Module 2A: Connecting Values and Vision

For participants to gain a deeper appreciation of how their personal experiences and values inform their work and to develop a personal vision that connects those values with the principles of the Health Care for the Homeless program

The learning activities in this section are designed to engage participants with the subject material using informative and interactive approaches. Instructors will need to determine which, if not all, of these activities to carry out depending on a) participants’ learning needs and interests, b) the focus of the training, and c) time available.

Instructors are encouraged to prepare for each activity by reviewing the handouts to be given to participants and by reading the recommended resource papers and materials that are listed. These papers and materials, along with other relevant resources, will provide useful background information to assist in fulfilling the purpose of this section. The amount of time suggested for each activity should be adjusted as needed.

Purpose: To have participants reflect on personal experiences and influences that have motivated them to become involved in outreach

Time: 15 minutes or more

Materials:

Blank piece of paper and pen for each participant

Flipchart

Multicolored construction paper

Colored markers, crayons, pens

Magazines, scissors, glue

Preparation: Gather materials and familiarize yourself with the activity. As preparation, draw your own "river of life." Do this exercise with someone else if possible and share your experiences.

Note that this exercise, particularly the aspect of reflecting on the "rough waters" in one's life, may provoke unwelcome thoughts or memories for some individuals.  Comment on this when introducing the "River of Life" exercise and give permission to participants to excuse themselves from doing the exercise if they so choose.

Procedure:

1. Explain that a river is a meaningful symbol in many cultures and that most people find it quite natural and stimulating to think of their own lives in terms of a river. In this activity participants are invited to use the symbol of a river to reflect on their own personal lives.

2. Ask each person to take a piece of blank paper and a pen (or for a more creative approach, provide them with optional materials such as those noted above).

3. On the flip chart write the following:

   • River of life – key stages in your life

   • Tributaries – positive experiences and influences

   • Rough waters – difficult challenges

4. Demonstrate how you might draw the river, tributaries and rough waters and then ask each person to draw their own. Various points on the river represent significant stages in one’s life. Tributaries are drawn to indicate key influences (e.g. people, education, books, experiences, events, etc.) that contributed directly or indirectly to becoming involved in outreach. "Rough waters" in the river illustrate those times one has encountered difficult challenges in life that have potentially been the source of valuable learning relevant to this work.

5. Encourage participants to be as self-disclosing in this exercise as is comfortable. Explain that they will be asked to share some of these experiences in small groups of two or three.

6. Allow 5-7 minutes for drawing the river. If using optional materials, give more time for cutting and pasting. Encourage the group to be creative, for example, use colors to express different moods at different periods of their lives.

7. Form groups of two or three to share the experiences illustrated by the rivers. Allow 8-10 minutes for this informal sharing.

8. As closure to the activity, invite anyone who wishes to share with the group any discoveries or insights they might have gleaned from this river excursion.

Variation for Activity: Many people view their life as a "pathway" or "roadway" rather than a "river." As facilitator, it is important to be flexible to see which metaphor works best for people. Also, some participants may not feel comfortable drawing. Have them write out their river of life rather than draw it.

(Adapted from "River of Life" exercise in Community Organizing curriculum published by New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, 1994)

Purpose: To reflect on what values and experiences have drawn you to outreach work and what strengths, skills, and motivations you bring to the work

Time: 25 minutes

Materials: Handout: What Brings You and What Do You Bring to This Work?

Preparation:

Familiarize yourself with the activity steps as described below. It is recommended that you complete the exercise for yourself, preferably with a friend or colleague. This will enhance your awareness of the effect of doing the exercise and help you facilitate discussion about it.

Procedure:

1. Ensure that each participant has a handout. Read or summarize the opening paragraphs on the handout as a way of introducing the topic.

2. Ask each person to reflect briefly on each question one at a time and jot down whatever initial responses come to mind. The idea of this exercise is to spur a sampling of ideas, not to be comprehensive. Allow 6-8 minutes for this part.

3. Divide into small groups of 2-3 members. Ask participants to share within the small groups their responses to selected questions. Allow about 10 minutes for this interaction.

4. Reconvene into the large group and spend some time "debriefing" this activity. Any surprises? New insights? Concerns? Affirmations?

Purpose: To create a simple personal statement that articulates the worker’s vision for doing outreach work with people experiencing homelessness

Time: 20 minutes

Materials: Paper and pen

Preparation: This activity builds upon Activities I and II. The idea is to encourage participants to use their imaginations to create a bold personal statement that speaks to their dreams about what they might be able to accomplish through their outreach work. By definition, a vision statement speaks to values and ideals that are held out as a source of hope and inspiration, even though those ideals are unlikely to be reached.

Prepare for this activity by writing your own personal vision statement and observing your own thought process in doing so. This will help you facilitate others in the process of writing their statements.

Note that vision statements may change over the course of time.

Procedure:

1. Explain that the purpose of this exercise is "to create a bold personal statement that speaks to your hopes and dreams related to your outreach work." To spark participants’ imaginations, read the following contrasting "vision statements."

   • "We have been called to heal the wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way." Francis of Assisi

   • "The world is out of joint. Oh cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right." Shakespeare (from Hamlet)

2. Invite everyone to take a pen and paper and spend about 5 minutes writing their own personal vision statement. Assure them that it does not need to be eloquent. Focus on the question: "What is your personal vision related to your outreach work?"

3. Afterward, ask for volunteers to share what they’ve written to get an idea of the various ways participants responded to this question. You might end the activity at this point, or continue with step #4.

4. Extend the activity by inviting participants to discuss the questions: "What helps you stay focused on your mission?" and "What hinders you from maintaining that focus?" This can be done in small groups or in the large group.

