Strength in the Face of Adversity: Perseverance and Resilience of Racialized Staff in the Homeless Sector During COVID-19

Abstract

The emotional toll that individuals experience while working in the homeless sector ranges from traumatic stress and burnout to depression and decreased job satisfaction. Recent evidence highlights significant levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms among homeless service providers in some regions of Canada, which are higher than those reported prior to the Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study seeks to examine the impact of gender and ethnicity on work-related stressors among frontline staff in the homeless sector. Utilizing data from a survey on mental health stressors and needs completed by a robust sample of 566 frontline workers in the homeless sector across Canada, we investigate traumatic stress, burnout, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compassion satisfaction, and resilience between three key staff groups including Black, non-Black racialized, and Caucasian. Quantitative analysis revealed key themes related to 1) workplace traumatic experiences reported, 2) lived experience of homelessness, 3) lifetime traumatic events, 4) rates of traumatic stress symptoms, and 5) PTSD scores. Overall, Black staff demonstrated significantly fewer traumatic symptoms and lower burnout, and fewer on-the-job traumatic events, while non-Black racialized persons report slightly higher traumatic stress, burnout, and traumatic events, including traumatic experiences reported on the job. Non-Black racialized staff also report the highest PTSD Checklist (PCL) scores, indicating qualification for PTSD diagnosis. Caucasian staff reported the highest levels of lifetime traumatic events, traumatic events on the job, and burnout. Overall, racialized staff demonstrated lower levels of traumatic stress, and greater overall perseverance and resilience compared to their Caucasian counterparts. While areas such as coping practices and race-specific differences require additional research, the implications of this study can be used to inform institutional and organizational change and address mental health needs for racialized staff within homeless-serving organizations.