Educating the staff at a homeless shelter about mental illness and anger management

The purpose of this project was to assess the educational needs of the staff working at an urban homeless shelter for women and children, in terms of their knowledge about mental illness, and to provide educational sessions at the site based on the needs assessment. Needs were determined through a variety of sources including a survey designed to assess knowledge about mental illness and perceived learning needs, observations of staff interactions, and discussions with the director of the shelter. The ultimate goal was to have a positive impact on the treatment outcomes of the residents at this shelter by increasing the knowledge and skill level of the staff regarding working with clients with mental health conditions and with clients who exhibit angry behaviors. Most staff members interviewed several weeks after the educational sessions demonstrated application and retention of the information taught.