Tool and ideological knowledge in Street Outreach Office working process.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Work
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Street Outreach Offices provide vital services to individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Understanding the knowledge base of these teams is crucial for optimizing their work processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the ideological and tool-based knowledge supporting the Street Outreach Office's working process.
• To analyze how these knowledge types influence service delivery to people in street situations.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative and exploratory research design.
• Semi-structured interviews with 20 Street Outreach Office professionals and 6 users.
• Analysis of emergent categories in light of ideological and tool knowledge.

Main Results:

• Ideological knowledge includes understanding public policies and the needs of individuals in street situations.
• Tool knowledge encompasses devices, instruments for care, and weekly scheduling practices.
• Participant discourses revealed the centrality of ideological knowledge in the working process.

Conclusions:

• The study verified the importance of ideological knowledge in the Street Outreach Office's working process.
• The social determination of being in a street situation was evident, highlighting structural realities.
• Identified contradictions in daily practice point to limitations that need to be addressed.