Staff Members’ Experience of Italian Shelters for LGBTQIA+ Homeless and Runaway People: An Exploratory Study

Elena Tubertini, Agostino Carbone () and Massimo Santinello
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Elena Tubertini: Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy
Agostino Carbone: Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Massimo Santinello: Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 13, 1-15

Abstract: Background: Some LGBTQIA+ people, after coming out, experience marginalization and homelessness due to rejection and discrimination from their family and community. The increase in support requests led to the creation of LGBTQIA+ temporary shelter homes worldwide. This study aims to explore the functioning and effectiveness of shelters, analyzing the experiences of staff members in Italy. Methods: Focus groups were held with a total of 15 staff members (age range: 32–53) working in three shelters for LGBTQIA+ people. Data were analyzed qualitatively through the grounded theory methodology. Results: Data coding showed five final core categories: (1) user characteristics; (2) staff characteristics; (3) community relations; (4) activities carried out by services; (5) criteria for intervention assessment and staff satisfaction. Results revealed some criticalities in the effectiveness of these services, particularly the difficulty in achieving autonomy for users, a weakness attributable to the non-exhaustive training of staff members and the funding discontinuity. Conclusion: To improve the efficacy of shelters, this study emphasizes the necessity to (a) carry out an analysis of the vulnerability of the local LGBTQIA+ community, (b) establish a stable network with local services (NHS system), and (c) implement staff members’ psychological training.

Keywords: LGBTQIA+; homeless services; southern Europe; psychological intervention; health psychology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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