World Homelessness Day and World Mental Health Day

Today marks both World Homelessness Day and World Mental Health Day.

We wanted to use this occasion to discuss how different challenges in people’s lives can compound and make overcoming them even more difficult. Experiencing poor mental health and homelessness are just two of the many challenges that some people who use our services face.

The Compounding Effect of Multiple Challenges

Consider someone struggling with drug and/or alcohol use. This likely affects their mental health, which in turn can make addressing their substance use harder. If they are also experiencing homelessness, all three challenges make improving their situation increasingly difficult. In the caring professions, we call this “multiple disadvantage,” and it poses a serious risk to the health and well-being of the people we work with.

Other forms of disadvantage include:

• Being from a marginalized group
• Experiencing poverty
• Physical health conditions
• Contact with the criminal justice system
• Trauma
• Amongst many more

It’s important to note that not everyone who uses drugs and/or alcohol experiences disadvantage. However, those who do face disadvantage will be more greatly affected by any negative consequences.

BDP’s Approach

At BDP, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to reach their potential. We work to support people who experience multiple disadvantage through:

Building Strong Connections

Bristol has a diverse range of services working to support people who experience some form of disadvantage. We are proud to have strong working relationships with most of these organizations, and our staff are well-accustomed to referring people to other services when they need support beyond our expertise. At BDP we work in partnership with organisations that support people around:

• Physical health
• Blood borne viruses
• Sexual health
• Sex work
• Sexual violence
• Housing
• Criminal Justice System
• Parents
• Social services
• Refugees
• Amongst many more

Running Trauma-Informed Services

Our trauma-informed approach centres on viewing the whole person and all the complex factors that make up their experience. We understand that trauma can manifest in many different ways, and we actively provide services that account for a person’s needs by:

• Making people feel safe
• Building trust with the individual
• Empowering people to make choices about the services they want
• Being mindful of cultural awareness

Promoting Diversity

People from populations who face discrimination are far more likely to experience multiple disadvantage. As an organization, we pledge to provide accessible services to every member of our city by:

• Being culturally sensitive
• Reaching out to different communities
• Ensuring our staff are equipped with the skills and expertise to best meet people’s needs, regardless of their background

Get Support

If you need support around your drug and/or alcohol, please get in touch.

We will work with you to identify your individual needs and provide the most appropriate support.