Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Narrative Practices in Support of Frontline Community Work With Homelessness, Mental Health, and Substance Use

Abstract

Abstract:In the context of starting a Housing First Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team, the authors describe their use of Narrative Therapy and Narrative Practices while working alongside individuals facing problems with homelessness, mental health challenges, and substance use. As many front line community workers responding to such problems are not trained counsellors, the authors provide an overview to Narrative Therapy, its key concepts, and how workers might use Narrative Practices as a nonexpert, anti-oppressive, and social justice response. To illustrate the concepts and how they translate into everyday conversations with workers, Roy, a participant of the ACT program, shares his story of resistance to the influences of stigma and substances. Roy also offers a reflection on this paper. Practice questions are suggested to support alternative story development, and the relevance for child, youth, and family work is suggested.

Counter-Narratives of Structural Oppressions, Stigma and Resistance, and Reproductive and Sexual Health Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness

“…Narrative theory was applied to this study because of its applications for conceptualizing lived and preferred stories of disenfranchised communities when navigating stigma. While narrative theory posits that no sole narrative is a single truth considering the multiplicity of interpretations, certain narratives wield more or less power based on the extent to which they circulate within society, allowing them to become either dominant-or counternarratives (McKenzie-Mohr & Lafrance, 2017;McTighe, 2018;Williams & Baumgartner, 2014).…”

“…Many dominant storylines regarding homelessness are laced with stigmatizing descriptions whereby homelessness is positioned as a choice caused by intrinsic failings (Williams & Baumgartner, 2014). Dominant narratives tend to be problem-saturated with conceptualizations of those experiencing homelessness as mentally ill, addicted to substances, lazy, idle dangerous, delinquent, deficient in skills and abilities, and untrustworthy (Toolis & Hammack, 2015).…”

“…Research focused on narrow conceptions of resilience, which highlight individual strength and successful assimilation into dominant norms of society, can leave oppressive social structures unexamined and contribute to upholding dominant relations of power within society (Robinson & Schmitz, 2021). As an alternative, a narrative theory approach considers problems as residing within the broader social, economic, political, and historical contexts, and counternarratives act as a platform for stigmatized individuals to resist harmful storying of their lives, while seeking liberation from disenfranchisement and insubordination (McKenzie-Mohr & Lafrance, 2017;Williams & Baumgartner, 2014). Counter-narratives in research with YEH have been captured through instances wherein YEH have questioned the status quo, identified structural barriers and inequities, externalized problems to residing within the broader oppressive social and political forces, and re-claimed their narratives through crafting and restoring a meaningful identity and sense of purpose, pride, hope, and empowerment (Toolis & Hammack, 2015).…”

“…In more focused, subsequent analyses, a narrative theory approach was used to examine youths' accounts of stigma and resistance. Derived from postmodernism, which posits that one's understanding of the world is contingent upon time and culturally-bound meanings, and social constructivism, which suggests that the environment shapes individuals just as individuals shape the environment, narrative theory assumes that the stories or narratives that one tells about themselves, and that are told about them, are central to how an individual understands, maintains, and gives meaning to their existence (McKenzie-Mohr & Lafrance, 2017;McTighe, 2018;Williams & Baumgartner, 2014). Qualitative interviews were transcribed and uploaded to Dedoose, the secure, cloud-based, qualitative analysis software platform.…”

Becoming an Insider: Narrative Therapy Groups Alongside People Overcoming Homelessness

“…In addition, as co-presenters, group members were able to advise people who worked in helping professions about what was useful and what was not useful when working with people who were overcoming homelessness and dealing with struggles of mental health and substance use. As audience members listened with rapt curiosity to participants' stories, a bidirectional exchange of learning took place (Williams & Baumgartner, 2014). Some of the suggestions that participants shared with people working with people overcoming homelessness and problems of mental health and substance use included: Be open-minded; take things with a grain of salt; take what the client says seriously; take it easy-don't argue with the person; every individual is different-learn about people's backgrounds; make sure the information you pass on is correct and solid; practice patience; [tell them] "keep going"; nurture the person; give me a heads-up, am I going the right way?…”