When Homelessness Australia sought expressions of interest from experienced Housing First (HF) practitioners throughout the country to undertake a Train the Trainer program, our very own Reconnecting Lives Manager, Sara Zanella, jumped at the opportunity.
The project will result in more than 30 specialised trainers in Australia delivering Housing First capacity building within the Specialist Homelessness Sector and beyond.
We chatted to Sara about her experience of the program and future goals…
How many people were selected for the course?
There are two rounds this year and for the first round, 10 people were selected with three trainers who attended the original HF train the trainer program. I was one of two people from WA selected and the rest of the participants were from over east.
How did you find the experience?
I completed the six-week course on 2 June 2021 and I thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly the various ideas for presenting the training to different cohorts of people.
What are your best tips for balancing work and study?
Keeping the two as separate as possible so distractions are less likely to occur! I found that for the study, creating a space that was conducive to learning by setting up my dining table and having everything close by kept me on track.
What does this course help you to bring to St Bart’s?
I hope to support St Bart’s to continue to raise and strengthen its profile within the sector by delivering HF training to workers from other organisations, in addition to sharing the knowledge I’ve received through the training with my colleagues at St Bart’s.
St Bart’s acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land that we live and work on, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. We are privileged to work with, and alongside, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and encourage those who are emerging as leaders.
St Bart’s is committed to diversity and inclusion in all its forms. We welcome and support the health and wellbeing of all people, regardless of background, age, ethnicity, religion and gender identity.