Using art as community interventions for groups who have experienced homelessness: creating connection and mutual support

ABSTRACT

This paper describes group and community intervention work with individuals currently or formerly experiencing homelessness to create mutual connection and support using art, poetry, stories, pop-up porches, and photobooks. The group and community intervention work was enhanced by International Association of Social Work with Groups (IASWG) SPARC endorsement and funding to create photobooks which served to visualize the life stories and accomplishments of persons identifying as currently or formerly homeless. The two-decade journey of the author’s work with individuals experiencing homelessness will be described to illustrate and celebrate how creative group and community interventions addressing homelessness (including photobooks) can connect individuals experiencing homelessness with people who have never experienced homelessness to facilitate group dialogue and mutual understanding.

KEYWORDS:

• Homelessness
• group intervention
• community intervention
• photobooks
• mutual support

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The International Association of Social Workers with Groups SPARC program provided endorsement for this project and $500 for the creation of the photobooks.