Engaging People with a Lived Experience of Homelessness · affect the final decision.”...

Engaging People with a

Lived Experience of

Homelessness

Engagement

Framework & Toolkit

Hello!We are Lani Brunn & Marika Albert

Lani Brunn

Community and Social Planner

CitySpaces Consulting

You can find me at @Lanibru

Marika Albert

Executive Director

Community Social Planning Council

You can find me at @CSPC_Victoria

How is our Presentation Organized?

▣ Methodology

▣ Five Levels of Engagement

▣ Preferences of Engagement

▣ Engagement for Unique Groups

▣ Key Principles

1.Methodology How we did it.

Research Methods

Meeting one-on-one, or in an informal group setting with people who are

homeless or precariously housed — more than 70 people were engaged.

Meeting with service providers in group settings and one-on-one

meetings.

Meeting with the Coalition’s Social Inclusion and Communications and

Engagement Committee.

Online survey of service providers.

Reviewing promising practices being used by organizations.

2.Levels of

Engagement

With people

experiencing

homelessness.

Levels of Engagement

LEVEL

OF

ENGAGEMENTINFORM CONSULT INVOLVE COLLABORATE EMPOWER

DECISION

MAKER

Lead agency,

Organization or

local government

Lead agency,

Organization or

local government

Lead agency,

Organization or

local government

Shared between

participants & lead

agency, organization or

local government

Participants

Your Commitment

“We will keep you

informed.”

Inform

The Decision Maker

The lead agency,

organization, or

government.

LEVEL

OF

ENGAGEMENTINFORM CONSULT INVOLVE COLLABORATE EMPOWER

WE ARE

HERE

Inform

▣ Word of Mouth

▣ Peer Support Workers

▣ Presentations

▣ Printed Materials

▣ Social Media & Messaging

▣ Apps & Websites

▣ Storytelling

Photo by MARK VAN MANEN / PNG

Extreme Weather

Shelters

Your Commitment

“We will listen to your

input; it will influence the

final decision.”

Consult

The Decision Maker

The lead agency,

organization, or

government.

LEVEL

OF

ENGAGEMENTINFORM CONSULT INVOLVE COLLABORATE EMPOWER

WE ARE

HERE

Consult

▣ Focus Groups

▣ Interviews & Conversations

▣ Motivational Interviewing

▣ Surveys

Your Commitment

“You will be involved in

the process; your input

will be reflected in the final

decision.”

Involve

The Decision Maker

The lead agency,

organization, or

government.

LEVEL

OF

ENGAGEMENTINFORM CONSULT INVOLVE COLLABORATE EMPOWER

WE ARE

HERE

Involve

▣ Tenant Meeting

▣ Workshop

▣ Community Liaisons & Commissions

Peer Workers

Your Commitment

“We will look to your for

advice, innovation and

solutions that will directly

affect the final decision.”

Collaborate

The Decision Maker

Shared between the

participants and the lead

agency, organization, or

government.

LEVEL

OF

ENGAGEMENTINFORM CONSULT INVOLVE COLLABORATE EMPOWER

WE ARE

HERE

Collaborate

▣ Partnerships in Decision making

▣ Advisory Committees

Advisory

Committees

Your Commitment

“We will implement what

you decide, and empower

you to influence the

system.”

Empower

The Decision Maker

The participants.

LEVEL

OF

ENGAGEMENTINFORM CONSULT INVOLVE COLLABORATE EMPOWER

WE ARE

HERE

▣ Speakers’ Bureaus

▣ Decision making

▣ Participatory Budgeting

▣ Training

▣ Board of Directors

Empower

SOLIDSociety of Living Illicit Drug Users

3.Preferences of

Engagement

When asked, this

is what people

told us.

4.Engagement for

Unique Groups

When asked,

here is what

people told us.

