The monthly essay

A bit like a blog – actually very like a blog – the monthly essay could become an opportunity for PIElink readers and writers to take a little longer to play with an idea, an opinion, or to explore a more ironic, whimsical, even a satirical style.

So we started this in August 2016, as an experiment, with the first essay: “Memes: a cautionary tale - Part One: The PIE.”  on the evolution of the concept of a PIE. (We can be fairly sure there will be a Part Two.)

September sees what was originally an actual blog post, a comment on the WHO 2016 theme of psychological first aid - here extended into a full length comment on psychological first aid and homelessness: "Homelessness, Housing First and Mental Health First Aid".

October's essay, "The democracy of pidgin", starts like a blog, and ends as an observation on government policy and sociological research on the ties that bind - 'the strength of weak ties' - in the homelessness community.   It is here as a contribution to a growing interest in seeing 'the homeless' as a suitable population for community work, and not simply as a population to be eradicated.

November showcases Paul Ashton, with his prose poem on life on the streets, "A way of Life"

December, in festive and playful mood, has Robin Johnson returning, with blog written for HomelessLink: "Everything you ever wanted to know about PIEs, but were afraid to ask". 

January 2017 sees a briefing paper, 'Five actions by government to tackle mental health and homelessness' prepared for a Round Table with the Dept of Health inviting suggestions from experts in the field.

February 2017 has the pre-peer-reviewed draft of 'Housing First; addressing the community dimension' which takes an extended look at developments in practice, in the US and Canada and elsewhere, that appear to be now addressing what otherwise appeared to be the missing dimension of Housing First - community, peer support, and a sense of belonging to something. (NB: this is part one of an extended essay in four parts - "Principles and practice in psychology and homelessness')

March, April and May 2017 continue the exploration of Housing First practice in the US wit three excerpts from a book then being prepared, Cross-cultural Dialogues on Homelessness; From Pretreatment Strategies to Psychologically Informed Environments, edited by Jay Levy, co-editor (of the UK chapters) Robin Johnson

June 2017 see the first of a series of videos, prepared originally for the PIEs Self Assessment and Service Specification working party.  This first shows the results of a survey of working party members over what areas need addressing, in any new framework. 

January 2018 develops one particular aspect of the PIEs 2.0 formula, with "Learning and Enquiry, and the cycles of practice based learning.'

February 2018  begins and exploration of the Abacus, as process and as software, as a suitable platform for the Pizazz, with The Abacus in outline

 

NB: If any readers would like to contribute an ideas piece here, or just some musings on what you see and feel: do drop us a line.