“They were just a person who was curious”: Exploring the impact of supportive coaching on the psychosocial well-being of youth transitioning out of homelessness

Most conversations about the homelessness crisis in high income countries tend to center around the importance of meeting tangible needs like housing; however, there is strong evidence to support that housing is crucial but not sufficient. The psychological challenges associated with experiencing homelessness and their impact on psychosocial well-being—the ability to engage in society with a sense of purpose and meaning—need more attention, especially for youth. This community-based longitudinal qualitative study explored the impact of professional coaching—a future-oriented thinking partnership that encourages people to come up with their own goals and solutions (vs. providing advice or dwelling on the past)—on the psychosocial well-being of youth (aged 16 – 24 years) transitioning out of homelessness in Ontario, Canada. Over a 12-month period, ten focus groups were conducted with youth receiving coaching. Fourteen youth attended at least one focus group. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to help interpret the data, which was done in collaboration with lived experts. We developed three central themes to illuminate the impact of coaching on psychosocial well-being: 1) State of Inertia; 2) Supportive Coaching; and 3) (Re)Calibrating. Supportive Coaching (traditional coaching that incorporated approaches akin to mentorship) helped youth move from a State of Inertia (stuck in unhelpful patterns because of overwhelm and rational mistrust of systems) to (Re)Calibrating their “internal compass”, moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Supportive coaching (alongside financial supports) may be an effective strategy to disrupt post-housing inertia and facilitate the psychosocial well-being of youth transitioning out of homelessness. • Youth transitioning out of homelessness often struggle with psychosocial well-being——the ability to engage in society with a sense of purpose and meaning • The link between psychosocial well-being and identity is an underdeveloped but promising area of research • Supportive coaching (alongside financial support) offers promise to boost identity-based assets and facilitate psychosocial well-being • Psychosocial well-being is inextricably linked to equitable socio-structural resources