People With Disabilities

▣ Provide rides or bus tickets

▣ Go to them

▣ Give extra time

▣ Accessibility

▣ Time of day

▣ Don’t judge

▣ Options for online

People With Drug or Alcohol Dependencies

▣ Pick a central location

▣ Time of day

▣ Breaks every 25 minutes

▣ Don’t make assumptions

▣ Overdose preparedness

Youth & Young Adults

▣ Creative engagement

▣ Eye catching promotions

▣ Tackle complex issues

▣ Use a direct approach

▣ Use online, text mediums

▣ Encourage & empower

▣ Educate

▣ Take them seriously

People with Mental Health Issues

▣ Be respectful, listen

▣ Acknowledge hallucinations

▣ Give space

▣ Respect their input

▣ Don’t beat around the bush

▣ Be sensitive about touching

▣ Have peers present

▣ Allow pets

▣ Have smoke breaks

Indigenous People

▣ Partner with indigenous organizations

▣ Consider ‘talking circles’, smudging, sage, tobacco

▣ Invite an elder to be involved in the process

▣ Acknowledge traditional territory

▣ Ask them who else to invite

▣ Make time for listening before any

engagement

5.Key Principles

Each project

should reflect

these principles.

Engagement Key Principles

Appropriate

The right topic, and someone you

trust is asking you the questions.

Everyone is different, and every topic is

different, so methods should be adaptable.

Understand the people and the organization

you are engaging with.

Surveys are best when you have specific

questions to be answered.

One-on-one conversation is best for

generating new ideas.

1 Transparent

You know the purpose of the

questions and w hat will happen with

the information.

You understand the question.

Set realistic expectations about what can

be accomplished with this engagement.

Use open ended questions that start with

“What, how, describe,

tell me…

2 Inclusive

Everyone who has a stake in the topic. or issue

is welcome to participate.

Don’t make signing up in advance a

requirement of being involved.

Go to where the people are with “pop-up”

conversations.

3 Respectful

You are respected and input is important no

matter who you are or how you present.

Sometimes survival is more important.

Engagement can wait.

People’s time is valuable.

Let them know how their input will

make a difference.

4

You feel safe, both physically and emotionally.

Have a warm and friendly approach.

Building trust is important in engagement!

Involve peer support facilitators

and researchers.

Safe5 Responsive

The results are shared with you and

commitments are honoured.

If lots of engagement has been done with

this group, let them know how this is

different.

6 Consistent

Regularly check in with you, not just once.

Provide training for people to be involved

in collaboration and decision making.

7

Engaging decision

makers.

Resources

Event Checklist

The Lived Experience Advisory Council’s

‘Event Checklist’ for planning inclusive,

accessible events.http://www.homelesshub.ca/NothingAboutUs

WithoutUs

Engagement Toolkit

Tools and techniques of engagement by

people with lived experience in

homelessness in Greater Victoria area.http://victoriahomelessness.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2014/07/170630_crd_toolkit.

pdf

Engagement Principles

Key principles and approaches from the

Engagement Toolkit. http://victoriahomelessness.ca/wp-

content/uploads/2014/07/170630_posters-

3.pdf

Stakeholder Engagement Tools

Los Angeles Child & Welfare services

published a toolkit with a thorough look at

process.https://www.cssp.org/publications/general/WP

IC_DCFS_Stakeholder_Engagement_Toolkit.

pdf

Toolkit for Engaging Patients at the

Planning Table

Alberta Health Services developed this

toolkit with lots of info on advisory

councils and advisors.http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/inf

o/pf/pe/if-pf-pe-engage-toolkit.pdf

The Seven Principles

Principles for inclusion and leadership of

people with lived experience by the Lived

Experience Advisory Council.http://www.homelesshub.ca/NothingAboutUs

WithoutUs

Thanks!Any questions?

You can find Lani at

lbrunn@cityspaces.ca

@lanibru

You can find Marika at

marika@communitycouncil.ca

@CSPC_Victoria