Streetworking 3401-FAK-Sd

Streetworking – introduction
The aim of the first classes will be to introduce students to the issues of streetworking as an innovative form of work with socially excluded people. The historical context in which this concept was formulated will be discussed, as well as the assumptions of the outreach method itself in-cluding the goals and results of harm reduction.

Target groups
Students get to know the social groups in which services based on streetworking might be provided. The nature of work with particular groups, such as children and youth, migrants, prostitutes, injecting drug users, and people suf-fering from homelessness, will be discussed.

Introduction to the homelessness (2 blocks)
The subject of the course will be population of homeless people in Poland, including its demographic structure (age, gender, etc.). We will focus primarily on the unsheltered homelessness in the broader context of the homeless sup-port system.

Streetworker (2 blocks of classes)
In these parts we will discuss the set of streetworker’s roles performed in the local community (e.g. motivational), tak-ing into account the goals of working based on this method (e.g. activation) and a number of challenges it entails (e.g. difficulties in social inclusion of clients). Together we will consider also what features and skills are necessary in this profession.

Practical aspects of streetworking
The aim of these classes is to help participants to get famil-iar with the practical aspects of streetworking, including employment (e.g. recruitment), principles of work (e.g. safety issues) and description of the workplace (e.g. field work).

Streetworker’s tools
In this part, students will learn about the basic equipment of a streetworker, which includes appropriate clothing and personal protective equipment. Documents necessary for carrying out patrols (e.g. timesheet, contact card) will be analyzed in details as well.

Streetworking and the institutional environment
During the classes, models of cooperation with various types of institutions (e.g. OPS, police) will be discussed as an essential element of the streetworking. Partners and stakeholders in the process of social readaptation of the homeless will be identified as well.

Ethics of working in streetworking
The work ethic of streetworking will be discussed in the broader context of working with disadvantaged populations, with particular emphasis on homeless people. The aim of this part is to indicate the code of ethics that streetworker should follow in his/her daily work.

Streetworking – case studies
During this module, we will analyze selected examples of streetworking carried out by non-governmental organiza-tions and local governments in various municipalities in Poland. Particular attention will be paid to various outreach models, including self-help streetworking or medical street-working.

Mapping of non-residential places
In this part we will discuss the list of so-called non-residential places (e.g. vacant buildings, cellars, railway stations) where people suffering from homeless live on a daily basis. The characteristics will also take into account the risks related to visiting those places (e.g. wild animals, lack of lighting) and the preparations necessary before go-ing into the field.

Dangers related to the streetworking
This part will map various types of challenges and potential risks related to streetworking. They might be related to the nature of homeless, place of work and working hours, as well personal conditions of a streetworker.

Professional development tools in streetworking
The aim of second to last class will be to familiarize stu-dents with tools of professional development in the field of streetworking. It includes supervision, monitoring and eval-uation of projects. These are necessary and very rarely used elements of improving the professional effectiveness of helping professions. They might be part of burnout preven-tion as well.

Patrol in the field
The last classes will be practical. Students will have the op-portunity to go out into the field and see with their own eyes what outreach method looks like. In case the patrol cannot be conducted, an expert (streetworker) will be invited.

Student workload:
- organized hours – 30 hours
- preparation for classes (including reading texts) – 15 hours
- preparation of a final thesis / presentation – 30 hours
Total: 75 hours