A Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) “... is one that takes into account the psychological makeup – the thinking, emotions, personalities and past experience - of its participants in the way that it operates.” It’s an approach to supporting people out of homelessness, in particular those who have experienced complex trauma or are diagnosed with a personality disorder. It also considers the psychological needs of staff: developing skills and knowledge, increasing motivation, job satisfaction and resilience.

Many of the clients homeless services work with seem to have difficulty managing their emotions, appear impulsive and do not consider the consequences of their actions. Some may be withdrawn, isolated and reluctant to engage or exhibit anti-social behaviour. The purpose of a PIE is to help staff understand where these behaviours are coming from and therefore work more creatively and constructively with challenging behaviours.

A PIE has 5 key elements:
1. Relationships
2. Staff support and training
3. The physical environment and social spaces
4. A psychological framework
5. Evidence generating practice