circles with elements of Action and Design research in which equal co-learners embark on a fun and challenging journey to nurture housing security, interconnectedness, and sustainability. The results of this research indicate an opportunity for community-based researchers to further incorporate support for the rights of nature, decolonization efforts and preservation of the commons into their projects. Flexible structure, consistency, balanced effort and shared decision making proved to build a strong foundation for group processes centered on trust. Finally, The Building Community showed that intimate local groups can produce abundant and creative sustainability solutions when partnered with academic guidance and resources. Sustainability scholars have the chance to balance power, amplify voices and make collective visions manifest if they immerse themselves in efforts on the ground. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Sustainability 2019

People who are homeless tend to suffer from stress, substance abuse and mental health problems. Music therapy with a closed group of homeless adults residing in an American homeless shelter has shown potential benefit. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how open group music therapy sessions designed to facilitate emotional expression, interpersonal connection, stimulation, and self-esteem were experienced by homeless adults not residing in a common shelter. The current study made use of a sample of homeless adults visiting a church feeding scheme in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The sessions were framed as music workshops and the main components used included: drumming, vocal and instrumental improvisation, and known songs. A total of six, weekly, open group music therapy workshops were held at the feeding scheme for a maximum of ten participants per session. Videotaped recordings were made of each music therapy session and one different participant was interviewed after the session each week. From the interpretative phenomenological analysis of the transcripts of individual interviews and the videotaped recordings of sessions, a number of themes emerged. From the findings of this study it was concluded that the open group music therapy sessions offered homeless adults opportunities for: increased self-esteem, meaningful interpersonal connection, constructive use of time, stress relief, meeting emotional needs, and transformation. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Music / MMus / Unrestricted

This thesis focuses on the direction and coordination of volunteers in organisations with multidisciplinary teams working with homeless people, and the challenges faced by both these organisations and their volunteers. The results of the experimental section, which focuses on the motivation of volunteers and stimulation from the organisations, have their basis in practical research using semi-structured interviews with leading workers at the organisations, their volunteers, and volunteers from the Labre project, which represents an introductory characterisation of the problem in practice; one which the respondents then refer to in the interviews. Problem areas as identified by both the workers and the volunteers themselves include integration into the organisation, unsupervised activity, non-stimulating conditions, irregular contact, and apathy from the side of the target group. Systematic leadership by a volunteer coordinator is financially demanding for the organisations, and the workers attend to their volunteers in addition to other competences, making systematic leadership more difficult. A recommendation for workers in non-profit organisations working with volunteers is derived from the results of the empirical part. It is based on a careful consideration of the application of volunteer work,...

Using the methodology and criteria put forth by the Juvenile Justice Evaluation Center (part of the Justice Research and Statistics Association, Washington D.C.), an assessment for evaluation of the Metropolitan Ministries "Uplift UTM" Program was conducted using review of data previously collected by Metropolitan Ministries, examination of documents provided by the organization, participant observation, and interviews with Metropolitan Ministry staff. This assessment reveals that there are significant problems in several areas that must be addressed before their program can be formally evaluated; including data collection and organization, outcomes measures, client selection standards, and how the program is portrayed as opposed to how it is actually run. Preliminary analysis of the collected data suggests that there are no relationships between demographic information such as education, employability, or other factors, and successfully completing their program. Further analysis suggests that other factors related to rules, guidelines, and unpopular restrictions are related to the low success rate they have experienced. Based upon a literature review of successful programs, suggestions for improving the outcomes of Uplift UTM are provided.

No description available.

Bakgrund: Hemlöshet är ett globalt problem och endast i Sverige lever över 30 000 människor i hemlöshet. Hemlöshet är ett vittomfattande begrepp som inkluderar olika situationer och kan bero på varierande orsaker. Hemlösa har större risk att utveckla sjukdomar och hamna på sjukhus jämfört med befolkningen i stort. Sjuksköterskan bör sträva efter att arbeta med ett öppet förhållningssätt samt skapa en vårdrelation byggd på tillit, empati och respekt där patienten är i centrum.   Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka hemlösa patienters upplevelser av hälso- och sjukvård. Metod: Metoden var en litteraturöversikt vars resultat grundar sig på tio vetenskapliga artiklar. Använda databaser var PubMed och Cinahl Complete. Nio artiklar var av kvalitativ metod och en av mixad metod innehållande både kvalitativa och kvantitativa inslag.  Resultat: Resultatet presenteras i fyra identifierade kategorier. Kategorierna är Negativa upplevelser av hälso- och sjukvården, Upplevelser av att känna sig orättvist behandlad av hälso- och sjukvården, Hindrande faktorer inom hälso- och sjukvården och Positiva upplevelser av hälso- och sjukvården. Sammanfattning: Hemlösa patienter hade både negativa och positiva upplevelser vid kontakt med hälso- och sjukvården. De negativa upplevelserna påtalades genom bristande kommunikation och dåliga attityder från vårdpersonalens sida. De positiva upplevelserna beskrevs vara ett professionellt bemötande samt engagemang från vårdpersonalens sida. / Background: Homelessness is a global problem and in Sweden over 30,000 people live in homelessness. Homelessness is a versatile concept that includes different situations and can be due to various reasons. Homeless people are at greater risk of developing diseases and ending up in hospitals compared with the general population. The nurse should strive to work with an open approach and create a care relationship based on trust, empathy and respect where the patient is at the center. Aim: The aim was to investigate homeless patients´ experiences of healthcare. Method: The method was a literature review based on ten scientific articles. The used databases were PubMed and Cinahl Complete. Nine articles were of a qualitative method and one were a mixed method with both qualitative and quantitative elements. Results: The results are presented in four identified categories. The categories are Negative experiences of health care, Experiences of feeling unfairly treated by health care, Obstacle factors in health care and Positive experiences of health care. Summary: Homeless patients had both negative and positive experiences of healthcare. The negative experiences were pointed out by lack of communication and attitude on the part of the healthcare staff. The negative experiences resulted in that homeless people avoided to seek healthcare. The positive experiences were described as a professional approach and committed healthcare staff.

