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Community Newsletter

November 2015

DR. TIM AUBRY, DR. BRUCE TEFFT , AND DR. GEOFF NELSON IN THIS ISSUE

Reflections on Psychology by Dr. Bruce Tefft

“In the last analysis, politics is not community psychology but society as a predictions and politics is not whole. observations. Politics is what we do, what we create, what we work for, what we Overall, I am more excited and hope for, and what we dare to imagine.” optimistic about the future of Paul Wellstone (University community psychology in Canada than I An interview with Dr. Geoff Nelson professor and former US have ever been. For decades community “Community psychology is a value- Senator) psychology has remained true to its based field, and its values are congruent founding values, beliefs, and objectives, with my personal values of social such as social and economic justice. On the occasion of my impending inclusion, , power-sharing, However, until relatively recently, it retirement after 40 years as a university- and collaboration. I feel very fortunate seemed that as community based teacher, researcher, and that I have a job, where my work lines up we were beating our practitioner of community psychology in with my values.” Page 3 Canada, I have the privilege of being collective heads against a very hard brick given the opportunity to reflect on the wall when it came to convincing policy An interview with Rebecca Cherner changes I have observed in the field over makers that there was indeed a better “From my mentors, I have learned the that period of time, as well as the future way to expend public resources and help importance of engaging with people prospects for community psychology. disadvantaged groups of people than outside the university to collaborate on Such reflection is inherently risky, as I one-on-one interventions rooted in a research and evaluation, as well as am still very much immersed in the field deficit model. I confess to growing working to bring research findings to and have not yet gained the perspective impatient with having to make the same people and who can apply that comes with greater time and arguments, and present the same them to policy.” Page 4 distance. Therefore, I offer my (modestly updated) evidence year after observations without any claim to great year, with little or no discernible impact. How much is too much? insight, but rather simply as a personal I now realize that, to a large extent, my Inspections Data Provide a Window onto perspective borne of having witnessed impatience with the slow rate of Residential Clutter as a Housing Problem first-hand the evolution of not only progress was likely a function of the… Page 5 inevitable discrepancy between government that individual (short) and societal (long) spans six separate time frames. Society is inherently ministries and is conservative, which may not always be a mandated to develop bad thing given the nature of many ill- and implement ECD formed ideas for change promoted by throughout the different interest groups. Looking back, province. Its scientific some very good ideas promoted by director (Dr. Rob community psychology for years have Santos) is a talented, incubated and appear now to be gaining mid-career considerable traction among policy community makers specifically and large segments who has of society in general. For reasons of become a leading space I will briefly discuss only two such authority in Canada. ideas, both of which were merely pipe Tellingly, the budget dreams when I entered the field of of HCM was recently community psychology. increased at the same time that other provincial government Early Childhood Development budgets were being reduced. Over the past 20 years, there has been This institutionalization of an avalanche of evidence that roughly ECD efforts in Manitoba was the first five years of life are absolutely unthinkable even 20 years critical to the long-term health and ago. success of children. It is now scientifically irrefutable that children are multi-determined. Similarly, we now who are provided with adequate Prevention of Mental Disorder realize that major environmental resources early in life (e.g., loving When I was a graduate student, the late conditions such as poverty and social parents, good nutrition, a stimulating Dr. had already organized isolation are causal for many different environment) tend strongly to fall into a the annual Vermont Conference on mental disorders, a phenomenon known positive trajectory that is highly likely to Primary Prevention and was vigorously as multi-finality. This conceptual continue into adulthood. Conversely, promoting primary prevention as the breakthrough allowed community children who are not fortunate in this only rational response to new psychologists to entertain a wide range way tend strongly to fall into a negative epidemiological surveys showing that of universal and indicated prevention trajectory that, if left unchecked, is also traditional could never programs directed not at specific highly likely to continue, at great cost to hope to meet even a small fraction of disorders but at widespread social the children (soon to be ) in terms the need for treatment conditions. Such programs have been of dysfunction and poor quality of life, among the general population. It was at shown repeatedly to be not only feasible and to society at large in terms of a the Vermont Conference that I first met but at least as effective, and in many whole range of expensive outcomes some of the pioneers of community cases, more effective than traditional (e.g., mental disorder, crime, poverty). psychology in Canada. Although in treatment. As a result, community The good news is that intervening early principle the concept of primary psychologists and others are involved in to correct a negative trajectory is prevention as a response to an epidemic exciting, cutting-edge prevention relatively easy and very cost-efficient. of mental disorder was compelling, at programs that are gaining broad public Moreover, the interventions that have that time there was insufficient evidence and professional acceptance. Thus, the proven so effective (e.g., assisting to persuade health officials and other debate has shifted from can we do it at parents, providing stimulating books policy makers that primary prevention all to which alternatives would be most and toys) are predominantly low-tech was an effective way to spend public appropriate in this particular and straightforward. In the past 10-15 resources. In addition, adherents of the circumstance. years, governments which are medical model of mental disorder responsible for dealing with the negative (including many psychologists) argued Thank you again for the opportunity to consequences of failing to intervene that primary prevention of any given share these reflections with my early have finally begun listening to mental disorder (e.g., depression) would colleagues. community psychologists (and others) have to wait until scientists discovered and are implementing early childhood the precise cause of it. Of course, from a development (ECD) programs on a large body of subsequent research we Bruce M. Tefft, Ph.D., C. Psych. meaningful scale. A leading example of now realize that the vast majority of Associate Professor of Psychology this trend is Healthy Child Manitoba mental disorders do not have precise (HCM), an arm of the provincial causes, but rather that mental disorders An interview with Dr. Geoff Nelson Are you involved in any Community Which university/(s) do Psychology interventions/programs you presently work for? happening elsewhere in Canada?

