The Hoarding Task Force seeks to develop a coordinated response among community agencies to the problem of hoarding including providing information, referral resources and community programming designed to effectively deal with this problem in a sensitive and responsible fashion...

Click "read more" for listing of MA resources for hoarding.  See our combined resource list for all states.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hoarding Task Force seeks to develop a coordinated response among community agencies to the problem of hoarding including providing information, referral resources and community programming designed to effectively deal with this problem in a sensitive and responsible fashion.

Compulsive cluttering is the acquiring of and failure to discard possessions that appear to be useless or of limited value. Living spaces become so cluttered that their use is impaired or impossible and the person suffers significant distress or impairment in functioning as a result of the clutter.

 

 

Clutter becomes a problem when spaces in the home cannot be use for their intended purpose (ex. stove cannot be used for cooking), or possessions pose a health or safety hazard and jeopardize a tenancy. Hoarding is behavior where items that appear to be worthless are collected and saved. The hoarder sees a value in the item and is certain that there’s a use for it. Discarding items is seen as wasteful. The person may display an extreme emotional attachment to the items collected and to part with them would cause significant anxiety and distress.

 

 

A clutterer may have feelings of anxiety, shame, helplessness and isolation. They feel overwhelmed by their clutter, are unable to or unwilling to sort through it. They oftentimes are dealing with anger, disapproval or frustration from family and friends as well as pressure to reduce the amount of clutter. Severe clutter threatens the health and safety of affected individuals, their families, neighbors and the general public. It can result in expensive and emotionally devastating evictions or other court actions, hospitalizations and homelessness.

 

Home safety concerns include fire; lack of clear pathways to get around in the space; risk of falling; home structural issues, difficulty or inability for emergency personnel to enter.

 

 

 

 

Help can begin by identifying those resources most suitable. The ones listed in this pamphlet can be a starting point. 

•         Local support groups

•         Case Management services

•         Intervention by state or local mental health or public health agencies

•         Legal aid for eligible clients

 

Treatment may be covered under a health insurance policy or through MassHealth.

 

If a service agency is contacted, they may perform a risk assessment once allowed in the house. Often, remedial action is limited to things identified as a health or safety risk and only those areas where clutter is problematic are targeted. 

 

 

UMass, Amherst; 413.545.0041 psc@psych.umass.edu.    Offering both group and individual treatment. 

 

•         ServiceNet, Northampton; treatment covered by client’s health insurance.

413.585.1328

 

•         Local Support Groups: weekly meetings, 413.733.0999 for information.

 

Springfield: 413.737.7630

Northampton: 413.367.2755

 

•         Anxiety Disorders Center, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, 860.545.7685; ongoing study www.institituteofliving.org/adc

 

•         Lilly Gaev, LCSW, Cognitive

Behavioral Therapist

Northampton: 413.584.6005

Longmeadow: 413.567.5533

 

•         Dr. Edward Plimpton, PhD.

Amherst: 413.253.1482

 

•         Alan Seigel, LICSW, BCD Behavioral Health Associates, 413.794.7035, x 1

 

•         Ellen Shaw-Smith, MSW, LICSW

Northampton area: 413-658-5122

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Posted on Sunday, April 29, 2007 @ 19:09:29 ICT by Donna