The International Society for the Study of Trauma & Dissociation () presented聽its Written Media Award to Muller for his 2010 book . Muller鈥檚 award is one of only two Written Media Awards given this year by ISSTD, the leading international academic group devoted to research and treatment of complex psychological trauma.

Right: Robert Muller

Muller, a professor of clinical developmental psychology in the graduate program at 91亚色, is also an active clinician who works with adult survivors of physical, sexual and mental trauma. His book offers clinicians methods to work with those who are most difficult to treat 鈥� those who avoid talking about their history of abuse, which continues to affect them.

In his book, Muller explains the defensive and interpersonal patterns seen among avoidant individuals, and lays out a game plan for effective treatment. Through detailed case examples and practical clinical instruction, he illustrates how to build trust with clients, help them connect with and commit to the treatment process, and facilitate mourning to face the loss associated with trauma.

鈥淚t deals with a population of trauma survivors that therapists often view as untreatable,鈥� says Muller. 鈥淭hese people tend to come in focusing on symptoms 鈥� often depression or anxiety 鈥� and then through the course of therapy they will begin to reveal aspects of their traumatic history.鈥�

It then becomes important for therapists to use techniques such as challenging them about their defensive statements and also to use the therapeutic relationship to help them change, says Muller.

The theoretical framework driving Muller鈥檚 approach is attachment theory, pioneered in the 1970s by psychiatrist John Bowlby, who posited that humans form attachments as a survival mechanism to seek protection from real or perceived threats. Even when a protector鈥檚 caregiving skills are lacking, the developing child does what is necessary to maintain the relationship; this shapes negative patterns of defence and affect, carrying over into adulthood.

In addition to his role at 91亚色, Muller is a supervising psychologist at the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, specializing in the areas of trauma, attachment and psychotherapy. He is lead investigator in a multi-site program to treat intra-familial trauma, and has over 20 years of clinical experience in the field. His lab is funded by the Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children鈥檚 Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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The symposium will take place Thursday, Oct. 6, from 8:30am to 12:30pm, at 280N 91亚色 Lanes, Keele campus, followed by lunch from 12:30 to 2pm.

The presenters will also discuss the 鈥渟o-whatness鈥� or policy implications of their research.

鈥淪ervice Preferences of Homeless Youth: Housing First, Treatment First or Both Together?鈥� will be discussed by 听(谤颈驳丑迟), acting associate director of nursing research at the University of Western Ontario. Housing-first initiatives focus on interventions designed to move individuals to appropriate and available housing, and ongoing housing supports. It has been found to produce good outcomes for homeless adults with mental illness but has not been specifically tested聽for youth. With the treatment-first initiative, the individual is not housed until psychiatrically stable.

Forchuk will look at a current study聽that examined three approaches to service for homeless youth 鈥� housing first, treatment first for mental health and addictions, and simultaneous attention to both housing and treatment. Youth were given the opportunity to choose which service method they preferred.

听(濒别蹿迟), director of the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Winnipeg, will discuss 鈥淗omelessness and Mental Health: Winnipeg鈥檚 Approach to Building Capacity and Housing Those in Need鈥�. Distasio鈥檚 presentation will provide an overview of a massive five-city study by the Mental Health Commission of Canada,聽that examined the effectiveness of a housing-first intervention in the Canadian context. Distasio will focus on the unique aspects of the Winnipeg approach, which has been built on the strengths of the local Aboriginal community.

听(谤颈驳丑迟), of St. Michael鈥檚 Hospital and a professor at the University of Toronto, will talk about 鈥淗ealth Care Utilization Among People Who Are Homeless鈥�. He will discuss research that measured health care utilization rates among homeless adults in a large Canadian urban centre and compared observed utilization rates to matched controls from the general population. Most of the research on this topic has been conducted in the United States.

University of Ottawa psychology Professor (left) will discuss 鈥淟esson Learned from the Implementation of Housing First in a Small Canadian City鈥�. His talk聽will focus on the Mental Health Commission of Canada鈥檚 housing-first study and the results of the housing-first approach in Moncton, NB.

A key feature of the Canadian response to homelessness is the use of law enforcement to manage its visibility. 's research presentation, 鈥�Can I See Your ID? Policing and the Criminalization of Youth Homelessness in Toronto鈥�, will focus on the interactions that Toronto street youth have with members of the Toronto Police Service. Gaetz, a professor in聽91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education and associate dean of research & field development for the homeless hub, will discuss his research with of the University of Guelph.

Right: Stephen Gaetz

Their research has found that youth who use drop-ins and emergency housing services regularly have encounters with the police. For youth who are severely marginalized, many of these encounters take place because of their public drinking and illegal substance use. But for other homeless youth not involved in crime or illegal drug use, they, too, are under close police surveillance and contact. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on the implications of social profiling and the criminalizing of youth homelessness.

The symposium is presented by the and . For more information, visit the homeless hub symposium聽web page.

Space is limited. To guarantee a spot, RSVP to Susan Atkinson at satkinson@edu.yorku.ca or ext. 30208. The symposium will also be presented as a webinar. To register for the webinar, .

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