In 1979, I started as an Assistant I have been working within Waterloo Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in region to enhance the Housing First what was then called the Social- approach here, by bringing in rent Community Psychology program (now supplements and by collaborating on an it’s just Community Psychology). It was a evaluation of the impacts of these great opportunity, as I wanted to be a supplements. faculty member in a Community I’ve also been working with a Psychology program. The Laurier program was relatively new, having community in North Waterloo that has just formally started in 1976, so I was “in on started a new Better the ground floor”, so to speak, and was able to play a role in the Beginnings program for program and helping it to grow. children ages 4-8. Better Beginnings is a community- How do you see Community driven, ecological approach Psychology relating to your work? to primary prevention that has been found to have Community Psychology is my home positive impacts on children field. I had an undergraduate course in when they reach 19 years of Community Psychology at the age, as well as their parents, collaboration. I feel very fortunate that I University of Illinois with Julian and . I consult with the have a job, where my work lines up with Rappaport, one of the founders of the project and work with a research team my values. Not many people enjoy that field. That course and the practicum to evaluate this new program. privilege. Community Psychology is also courses that I took with it at Illinois evidence-based and is open to a broad What was one big decision you had to spurred me to pursue graduate work in range of methodological approaches, make to get where you are today? Clinical-Community Psychology at the spanning quantitative, qualitative and University of Manitoba. Since joining the Late in graduate school, I decided I mixed methods, often used in the Laurier program, all of my work has wanted an academic job and that I context of program evaluation, which been based in the field of Community has been the focus of much of my Psychology. wanted to concentrate my work on Community Psychology. For me, this research. I like this openness and Describe a current intervention or was a “no brainer” as I was interested in flexibility, and the link between research program with which you are involved. public mental health and prevention and action. rather than private practice. I have had a long-standing interest in Describe the role of being a mentor or housing and community mental health Has your career required you to of having a mentor on your career. move/re-locate? for people with serious mental illness. I have had some great mentors. At Since 2008, I have been privileged to be Illinois, Julian Rappaport influenced me a member of the Canadian At A big move for me was to re-locate from the U.S. to Canada. Once in Canada, I to pursue a career in Community Home/Chez Soi research team for a wanted to stay. Moving from Manitoba Psychology. At Manitoba, my doctoral multi-site study of the Housing First to Ontario was the other career move I advisor, Jim Nickels, was an excellent approach for this population. It’s the role model for what an academic advisor largest study of its kind anywhere, and I made. Since 1979, I have stayed put in Waterloo, Ontario at Wilfrid Laurier should be. Jim’s nature is to be have been the Co-lead for the qualitative University. collaborative and supportive, while and mixed methods research for this maintaining high standards. That is project. Currently, I am leading one What do you appreciate most about something I strive to emulate. study that examines the sustainability of the field of Community Psychology? the programs at the five project sites I have enjoyed being a mentor to and another study of scaling up new Community psychology is a value-based younger Community Psychology faculty Housing First programs in six sites across field, and its values are congruent with at Laurier. I always learn a great deal the country. my personal values of social inclusion, from them and help them to get started social justice, power-sharing, and on their academic journeys. I also really enjoy working with graduate students as on International Community three major programs: Laurier, UQAM, their academic advisor. Many of my Psychology), I think training programs in and Ottawa. We need more Community former students have gone on to do Community Psychology are in jeopardy Psychology programs across the great work in the community, and it is in Canada. With the retirements of country. Hopefully, the 2017 SCRA very rewarding for me to work with Community Psychology faculty at Biennial conference in Ottawa will give them in the community post- Acadia University and Brock University, Community Psychology in Canada a graduation. and the end of the Laval program, we boost. have lost some important settings for What do you see for the future of training. With the imminent retirement What advice would you give to future Community Psychology? Do you of Bruce Tefft at the University of Community Psychologists? believe the field will continue to grow Manitoba, we could see another I would really like to see some of the over the coming years? important training program go by the graduates of our programs go into wayside, unless Bruce is replaced with a While Community Psychology has academia. We need to reinvigorate our Community Psychologist. Community grown internationally over the past two Community Psychology programs with Psychology is becoming concentrated in decades (witness the emergence of the young faculty members for the future International Community Psychology viability of our field. conferences and the book by Reich et al.

