Archives: Trainers

Dieuwertje is currently advisor on policy for social care and homelessness for the municipality of Groningen. Before she was social worker and then a Housing First team manager for 5 years. She first learned about Housing First in 2013 and was drawn to the concept of giving the most difficult and high care need clients a change at housing directly from the streets. The transition from a ‘surviving-mode’ to feeling safe and secure in their new home, I found was a big challenge for most of my clients and something I found very rewarding to be a part of. Now, she’s also providing training for Housing First teams and give Housing First support worker the tools they need to understand and provide high fidelity support for their clients.

Former social worker, Anna is currently a professional manager in social projects, trainer, and coach. She works for the local government units and is used to work with all stakeholders of the field to creates and implement social projects, mainly in social inclusion area. Her activities focus on supporting the general development and well-being of both individuals and groups, searching for solutions, planning, and managing resources, sharing experiences, and cooperating with various stakeholders. Since 2019 she’s involved in the implementation of Housing first in Poland and work closely with all kinds of Housing First stakeholders in Warsaw and Gdansk.

Raphael is a psychiatrist with a degree in public health from NOVA university. After 10 years in Un chez soi d'abord (French Housing First), he's worked in working first and develops training in recovery oriented practice. His year as an assistant visiting professor at Yale University as part of the Program For Recovery and Community Health (PRCH) was an opportunity to visit several Housing First programmes in the US. He's currently the national coordinator for Un chez soi d'abord France at the DIHAL.

I'm Josep and I have 10 years of experience working in the social sector as a Social Educator. I started working with people with disabilities, with children in care and since 2016 I'm working with this new paradigm HF in Lleida. I believe in this new paradigm and I also think that it is possible to adapt it to the needs of each city. We can do it!

"For me, Housing First is about dignity. By offering people back a home that is really theirs, you give them so much more: freedom and autonomy, life chances, future, happiness"

I've worked in schools and residential services for adolescents for almost 10 years. I work as a support worker and a case manager in an Housing First service since 2015. I work as a Housing First trainer since 2018. I contribute to the spread of the HF approach in my Country where there are often misconceptions and resistances about this approach. I have a degree in psychological sciences and techniques and I'm a professional counsellor.

I am an accomplished leader, who is a member of the Chartered Institute of Managers and educated to post graduate level. I am passionate about system change within homelessness and housing systems and have the drive to be able to influence change in these areas of delivery. I have a proven track record in mobilising, operationalising and overseeing quality and best practice within homelessness and housing provision, both operationally and strategically.

Peter-Jan started working in day shelter for homeless people during his studies, combined with working in the crisis shelter and night shelter in the city of Ghent. In 2012, he started his job as a Housing First support worker for the public welfare of Ghent, this project was part of the Belgian Housing First project, funded by the Belgian government. I was then asked by SAM VZW to assist in the Flemish housing first training to provide insights from his daily practice. His interest on Housing First still growing he took part of the Hub’s Train-the-Trainer, followed by the Outreach! Course organized by SAM Vzw Belgium. He still works as a Housing first support worker for the city of Ghent, and provide the Housing First and Outreach! courses for he Flemish region and as a freelance commissioned by SAM vzw Belgium.

Samara Jones - Programme Coordinator, Housing First Europe Hub   Text to be added.   Languages: English, Dutch, French   Contact Samara: samara.jones@housingfirsteurope.eu  

Matilde is a recent graduate of KU Leuven University (Belgium), where she completed a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development. Despite having a background in international relations and political science, she has always had an interest in sustainability and especially social sustainability, which she investigated for her Master thesis. Her research focused on how NGO coalitions pursue social sustainability by advocating for long-term housing solutions to homelessness such as Housing First, with the Hub as case-study. Her work is now centered on supporting the two Coordinators and the Head of Communication in the daily management of the network.   Languages: Italian, English, French Contact Matilde: intern@housingfirsteurope.eu