Social Work-Based Approach to the Empowerment Model of Rough Sleepers

In the recent two decades, a special kind of homelessness and rooflessness which is named rough sleepers has been appeared in our country, especially in the big city Tehran. The sleeping rough is a sign and resultant of other social issues in society and it also can lead to many more. Different governmental and non-governmental organizations have executed many interventional projects through different approaches. These interventions gradually inclined to support and empower rough sleepers. The research aim was offering an empowerment model for rough sleepers, based on the social work approach. 

This study was a qualitative type and conducted through the thematic analysis method. Data were collected by semi-structured in-depth interviews with eleven experts in sleeping rough and social pathology fields, in summer 2018. Sampling was initiated with a purposeful method and data was saturated with theoretical sampling. Data were analyzed through the “Wolcott” manner. 

Nine themes or categories emerged from the viewpoint of the experts about the issue and solutions, and shaped the network of empowerment themes. Then, by using a social work-based approach the empowerment model of rough sleepers was planed.

A variety of social factors are affecting the empowerment of rough sleepers and using the contributive method with social work values, principles, and theories strengthens and facilitate this process.