Engagement Across Roles: From Security to Leadership

Authors

Frederick Shack, LMSW^1,4
Mardoche Sidor, MD^1,2,3
Jose Cotto, LCSW^1,5
Karen Dubin, PhD, LCSW^2,4
Ann Hanford, MPH¹
Gary Jenkins, MPA¹
Lesmore Willis Jr, MPA, MHA¹
Gary Jenkins, MPA¹

Affiliations

¹Urban Pathways, New York, NY
²SWEET Institute, New York, NY
³Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Study and Research, New York, NY
⁴Columbia University, School of Social Work, New York, NY
⁵New York University, Department of Social Work, New York, NY

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mardoche Sidor, MD, Urban Pathways, at msidor@urbanpathways.org

Abstract

Engagement is often considered the responsibility of clinicians or case managers, or social services staff, yet every staff role, from security to leadership, shapes the relational climate of supportive housing. This article examines how the Four-Stage Engagement Model—Sitting, Listening, Empathizing, Collaborating—can be operationalized across diverse roles in Urban Pathways programs. Drawing on trauma-informed care, organizational psychology, and social role theory, we highlight how security staff, administrators, and executives each contribute uniquely to engagement. Case studies demonstrate how aligning all roles around engagement creates coherence, enhances trust, and fosters resident stability.

Keywords

Engagement, Trauma-Informed Care, Organizational Culture, Security, Leadership, Supportive Housing, Relational Climate, Systems Integration

Introduction

Too often, engagement is siloed within clinical teams, leaving other roles excluded from relational practices. Yet research demonstrates that residents’ trust and healing are influenced by every interaction (Hopper et al., 2010). Security staff, housing specialists, administrators, and leaders all contribute to the relational environment. Embedding engagement system-wide ensures consistency, coherence, and trust, particularly for residents with histories of trauma and systemic mistrust (Bloom, 2013).

Theoretical Framework

Engagement across roles is supported by:

1. Trauma-Informed Systems: Safety and trust require organization-wide consistency, not just clinician practice (SAMHSA, 2014).
2. Organizational Psychology: Culture is shaped by shared behaviors and leadership modeling (Schein, 2010).
3. Role Theory: Each staff role carries expectations that influence relational dynamics (Biddle, 1986).
4. Common Factors Research: Relational qualities (empathy, respect, trust) predict outcomes across roles, not only in therapy (Norcross & Wampold, 2019).

Application/Analysis

At Urban Pathways, engagement is being embedded across roles by:

• Security Staff: Trained in Motivational Interviewing and to greet residents respectfully and de-escalate with empathy, conveying unconditional regard.
• Housing Specialists: Practiced listening and collaboration in daily problem-solving.
• Program Managers: Modeled empathic leadership in supervision, reinforcing engagement as a value.
• Executives: Communicated the centrality of engagement in all-staff meetings and policies.

Composite Case Example: A resident with a history of incarceration initially distrusted security personnel. Through repeated respectful greetings and calm presence at entry points, security staff provided corrective emotional experiences, which built trust and paved the way for clinical collaboration.

Implications:

• Practice: Engagement is be framed as everyone’s responsibility, not just clinicians’.
• Training: All staff, including security and administrative roles, are to receive engagement training.
• Policy: Job descriptions and evaluations need to include engagement responsibilities.
• Research: Studies need to explore how non-clinical staff influence resident outcomes through relational practices.
• Systems: Cross-role alignment strengthens coherence, reduces retraumatization, and improves outcomes.

Conclusion

Engagement is not a task reserved for clinicians but a responsibility of all staff, from security to leadership. By embedding the Four-Stage Engagement Model across roles, Urban Pathways is demonstrating that coherence in relational practices fosters trust, safety, and transformation.

References

• Biddle, Bruce J. “Recent Developments in Role Theory.” Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 12, no. 1, 1986, pp. 67–92.
• Bloom, Sandra L. Creating Sanctuary: Toward the Evolution of Sane Societies. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2013.
• Hopper, Elizabeth K., Ellen L. Bassuk, and Jeffrey Olivet. “Shelter from the Storm: Trauma-Informed Care in Homelessness Services Settings.” The Open Health Services and Policy Journal, vol. 3, no. 2, 2010, pp. 80–100.
• Norcross, John C., and Bruce E. Wampold. “Evidence-Based Therapy Relationships: Research Conclusions and Clinical Practices.” Psychotherapy, vol. 56, no. 3, 2019, pp. 419–430.
• SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014.
• Schein, Edgar H. Organizational Culture and Leadership. 4th ed., Jossey-Bass, 2010.

This article is part of a collaboration between SWEET Institute and Urban Pathways.

Read the full scientific version HERE