health care, health service, social work

This contribution is based on partial data from the research ?Health and Use of Health Care Services by SheltersUsers?, the aim of which was to identify key factors which have an influence on their health and use of healthservices. The research points to the importance of gender-sensitive social work practice in shelters regarding thelife situation and the needs of their clients. We perceive shelters as a specific environment that provides supportwhile they are also a source of potential stress and oppression. Homelessness is an extreme form of poverty andsocial exclusion and a gendered issue, as well. The position of the homeless men and women in our society isdifferent because they are faced with dissimilar expectations and their perceived problems have differenthierarchies. The partial research data show that social work in shelters should include self-reflection of socialworkers and the reflection of specific situations of homeless women and men and it should also include adialogue and an orientation in normative expectations towards homeless men and women. To strengthen thegender competence of social workers is a way how to reach the aim.

This contribution is based on partial data from the research ?Health and Use of Health Care Services by SheltersUsers?, the aim of which was to identify key factors which have an influence on their health and use of healthservices. The research points to the importance of gender-sensitive social work practice in shelters regarding thelife situation and the needs of their clients. We perceive shelters as a specific environment that provides supportwhile they are also a source of potential stress and oppression. Homelessness is an extreme form of poverty andsocial exclusion and a gendered issue, as well. The position of the homeless men and women in our society isdifferent because they are faced with dissimilar expectations and their perceived problems have differenthierarchies. The partial research data show that social work in shelters should include self-reflection of socialworkers and the reflection of specific situations of homeless women and men and it should also include adialogue and an orientation in normative expectations towards homeless men and women. To strengthen thegender competence of social workers is a way how to reach the aim.