'Psychologically Informed Environments from the ground up: service design for complex needs' by Robin Johnson is an introduction to the PIEs approach, the frameworks (PIEs One and PIEs 2.0), this website and the Pizazz.

It includes a small sample of case studies and practice examples, to illustrate the breadth of the field. Since the PIElink already has a number of selections that group examples by setting and by topics, this selection takes another approach, and groups them by:

* Design or re-design of buildings and services

* Techniques for engagement and a sense of belonging

* Thinking differently

NB: In almost all case, each example in each category here could just as well have appeared in another list. For other selections, see : Case studies and practice examples : HERE

 

Designing buildings and services 

• Opening spaces: Simon Community Access Hub, Glasgow.

After attending a workshop on PIEs, the team at the Simon Community in Glasgow began completely rethinking the reception area for their city-centre street drop in for rough sleepers. Here is an example of relationship-centred practice, radically changing the built environment, and also encouraging partnership and co-location of services.

• Elastic tolerance and the impact of low-cost changes: Highwater House, Norwich.

The Highwater House annual report describes the impact of changes introduced after attending a PIE workshop. It shows the synergies in the PIEs approach, in using elastic tolerance, finding low cost changes in the use of the rooms: developing a move-on service, and co-location.

• Working with limited strengths and short time spans: The Big Issue, London. 

In 'The Big Issue as a psychologically informed business environment' Stephen Robertson, CEO, describes the carefully structured opportunities that selling the magazine creates. Here is an example of a 'business environment', consciously working with short attention spans and fragile ambitions, as a kind of  ‘scaffolding of engagement’ to cater for weaknesses and allow new strengths to develop.

• Short time spans and person-centred incentives: Potter Street hostel, Mansfield.

In 'Banking on Time', Graham Gardiner describes devising inventive ways of working with the meagre budgets of a supported accommodation unit, working with short attention span of his service users, in a person-centred approach: and so creating in miniature another ‘psychologically informed business environment’.

• Tackling the leaving care crisis: Social Services Dept, Haringey.

An account of the re-designing a residential care adolescent’s unit in the 1970s to cater for young people facing the crisis of independence created by ‘leaving care’ using a clubhouse or ‘core-and cluster’ approach.

• A trauma informed design checklist: Design Resources for Homelessness, Florida.

Amongst many other useful resources for building design and adaptation, Jill Pable of Design Resources for Homelessness has created a checklist for a trauma-informed approach to the physical environment of a building.

• Forgivable loans: 1011 Lansdowne, Toronto.

Here Elise Hug describes some of the creative thinking, especially on partnerships in funding that lay behind the redevelopment of a run-down tower block in Toronto. This is a chapter taken - with permission, of course - from another collection, the ebook on Housing First in Canada, Exploring Effective Systems Responses to Homelessness. NB: This book describes Housing First not solely as a particular model, demanding fidelity to the 'non-negociable' terms, but also as a much wider strategic direction, within which many creative responses can be located.

• System change and system brokers: Fulfilling Lives, Newcastle and Gateshead.

Ray Middleton & Alex Smith describe attempts at tackling dysfunctional relationships between agencies by working closely with individuals most excluded, in order to learn from individual experiences. Here is system brokerage specifically intended as information for system change.

 

Engagement and a sense of belonging 

• The democracy of pidgin: Aux Captifs la Liberation, Paris.

Some observations on the power of simple language in a day centre meeting both practical and emotional needs with a loose-knit, accepting community, and 'the strength of weak ties'.

• ‘The biscuits are important’: Focus Ireland, Cork.

Ger Spillane of Focus Ireland offices, Cork; on the tiny things that help in creating a relaxed and accepting atmosphere

• The engagement window and the safe couch: Right There, West Kirkbride.

Modest changes to the furnishings and the built environment that change the experience for all concerned; another service for youngsters with a clubhouse model.

• Community work on the streets: REACH, Western Massachusetts.

Brendan Plante of the outreach and assessment team in Western Massachusetts on pre-treatment, and just ‘being there’.

• Group support, clinical input and tenancy with community at 1811 Eastlake, Seattle.

Daniel Malone and colleagues outline ‘congregated’ or ‘single site’ housing for an actively supportive recovery community in the US, working within the Housing First model. (This is an example of a PIE without knowing the name.)

• Working together: ADAPT, West Sussex.

In ‘Building recovery communities’ Brian Morgan tells the history of creating a peer support community for recovery from addiction, as a small business; another example of  developing ‘a psychologically informed business environment’.

• Experts by experience as trainers: Jako Doma, Prague.

The service users at Jako Doma’s women’s support service are now trained and supported to go out to other agencies across the city, to explain and educate on trauma informed care and PIE

• Assisted home-making with photography:  Plymouth.

