Frontline Workers with Lived Experience and Traumatic Stress In the Homelessness Sector

In the last forty years, various sectors have highlighted the importance of focusing on the wellbeing of service providers. Informally amongst my co-workers in the homelessness-serving sector, many have noted there has undoubtedly been a greater emphasis in the last ten years to enhance the support offered. Specifically, we have seen the embracing of peer workers, or frontline workers with lived experience (FWLEs), in addiction and mental health, with great value on their contribution to that sector (Miler et al., 2020). While the homelessness sector has made some progress in recognizing the contributions of frontline workers with lived experiences, we need platforms to amplify their voices to ensure the sector understands their relevance. It is evident through the many discussions with my peers that the stigma of homelessness continues to impact how FWLEs navigate their places of employment and access support. It is also evident that they remain at risk of (a) traumatic events based on their history, (b) acquired traumatic experiences. This paper examines the reported experiences of frontline workers in the homelessness sector, past research, and personal experiences as frontline staff with past and current traumatic stress. At the time of writing, there has been no recent work that focuses on traumatic stress in FWLEs in the homelessness sector, and thus, there are many inherent gaps. Acknowledging this research absence, this paper presents a pivotal pathway for supporting FWLEs in the homelessness sector.