Providing and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries

Boundaries are limits that can be personal, physical, emotional or professional in nature. Appropriate boundaries are part of all healthy' relationships.

Maintaining healthy boundaries is necessary when working with our clients because many have experienced infringements or assaults on their proper boundaries. Often these experiences leave our clients unable to create or understand healthy limits.

A structured way of living, with a routine and an expected outcome, helps our clients begin to trust the program, themselves, and hopefully, life, once again.

Every individual wants and needs to be heard, acknowledged, and respected for the unique human being they are. Listening, conversing, and validating our clients can be one of the best ways we can assist. We treat each person with respect, impartiality, and confidentiality - listening and not "fixing".

Respecting our clients and their dignity includes allowing and encouraging them to do as much as possible for themselves.

In our interactions with our clients, one of the most important questions to ask is, "WHO is being served by the action I am about to take?

By its nature, the volunteer/client relationship is NOT an equal relationship. Staff and Volunteers are on site to fulfill the mission of the program: providing a safe, warm night's lodging and meals. The clients are dependent on the program to meet some of their most basic needs. You have the power and resources to meet these needs, and to enforce the program guidelines. Guests may try to take advantage of you in order to meet needs that they feel they have.

When professional boundaries are not maintained in this relationship we can inadvertently harm our clients, even if our intentions are good.

Because our clients may have been in crisis for a long period, they may have impulse control difficulties. They may act or react too quickly, trying to fill their immediate needs, without thinking of the consequences their choices or actions will have. Their self-esteem may be impacted by their homeless situation as well as other factors. What you may do out of kindness may be misinterpreted. When you think this has happened contact the Site Supervisor or Program Manager for advice.

Some individuals may have mental health, or drug or chemical dependency problems, and so may have even greater difficulties keeping appropriate boundaries.

Guarding against "over-caring" is an important consideration. You cannot, nor are you expected, to "fix" the enormity of needs the clients may present. Our goal is to achieve the mission of the program - warm safe lodging and meals. Our case manager will help our clients to solve some of their more complex problems.

If you notice patterns of behavior that seem inappropriate or potentially harmful, inform the Site Supervisor or Program Manager. Don't attempt to manage this yourself.

Our clients are responsible for the care and supervision of their children, and volunteers should ask parents whether they can assist, tutor, or spend time with the children.

It is important that you do not have contact with the clients outside the program, or after they leave the program. Doing so is a violation of appropriate professional boundaries.

Personal information should not be given to clients.