Professional Organizers know that compulsive hoarding takes a toll on not only the people who hoard, but, their families, friends, landlords and neighbors, as well as all the public and private health and safety departments and agencies that ultimately get involved.
Compulsive hoarding behaviors create serious safety concerns for individuals, their families, animals, and first responders like firefighters and police. Someone may fall; combustibles ignite; lack of access to entrances and exits pose a serious fire and health hazard if someone needs to escape quickly. Insects and rodents feast on rotting foods, dust and other debris. In addition, both humans and pets can get trapped or buried under piles.
Social Services Departments may become involved if children or adult lives are at risk. The police may get called in if there is a complaint filed by neighbors, family members, or neighbors. If the hoarder is a renter, property owners may need to deal with costly cleanup, animal control, and evictions. Legal costs may be incurred if the individual is unable to live independently or make decisions.
Hoarding Task Forces Coordinate Efforts
In order to respond to the many needs that arise out of a hoarding situation, communities have formed interdisciplinary hoarding task forces involving representatives of all those potentially involved in the community.
The Fairfax County Residential Hoarding Task Force, in Fairfax County, Virginia, was the first one ever formed. Officials from several agencies in the county realized that many agencies were involved in trying to address hoarding situations from their varied areas of responsibility, but that often they were acting independently and without a cohesive approach.
Formed in 1998, it combines the resources and expertise of multiple county agencies to provide a coordinated response to residential hoarding when it threatens life, safety, and property. It tries to find solutions to each situation that benefit the resident, the community, and the county government.
There are many hoarding task forces through the United States (exact numbers unknown). New ones are regularly being formed not only in the U.S. but also in Canada and other countries. A comprehensive listing can be found on the Children of Hoarders website.
In some communities without task forces, certain agencies serve as “lead agencies” to coordinate efforts.
Agencies Involved with Hoarding Situations
While the Fairfax County Task Force can be considered a model, each community will ultimately gather its own set of agencies and other responders. To give you an idea of the agencies involved, here is the list of member agencies that are part of the Fairfax County Hoarding Task Force.
Adult Protective Services and Child Protective Services
Law Enforcement Services provided by the Police Department, Sheriff’s Office
Animal Services Division
County Attorney’s Office
Fire and Rescue Department
Health Department
Department of Housing and Community Development
Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board
Mental Health Services
Department of Planning and Zoning
Department of Public Works and Environmental Services
Office of Public Affairs
Board of Supervisors
The task force typically meets once a month to discuss issues unique to each case.
For more information on how each of these agencies works with hoarders, visit
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/trash/hoarding/tf_general.htm
