An anti-oppressive approach to social work practice with transgender youth and young adults experiencing homelessness

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores professional practices employed in services for transgender youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in Israel from the perspective of the service providers. The study combines individual interviews with focus groups with 28 staff members of three services. Thematic analysis of the interviews yielded two main themes. The first focuses on professional practices utilised in the services on the individual and inter-personal level, including creating a safe space, exploring gender identities, and imparting life skills and the ability to contend with bureaucratic systems. The second theme sheds light on practices on the societal level, including mentoring, guidance, and exercising rights, as well as anti-bias education. The findings highlight the importance the service providers ascribe to work that relates to the ‘outside’ and the ‘inside’ of the services, and to toggling between micro and macro levels. Such movement constitutes the practical implementation of context-informed approaches and anti-oppressive perspectives in work with trans youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, which emphasise the development of resilience and personal agency.