International evidence suggests that frontline staff working in homelessness services likely experience trauma in the course of their work both directly (through experiencing and responding to traumatic events) and indirectly (through ongoing exposure to the emotional distress and trauma of others). This paper draws on data collected during an AHURI funded project and provides the first Australian evidence on the nature and extent of workplace trauma in Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS).
Our mixed methods approach included a national online survey of frontline SHS staff (N = 376), interviews with frontline staff and stakeholders (in NSW, TAS and VIC) and online workshops.
Findings indicate that frontline SHS workers experience distress and vicarious trauma when they bear witness to clients’ experiences of trauma and suffering – which they do on a daily basis. They also experience moral distress and vicarious trauma when systemic factors make it impossible for them to address clients’ unmet needs. They experience direct trauma in the form of verbal aggression, threats, and physical and sometimes sexual assault from clients and are confronted with highly distressing events, including clients’ suicide attempts and deaths by suicide and overdose. These negative experiences are common in frontline SHS work.
Inadequate processes, poor work design and supports, chronic underfunding, poor conditions, and systemic barriers in supporting clients, all acted to compound the effects of direct and indirect trauma.
An alarming number of frontline staff reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress that warranted further assessment (42%, n =337), high (46%, n = 340) or moderate (45%, n = 340) vicarious trauma, and one or more symptoms of burnout (62%, n = 341).
While a range of measures are currently in place to deal with workplace trauma used, they mainly focus on managing workplace trauma rather than reducing it and are inadequate to prevent widespread harm.
Using the hierarchy of controls framework to organize participants’ suggestions we present a range of options to: reduce the risk of experiencing workplace trauma and reduce exposure. We outline physical changes to workplaces as well as changes to organizations’ policies, procedures and practices to mitigate against workplace trauma. We also discuss improvements to existing supports for staff to manage and protect themselves when they do experience workplace trauma.

Intended audience: SHS staff at all levels