The knowledge and voice of service users. “Housing First”: An experimental program
Type de matériel :
93
The experimental context of Housing First, augmented by an option entitled “the getting better” option, formed an intersection point where different kinds of knowledge were shared (scientific, professional, and experiential). The evaluation of this program shows that people directly concerned by living in the streets and by severe mental health problems do not separate their life experiences of vulnerability from those to do with their capability to act. This article asks: how can research be positioned so as to take into account the importance of giving a voice and recognizing the knowledge of these people within an environment of multiple sources of knowledge? The perspective maintained here is that the voice of the people taking part in the enquiry is not substitutable, particularly concerning things that count the most for them (hearing voices, living with agoraphobia, paying debts to justice, etc.) or concerning the way in which they face these strains and find ways of overcoming them or are negatively affected by them. In the last instance, our research position consisted of trying to understand the words, voice, and knowledge of service users so as to make visible and to document a situation of personal revival where vulnerability and capability are inextricably linked.
Réseaux sociaux