Leonie Boland, an Occupational Therapist, describes a project using lateral thinking in appreciating and encouraging the efforts of those making a new home.

• Walking together: JustLife, Brighton.

The work of Temporary Accommodation Action Groups extends beyond service-to-service liaison; here they find ways of keeping in touch with those housed in temporary accommodation, who can get lost in the system, without treating them as ‘service users’.

 

Thinking differently

• Noticing small things: an outreach worker’s blog, Stoke on Trent.

'My car is a psychologically informed environment': Ruth Franceska's blog describes noticing a subtle change when using her car as part of her outreach work to ferry someone to an appointment.

• The meaning of reception: Pole Rosa Luxembourg, Paris.

'L'acceuil' - Reception, welcome and acceptance:' Claude Chevrier in an address (in French, translated) to a psychoanalytic colloquium, on rethinking the complex emotional and social meanings of ‘reception’ at a homelessness accommodation unit in the 13e arrondisement

• Rethinking the staff role: University of Hertfordshire.

'The scaffolding of hope' is a psychology degree dissertation on a study of men who had had multiple moves. Coral Westaway sees making relationships central to engagement, and emphasises the relational nature of hope. This entails seeing the staff role in a new light; another example of PIE thinking arising from exclusion-informed research.

• Appreciative Inquiry at King George's Hostel: London.

‘Back on your feet' is a short film, accompanied by two published articles, with Suzanne Quinney describing a pilot for using Appreciative Inquiry as a strengths model: an example of user co-production in developing a ‘learning organisation’.

• Exclusion-informed research: conference presentation, London.

Juliette Hough and Becky Rice, in a workshop presentation on operational principles for person-centred and exclusion-informed research.

• Power imbalance and empowerment techniques: Participatory Appraisal, Tower Hamlets.

Zack Ahmed describes adopting a novel approach for 'local area systems learning' in a public health consultation with substance abuse service users, using an approach derived from post-colonial community development to correct the imbalance in power relationships: this is exclusion-informed community development research.

• Introducing reflective practice on psychiatric wards: NHS, Bristol. ‘

Towards a PIE city’ is a presentation by psychologist Sian Clark on applying PIEs and psychology in acute psychiatry wards in Bristol; on the value of reflective practice: and the potential for applications in hospitals and other therapy settings.

• 'TCs' and the emergence of a new social psychiatry.

‘In search of the enabling environment’ is a degree dissertation essay on rethinking the contemporary nature and legacy of the therapeutic community (the precursor to the paper that launched the phrase PIE. )

• Human Learning Systems: national policy frameworks.

In ‘A Whole New World’, Toby Lowe and colleagues outline a radical new approach to commissioning of services, to allow for psychologically informed services: promoting ‘a PIE of pathways’ (sic): and creating markers of ‘whole systems change’.

Designing buildings and services 

• Opening spaces: Simon Community Access Hub, Glasgow : HERE
• Elastic tolerance and the impact of low-cost changes: Highwater House, Norwich : HERE
• Working with limited strengths and short time spans: The Big Issue, London : HERE 
• Short time spans and person-centred incentives: Potter Street hostel, Mansfield : HERE
• Tackling the leaving care crisis: Social Services Dept, Haringey : HERE
• A trauma informed design checklist: Design Resources for Homelessness, Florida : HERE
• Forgivable loans: 1011 Lansdowne, Toronto : HERE
• System change and system brokers: Fulfilling Lives, Newcastle and Gateshead : HERE

 

Engagement and a sense of belonging 

• The democracy of pidgin: Aux Captifs la Liberation, Paris : HERE
• ‘The biscuits are important’: Focus Ireland, Cork.
• The engagement window and the safe couch: Right There, West Kirkbride : HERE
• Community work on the streets: REACH, Western Massachusett : HERE
• Group support, clinical input and tenancy with community at 1811 Eastlake, Seattle : HERE
• Working together: ADAPT, West Sussex : HERE
• Experts by experience as trainers: Jako Doma, Prague : HERE
• Assisted home-making with photography:  Plymouth : HERE 
• Walking together: JustLife, Brighton : HERE

 

Thinking differently

• Noticing small things: an outreach worker’s blog, Stoke on Trent : HERE
• The meaning of reception: Pole Rosa Luxembourg, Paris : HERE
• Rethinking the staff role: University of Hertfordshire : HERE
• Appreciative Inquiry at King George's Hostel: London : HERE
• Exclusion-informed research: conference presentation, London : HERE
• Power imbalance and empowerment techniques: Participatory Appraisal, Tower Hamlets : HERE
• Introducing reflective practice on psychiatric wards: NHS, Bristol : HERE
• 'TCs' and the emergence of a new social psychiatry : HERE
• Human Learning Systems: national policy frameworks : HERE