APS Interest Group
Overview
The APS Interest Group on Psychology and Homelessness will hold online peer consultation groups in 2025 on the first Wednesday of each month. Your participation, whether discussing your own practice or listening to others, will contribute to meeting your annual continuing professional development requirements and be of benefit to your practice. In each session, the time will be shared equally among those who would like to discuss their own practice. The group will have a maximum of 8 attendees.
As the Psychology and Homelessness Interest Group is hosting the event the focus of discussion will be assessing and treating mental health conditions among people with lived experience of homelessness. We will also identify social factors contributing to, and associated resources to support, mental health or housing outcomes in this population. This group will be ideal for you if you have an interest in homelessness or if you practice in the public or homelessness sector. You may also want to attend if, in the regular course of your work, you have a client who is at risk of homelessness (e.g., living in unstable or unsafe accommodation) or is presenting with a mental health condition prevalent among people experiencing homelessness, such as complex PTSD. Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples may also be a focus of discussion as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are over-represented in the homeless population.
This is one of a series of monthly sessions. Please book separately into other monthly peer consultation sessions, using the links below.
Schedule:
Time: 6:00 PM - 07:00 PM(AEST/AEDT)
Proposed dates with links to individual Event Listings:
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this webinar, participants should:
- Have enhanced knowledge and understanding of the impact of homelessness on the mental health of individuals and their families.
- Have enhanced knowledge and understanding of additional considerations and challenges in the assessment and treatment of individuals affected by homelessness.
- Have an improved understanding of the mental health conditions that are prevalent among people experiencing homelessness, such as trauma-related disorders and substance-related disorders.
- Have awareness of homelessness services available in your local area that provide support and accommodation.
Presenter(s)
Ms. Erin Fearn-Smith
About the presenter(s)
Erin Fearn-Smith, convener of the APS Interest Group for Psychology and Homelessness, will host these sessions.
Erin is a psychologist and rehabilitation counsellor with further academic qualifications in community development, human nutrition and child and adolescent health. She has 25+ years of industry experience in mental health, homelessness and social inclusion across the not-for-profit and local government sectors in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Erin currently teaches at the University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine and Health, operates a small private practice, and is a PhD candidate with a research focus on brain injury and cognitive impairment among people experiencing homelessness.
Notes
Registration includes access to a Zoom link to participate in a 1-hour peer consultation session.
Target Audience
This event is aimed at psychologists and others working in, or interested in, homelessness.
CPD
It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.
The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.
If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.