How much is too much? Inspections Data Provide a Window onto Residential Clutter as a Housing Problem By the Centre for Collaborative Research on Hoarding at the University of British Columbia

How big of a housing problem is residential clutter? Funded by the UBC Hampton fund and the Canadian Social 2% and 5.8%. Because Science and Humanities Research SRO housing is very small (and thus the functioning of fire sprinklers, Council, our team collaborated with the quick to fill up with possessions), we prevented effective pest City of Vancouver Property Use Branch wondered how many of these units would have excessive clutter. management, or exceeded floor weight to discover the prevalence of load recommendations. problematic clutter in single-room In Vancouver, inspectors from the occupancy (SRO) housing units in Property Use Branch inspect SRO units Our first step was to look at 4,312 Vancouver. Severe clutter in residential at least annually to ensure they are archived reports (representing 117 units can present serious health and being maintained for rental and in buildings) that inspectors had already safety hazards. For example, firefighters compliance with the Standards of completed between 2009 and 2011. responding to a 2010 fire in a Toronto Maintenance By-law (No. 5462). We Then we worked closely with the social housing building were unable to examined the inspection reports Property Use Branch inspections team access the unit where the fire started completed by housing inspectors to get to develop a new scale to measure due to the extremely high volume of a picture of the current state of the clutter on their reports. Importantly, possessions in the unit. Ultimately, the clutter problem in this segment of inspectors wanted a way to track fire caused over $1 million in damages Vancouver’s housing stock. Over 8,000 excessive clutter without increasing the and displacement of 1,200 residents. room inspections were included in the risk of eviction, as SRO units are often Later inspection of the damaged research. Our inspectors judged clutter the only alternative to homelessness for building revealed 19 of the 712 units to be a problem when it blocked entry many residents in Vancouver as well as (2.7%) were “overcrowded with into and out of rooms, involved build-up in many other cities. In this second wave belongings”. Studies of hoarding (one of combustible items such as of data collection, which occurred in reason for excessive clutter, but not the newspapers or clothing, interfered with 2012-2013, we examined 4,448 units only reason) have estimated the across 109 buildings. population prevalence to be between

Rating Description % of Units Severe clutter Clutter is severe, navigation is difficult, use of the 2.4% room is nearly impossible, serious hazards due to In Phase I of the study, 6.1% of units clutter were noted as involving excessive clutter, as shown by issuance of written warnings or orders or notations of Problem clutter Clutter impedes free movement in the room, 4.6% “clutter” or “hoarding” on the inspection functional use of room is impaired, clutter creates report. When we included more moderate hazards ambiguous notations (such as “items Notable clutter Manageable level of clutter, interferes with 5.3% blocking door”), the prevalence was optimal use of room but no difficulty navigating, 6.7% of units. In Phase II, inspectors clutter creates mild/temporary hazards were able to rate the severity of clutter, so the findings are potentially more No clutter Clutter within normal limits 87.7% informative. See the Table for details of the prevalence estimates we found. here; larger buildings were more likely to aftermath of the Toronto fire and is Overall, 7% of the units had problematic show high frequency of cluttered rooms. larger than estimates of the prevalence or severe levels of clutter. We also found Looking at repeated inspections of the of hoarding from studies. quite a bit of variance across buildings same buildings, we see that clutter tends In our future research, we will continue with regard to the number of cluttered to persist in problem buildings over working to better understand excessive rooms, with some buildings having no time. The estimate of 7% of Vancouver’s residential clutter in Vancouver and the cluttered rooms and other buildings SRO units as problematically cluttered associated health and fire hazards. having problematic clutter in 1/3 of the far exceeds the frequency of excessive rooms. The size of the building matters clutter (2.7%) discovered in the