Purpose: To "wrestle with" some of the difficult issues that come up in outreach

Time: 30-40 minutes

Materials: Handout: "What would you do if …?"

Preparation:

Set up a "call-in radio show" called "What Would You Do If?" You will need volunteers from the participant group to act as the talk-show host, to serve as members of a two-person outreach expert panel, and to be callers. Callers will phone in to the show with their outreach dilemmas. These scenarios may be chosen from the handout or callers can make up their own.

The panel of outreach experts, the host, and the caller will discuss the situation among themselves "live on the air." They will carry on a lively exchange of ideas in hope that some useful insights will come out of the discussion. Volunteers should be rotated among various roles in this activity.

Procedure:

1. Explain the purpose and setting of the activity. Ask for three volunteers, one to be a radio talk show host, and the other two to serve on an outreach expert panel. Assure the panel members they don’t really have to be "expert" but just to respond as best that they can. Those who remain can be callers who "phone in" to the show.

2. Instruct the talk show host to begin by welcoming the panel and listeners to the show. Then invite callers to phone in their outreach dilemmas. Callers should begin their questions with the phrase, "What would you do if … ?"

3. Encourage a free-flowing interchange among the callers, the panel, the host, and others in the audience. The host, in particular, should occasionally play the role of "devil’s advocate."

4. After several calls, find new volunteers to serve as the host and expert panel members. Continue the activity for approximately 30-40 minutes or as long as time permits.

Purpose: To identify and discuss some of the difficult issues and dilemmas encountered in outreach

Time: 30-40 minutes

Materials: Flipchart and marker

Preparation:

Outreach workers are invariably faced with situations that present moral, ethical and/or practical dilemmas. This seems to be the norm more than the exception. Workers learn quickly that the world in which they work is full of "gray areas." All too frequently, there seems to be no clear-cut, right or wrong approach. Indeed, workers often become "caught in the horns of a dilemma."

Identifying and acknowledging these dilemmas can help workers from being caught off-guard when they arise. It is important that they are aware of their own reactions to the issues that come up and are able to discuss these matters with their peers and supervisors in order to formulate a proper response.

Think about examples from your own experience as you prepare for this exercise. You might also refer to the handout for Activity IV "What would you do if …?" for additional ideas to help prompt participants’ brainstorming.

Procedure:

1. Begin by acknowledging that outreach is challenging work. Outreach workers often encounter unique and complex situations for which a clear-cut response is not always evident. Practical and ethical dilemmas will inevitably arise as to what is the best course of action.

2. Ask participants to brainstorm some of the difficult situations or case illustrations they have faced or could imagine facing in outreach. Write these down in "short-hand" on a flipchart. (Consider grouping them if you wish under more specific categories, e.g. personal rights, interpersonal issues, systems issues, and so forth.)

3. Break into small groups of five or fewer. Assign each group one of the situations/case examples from the brainstorm above. Provide enough details so that the basic context and issues are clear.

4. Explain that each group is to assume the role of the "Outreach Consultation Team" in their agency whose task it is to provide clinical consultation for "sticky issues" that arise in outreach.

5. Instruct the team to take about 8-10 minutes to discuss the case/situation among themselves and prepare a verbal report that reflects their best advice (or at least raises key questions to be addressed) about how to address it. The report should include:

   • a brief description of the case/situation, including identification of the issues and dilemmas of concern

   • recommendations about the best course of action to follow (this may include a need for more specific information)

6. Each group then presents the case and their recommendations to the large group (who represent the workers who raised the concern). Some time should be permitted after each presentation for dialogue to take place between the consultation team and the audience.

Purpose: To promote the practice of outreach that is consistent with the HCH philosophy of care and adheres to proper behavioral and relational boundaries

Time: 20-30 minutes

Materials: Handout: Professional and Ethical Guidelines for HCH Outreach Workers

Preparation:

Be acquainted with the material in the handouts and with your agency-specific code of ethics and related policies. Note that ethics are defined as "the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group; a guiding philosophy " (Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary). Observe also the definition by David Steindl-Rast on the handout: ""Ethics is how we behave when we decide we belong together. " While there doesn’t exist a standardized code of ethics for HCH outreach workers, the handout on Professional and Ethical Guidelines for HCH Outreach Workers begins to point in that direction.

Procedure:

1. Introduce the activity by commenting that because of the unconventional and complex situations that are encountered in outreach, workers sometimes feel compelled to "bend" certain rules or at least make adaptations to their normal way of practicing. This leaves them with a feeling of uncertainty as to whether they’re doing the right thing in a given situation. This activity is designed to acknowledge this reality and to provide some basic guidelines to provide grounding and direction for this work. Remind participants of the importance of "checking in" with supervisors and co-workers in these circumstances.

2. Describe what guidelines are and their purpose. Explain that guidelines are intended to provide a useful framework for decision making in various situations. The guidelines in the handout are to be used as an adjunct to agency-specific guidelines and policies.

3. Go over the specific guidelines on the handout with the group. Invite from the group and/or provide some case examples to illustrate particular guidelines. Some of the guidelines are straightforward whereas others might "raise an eyebrow or two." Take time to discuss these particular guidelines that raise any questions. Ask if anyone has other ideas not included on the handout.

4. As appropriate, review selected guidelines and policies of your agency that relate to personal and ethical guidelines. Compare them with the guidelines listed in this exercise.

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This project was funded through a Cooperative Agreement with the Health Care for the Homeless Branch, Division of Programs for Special Populations of the Bureau of Primary Health Care/HRSA January 2002.