A Descriptive Study of Perceived Physical Safety Among Service Providers in the Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Programs.

Abstract

Purpose: Service providers working with homeless populations frequently experience physical safety incidents in their jobs, but little is known about the rate of physical safety events among health and social service providers, in general, and in those serving homeless populations specifically.

Materials and methods: The current study involved a cross-sectional survey of providers in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Homeless Programs about any work experience that threatened their physical safety and the consequences of such events. A total of 1,273 multidisciplinary service providers completed an anonymous online survey regarding their safety at work.

Results: Sixty-one percent of respondents reported experiencing a physical safety event at work, and 54% (n = 689) provided narrative description of their physical safety event in a free-text survey question. A binary logistic regression found that those who experienced a physical safety event compared to those who did not were significantly more likely to report that they felt their job was less safe, which they had less organizational support, and tended to report lower job satisfaction, but there was mixed significance in symptoms of burnout. Results from the qualitative analysis of free-text responses supported these findings of lack of safety and leadership support with increased risk tolerance.

Discussion: Many VA service providers working with homelessness have experienced a physical safety event on the job.

Conclusion: Organizational support may mitigate physical safety events for social workers serving in homeless and other community-based organizations serving homeless individuals.