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Introduction
Laura Kabbash originates from Montreal and has called Fredericton her home for the last four years. She is a fourth-year Ph.D. student enrolled in UNB’s clinical psychology program and is passionate about working with and aiding at-risk youth. Kabbash plans to work with children either through community work or private practice. In the future, she hopes to supervise graduate students and has an interest in teaching.
Kabbash’s Research
Kabbash’s research interests are broad, which is reflected in her experience. Her research has included looking at partners of alleged sexual offenders, macro-level predictors of human trafficking, section 19 conferences for youth in the criminal justice system, and homelessness. Her research on homelessness looks at the responsivity between available social services and the needs of those experiencing homelessness. Kabbash has always been interested in working with individuals from marginalized groups and hopes that her research will have a positive impact on communities. Dr. Scott Ronis, Kabbash’s supervisor, is on the board of the John Howard Society (JHS), an organization that works with individuals experiencing homelessness and evaluates factors that they face in regard to community resources located within Fredericton. Through her connection with Dr. Ronis and the JHS, Kabbash has fostered a number of relationships with frontline workers and service users.
“I want to give a voice to individuals who traditionally haven’t been listened to!” Kabbash stated in an interview with the ASRJ. “I hope to help bridge the gap between individuals with lived experience and policymakers who can enact change on a broader level.”
While extensive research has examined the factors of risk and needs associated with individuals experiencing homelessness, Kabbash’s research focuses on the factors affecting individuals’ responsivity to available resources. As Kabbash explained to the ASRJ, “the current project is a multi-phase study in partnership with the John Howard Society evaluating the impact of various factors on individuals’ experiences using community resources. Through semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders (e.g., service providers, shelter service users, peer-support housing users), I will identify target areas for change from their unique perspectives. The exploration of multiple viewpoints is crucial because provincial and federal policy decisions often have little to do with the lived experience of service users. Although research suggests that the emergency shelter system is insufficient to address the needs of unhoused individuals, it continues to be prioritized and funded by policymakers. The current project aims to bridge a gap between service users and decision-makers through a knowledge translation and mobilization process, with the end goal of maximizing the responsivity between individuals’ needs and the services available.”
Homelessness in Atlantic Canada
“Homelessness is a critical yet often ignored issue in Canada, with more than 22,000 Canadians accessing shelters daily,” Kabbash said. According to the State of Homelessness in Canada (SHC) report, at least 235, 000 Canadians experience homelessness each year (Gaetz et al., 2013). SHC’s figure is an estimation; the actual number is most likely much higher. For example, the SHC report does not capture people experiencing homelessness who can temporarily live with friends or relatives. Kabbash stated that“homelessness is a complex issue that has many negative psychosocial and physical health outcomes associated with it (i.e., tri-morbidity).” As specified by ‘Everyone counts’ in New Brunswick, increased rates of people experiencing homelessness and sleeping rough often stem from issues related to addiction and substance use, spousal conflict, and incarceration (MacKinnon, M., 2018). In addition, homeless people often lack access to proper medical care and beneficial community resources. According to a survey conducted in 2018 by the Human Development Council, gender is an important factor in determining homelessness, with 59% of the federal homeless population being male, 38% female, and 3% transgender/two-spirit/genderqueer.
In an attempt to combat the growing issue of homelessness in the province, New Brunswick has instituted several social service measures, including mental health counselling, addiction and substance use support, and intervention for severe medical conditions (MacKinnon, M., 2018). Actions are in place to resolve the rising cases of homelessness with New Brunswick by placing service providers within various cities throughout the province and planning housing projects with aims to decrease the number of people with no current living accommodations. There are so many excellent services available for use within the province. The next step is ensuring that everyone knows their locations and what is available for users if they would like to partake in the service, as stated by Kabbash within the interview. According to Kabbash, the current population needs to be aware “that homelessness is a very complex issue that cannot be explained by a sole individual or social factors, and that those experiencing homelessness are as deserving of respect as anyone else.”
Homelessness in Fredericton
Homelessness is especially prominent within the city of Fredericton. In March 2018, New Brunswick Point in Time Count (NBPTC) (a strategy to help determine the extent of homelessness in a community at a single point in time), counted 70 individuals who experienced absolute homelessness within Fredericton. NBPTC’s initiative helps provide communities with 24-hour snapshots and includes a survey administered by volunteers. The data sets procured from the survey will help communities determine if their interventions are successful over a period of time. The Point-in-Time Count strategy is funded by local communities and the Government of Canada and is just one step toward enacting strategies meant to curb the occurrence of homelessness. Other organizations providing social services in Fredericton include Liberty Lane, Grace House for Women, Fredericton Downtown Community Health Center, Victoria Health Centre, etc. (MacKinnon, M., 2018).
Kabbash commented that she was humbled by the willingness of homeless individuals to share their stories. She finds their perspectives helpful in determining how local services might better suit their needs. She hopes her research can help enact practical change in the Fredericton area and help people experiencing homelessness access the services they need, thus maximizing the match between the available services and their personalized needs.
Conclusion
Having interviewed Kabbash, I have learned the extent of the homelessness problem New Brunswickers face. Her research shows how people are trying to resolve homelessness and the following steps to maintain this progress. Kabbash recommends that students reach out and connect with professors if interested in finding research or volunteering opportunities, which is a crucial foundation for building research programs.
Graduate students can be a fantastic resource in sharing their experiences and providing insight into graduate programs, which was the case for Kabbash. Through her research, Kabbash has gained an understanding that “homelessness is a very complex issue that solely individual or social factors cannot explain, and that those experiencing homelessness are as deserving of respect as anyone else.”
Authors
References:
Gaetz, S., Donaldson, J., Richter, T., & Gulliver, T. (2013). About Homelessness, supporting communities to prevent and end homelessness. Homeless Hub.
https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/how-many-people-are-homeless-canada
MacKinnon, M. (2018). ‘Everyone Counts’ in New Brunswick highlights from the 2018 point in time count. Human Development Council.
https://sjhdc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/PiT-Report-2018-Final.pdf
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