The current study was designed to build on the previous five years of research, while expanding to additional research sites in Canada and capitalizing on the unique situation presented by the pandemic. In a previous CIHR sponsored study of pandemic preparedness in Canadian cities, we found that municipal governments, homeless organizations and staff in shelters were unprepared for the unique demands of those who could not “shelter in place” or practice preventative hygiene and social distancing (ref?). Similar to many other sectors, homeless organizations had to quickly adapt to the circumstances of COVID-19 and figure out how to balance public safety with the need to continue providing vital support services to a vulnerable population. These additional stressors combined with the lack of a clear pandemic plan led to increased stress for staff at all levels of these organizations.
In this most recent wave of data collection, our research team expanded the original protocol to assess the levels of primary and secondary stress experienced by HWFW in the midst of a global pandemic. COVID-19 created a unique opportunity to compare the previously established baseline rates of traumatic stress, with the rates of traumatic stress experienced by HSFW who continue to serve vulnerable populations in a pandemic. Unlike other industries who were able to shift their job responsibilities to a virtual or remote working environment, HSFW continued with direct client contact to provide essential services in temporary/emergency housing shelters, food services, outreach, managed alcohol programs and even COVID-isolation sites.