Original Artwork by Laurie Arney, Co-researcher, Hearing Our Voices.Dr. Barbara Schneider's participatory action research project on people who live with schizophrenia and experience homelessness continues to earn public exposure. For the study, Schneider recruited eight co-researchers who live with schizophrenia to interview people struggling with both mental illness and homelessness. Since completing the study and presenting their findings through a dramatic presentation, documentary film and advocacy poster, Schneider has been granted $50,000 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to create further advocacy and awareness-raising tools to disseminate her research findings.

Schneider plans to use the grant to create and publish a graphic novel that is similar in design to a comic book, although depicting the very serious issue of homelessness. "The book will depict seven different scenes, with each page showing a situation relating to homeless," says Schneider. "We will use it as a communication tool for service providers."

The scenes themselves come from actual stories research participants recounted to Schnieder's team during the study.

In addition, the team has created a website at http://callhome.ucalgary.ca. Titled Hearing Our Voices, the site provides information on the project, team members, research findings, poster, DVD and the dramatic presentation. Click here for more information on this research or contact Dr. Barbara Schneider at baschnei@ucalgary.ca.