Which university/organization(s) do you presently work for?

I am currently completing a postdoctoral An interview with Rebecca fellowship under the supervision of Dr. Tim Aubry at the Centre for Research on Educational and Community Services Cherner (CRECS) and the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa. CRECS is a research centre that works with educational, social service, and health sector organizations to conduct research and evaluation to improve program delivery and policy. CRECS works primarily with organizations that serve individuals facing social exclusion.

How do you see Community Psychology relating to your work?

The focus on action-oriented research to promote wellness that is central to community psychology is also an important part of the work in which I am involved. My research at CRECS has generally focused on supporting community-based programs to evaluate their services and to identify areas of strength and areas for growth. We also undertake evaluations to look at the outcomes associated with programs.

Upcoming CP Events These programs and organizations have My Ph.D. was in , and often had a focus on the well-being of while I see the value in working clinically individuals and communities, such as with individuals, I also see the benefit in physical or mental health, education, or targeting interventions at a broader ending homelessness. level. I also think the focus on using 2016 CPA methods to help inform Join us for the 2016 Canadian Psychological Describe a current intervention or program development and Association (CPA) convention in Victoria, program with which you are involved. implementation, so that programs are BC from June 9-11th. You still have time to based on the best evidence available, is I am involved in evaluating a Housing submit an abstract! The deadline is an important contribution. First program for homeless adults with December 1st. problematic substance use in Ottawa. Describe the role of being a mentor or Clients have access to stable, affordable of having a mentor on your career. housing through a rent subsidy. Clients choose the housing and there are no I have had the opportunity to work with pre-conditions for clients to be wonderful mentors throughout my considered eligible for housing. Clients graduate degree. My mentors have also receive support from an intensive provided me with support through case manager. The services are based on offering me diverse opportunities, such a harm reduction and recovery approach as the chance to be engaged in different 2017 SCRA and are client-centered. research and program evaluation projects. From my mentors, I have The biennial conference of the Society for What was one big decision you had to learned the importance of engaging with Community Research and Action (SCRA) make to get where you are today? people outside the university to will be coming to Ottawa in 2017 from June collaborate on research and evaluation, 24-27th. It will also be the host for our next My doctoral thesis research was in a as well as working to bring research Community Psychology Pre-Conference different area of psychology. However, findings to people and organizations Day. after completing two graduate who can apply them to policy. psychology courses on program evaluation, I was interested in further What do you see for the future of hands-on experience in evaluation. I was Community Psychology? fortunate that the professor I approached about program evaluation Having had the opportunity to meet experience was looking for a student to other community psychologists this past work on a participatory evaluation with a summer at the CPA Community local program. I was able to work on Psychology Pre-Conference Workshop Future Issues numerous projects at CRECS throughout and at the Society for Community my doctoral training and have continued Research and Action Biennial This issue was brought to you by the working there since graduating. Conference, I am hopeful that Community Psychology section of CPA. If Through my involvement at CRECS I community psychology will continue to you have ideas for future issues of this have had the opportunity to work with expand. newsletter (in either French or English), diverse community organizations and please email them to gain experience in conducting different What advice would you give to future [email protected]. types of evaluation. Community Psychologists?

Has your career required you to I would encourage students to become move/re-locate? involved in research or evaluation projects where they have the Besides completing my undergraduate opportunity to work with community degree in Montreal, I have lived in organizations. I think this type of work Ottawa. We will see what happens with offers students the chance to apply the next stage of my career! different types of skills than they might otherwise use in a university setting. It

What do you appreciate most about also provides the opportunity to see the Community the field of Community Psychology? impact that community psychology can have on individuals and organizations. Psychology

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