Det är kommunerna som har det yttersta ansvaret för att säkerställa att barns rätt till bostad tillgodoses. Uppsatsens syfte är därför att studera vilken hänsyn socialtjänsten och förvaltningsrätten tar till barnperspektivet när barnfamiljer är i otrygga boendesituationer. Studien undersöker 22 rättsfall där föräldrar har överklagat avslag på ansökningar om ekonomiskt bistånd för sin boendesituation inom Uppsala kommun. Den valda analysmetoden är kvalitativ innehållsanalys och vi har utgått från Kjellboms teorier om handlingsnormer inom socialt arbete samt Näsmans begrepp familialisering. Studiens huvudsakliga resultat är att det fästs en större vikt vid föräldrars agerande och ansvar än vid barnets behov när beslut fattas om bistånd i form av boendeinsatser för familjer. Barnets situation problematiseras ofta i ärendena, men blir sällan avgörande för besluten. Vår slutsats är därmed att barnperspektivet är bristande i dessa ärenden och att de beslut som fattas inte går i linje med barnkonventionen och socialtjänstlagens krav på att barnets bästa i första hand ska beaktas vid åtgärder som rör barn. Vi ser också att barns delaktighet och intressen inte framkommit i de rättsfall vi studerat. Dessa resultat går i linje med tidigare forskning som pekar på att det finns ett bristande barnperspektiv inom ekonomiskt bistånd.

The aim of this study was to explore what working methods and tools service providers use to engage with and support homeless youth in Eugene, Oregon. The authors considered a qualitative research method with semi-structured interviews as the most appropriate way to collect data. A total of five participants took part in this study, all of which are service providers in the United States, specifically in Eugene, Oregon (OR) and work directly with homeless youth. The empirical findings were analyzed through the ecological systems theory perspective in order to properly explore the effects different systems have on working methods and tools. The data collected in this study was divided into three themes: Engaging and Supportive Tools, Barriers & Supportive Factors and desired changes by service providers. These themes properly highlight the most common and vital information collected from the participants in this study. The findings indicate trust building as an essential method and tool with any service provider attempting to engage with and support homeless youth. It was also discovered that funding was the biggest barrier that service providers faced when exploring working methods and tools used to engage with and support homeless youth.

The Sanitary Dignity Framework (2019) is a policy that aims to preserve and maintain indigent girls' and women's dignity during menstruation. In South Africa, the term “sanitary dignity”, can be equated to what the rest of the world recognizes as menstrual hygiene management (MHM). Sanitary dignity or MHM is centred around the provision of menstrual health hygiene products (MHPs) such as tampons and sanitary pads to anyone who menstruates and cannot afford to purchase MHPs for themselves. Limited of access to MHPs, water and sanitation facilities, and privacy make it impossible for vulnerable menstruators to achieve sanitary dignity. This policy excludes street-based homeless menstruators as it only makes provisions for those who have access to state-funded institutions such as; quintile 1, 2, and 3 schools, mental institutions, hostels, places of care, and prisons. Street-based homeless menstruators are marginalized twofold; they reside on the streets and they menstruate. This dissertation discusses how the social exclusion of street-based homeless menstruators within the Sanitary Dignity Framework strips them of their fundamental right to dignity by denying them access to the sanitary dignity they are entitled to.

The number of children experiencing homelessness continues to rise at alarming rates. Schools are on the front lines of service delivery and face numerous barriers in an attempt to meet the educational and psychosocial needs of these children. This study explored the perceptions of homeless liaisons in three states about the implementation of the McKinney Vento Act within the school districts. While no differences were found across the states, significant differences were found between rural and urban geographic densities in the perceived implementation of the federal legislation. The significant differences relate to collaboration within the community and resonate with the lack of resources available to the families experiencing homelessness in rural areas.