A culture of care: How Lotus House Women's Shelter heals program participants through genuineness, space, high expectations, dignity, individualized attention, and community

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine perceptions of Lotus House Women's Shelter from the perspective of former program participants, for the purpose of informing shelter programming and policies. Our qualitative research followed a community-based participatory research framework. Fifty diverse women graduates of Lotus House Women's Shelter participated in eight focus groups to discuss their experiences with Lotus House and other shelters. Findings from this study highlight the elements that create a "culture of care" within an organization.Participants described Lotus House shelter culture as genuine, defined by dignity and respect, having high expectations for guest independence and accountability, giving space to rest and recuperate, recognizing and accommodating individual needs and experiences, and fostering a sense of community. Creating an organizational "culture of care" is an avenue by which any shelter or related organization can enhance the experience of program participants.

‘Trials and Tribulations’: The Ambivalent Influence of Temporary Accommodation on Mental Health Recovery in Chronically Homeless Adults

“…It is possible that the more naturalistic and participant-centred mobile phone diary and visual elicitation in the current study helped minimise any social desirability bias and prompt reflections on previously taken-for-granted aspects of daily life – eliciting more nuanced accounts ( O’Connell, 2013 ). Another possible reason for the more nuanced findings in the present study is its focus on participants’ in-situ experiences compared to research gathering former residents’ retrospective accounts (for example, Eaton et al, 2022 ).…”

Actionable research for understanding and addressing homelessness

“…Relationships are important for service provision as well. In their participatory study, Eaton et al (2021) find that creating a "culture of care" in shelters is integral to recovery from the trauma of homelessness and preparing for reintegration into the community. Erangey et al (2021) argue for a reorientation of service delivery that promotes self-directed change as opposed to prioritizing program-directed outcomes and like Barr et al (2021), point to the value of peer support that is based in relationship In addition to including people with lived experience in homelessness research and practice, this special issue points to the need for understanding unique experiences and trajectories for subgroups of people engaged in housing and support services (Lei & Brown, 2021).…”

“…Notably, many of the articles in this special issue rely on participatory approaches that center the voices and knowledge of people with lived experience (Ansloos et al, 2021; Craven et al, 2021; Eaton et al, 2021; Erangey et al, 2021; Townley et al, 2021) and emphasize the importance of relationships in homelessness research (Hodgetts et al, 2021; Vandenberg et al, 2021). In fact, at least three articles were authored by individuals with lived experience, and many included community member authors.…”

“…Relationships are important for service provision as well. In their participatory study, Eaton et al (2021) find that creating a “culture of care” in shelters is integral to recovery from the trauma of homelessness and preparing for reintegration into the community. Erangey et al (2021) argue for a reorientation of service delivery that promotes self‐directed change as opposed to prioritizing program‐directed outcomes and like Barr et al (2021), point to the value of peer support that is based in relationship…”

“I don’t think of it as a shelter. I say I’m going home”: a qualitative evaluation of a low-threshold shelter for women who use drugs

“…Nationally, the unsheltered population increased by 10% from 2010 to 2023 and, in 2023, 4 of 10 people experiencing homelessness were unsheltered [ 1 ]. Unsheltered homelessness persists in part because of the barriers associated with traditional shelters, including single-night bed assignments, curfew enforcement, strict behavioral regulations, and punitive responses to substance use [ 15 – 17 ]. Encampments offer an appealing alternative for some because they provide greater autonomy and community [ 15 , 18 ].…”