SAVE THE DATE
2007 MHA-SF Conference on Hoarding & Cluttering
Thursday, October 18, 2007
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Event Center at St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco, CA

This year’s conference will focus on harm-reduction approaches rather than treatment, per se. Harm reduction assumes that it is not necessary to stop all compulsive acquiring, or to clear homes completely in order to stop harm, and proposes that the goal of stopping all acquiring or removing all clutter is unrealistic.  Harm reduction emphasizes improving the safety, health and comfort of persons who hoard, while also improving relationships between the person who hoards and his or her family members or caregivers. ...

Compulsive hoarding and cluttering is the acquisition and failure to discard a large number of possessions, appearing to be useless or of limited value, in an attempt to decrease stress and anxiety. This serious and prevalent problem can lead to eviction and homelessness. It is often a feature of several psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder, and major depression, and can be cause or aggravated by problems associated with increasing age or physical disabilities.

Keynote speaker: Michael Tompkins, PhD, San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy
Theme: Harm Reduction

MHA-SF’s Conference on Hoarding & Cluttering is a day for those
who struggle with or care about compulsive hoarding and cluttering.

Conference Objectives

• To disseminate information on innovations in the research and treatment of compulsive hoarding and cluttering.
• To promote cross-discipline discussion on issues of compulsive hoarding and cluttering
• Provide vital information and resources to prevent eviction of people who compulsively hoard and clutter

National and local clinical experts will address the difficulties caused by compulsive hoarding and cluttering behaviors, and innovations in the scientific research and treatment of compulsive hoarding, as well as the critical issue of resource availability and service coordination between public and private groups, in order to work with consumers, providers, and the community towards a comprehensive approach to this challenging condition.

This year’s conference will focus on harm-reduction approaches rather than treatment, per se. Harm reduction assumes that it is not necessary to stop all compulsive acquiring, or to clear homes completely in order to stop harm, and proposes that the goal of stopping all acquiring or removing all clutter is unrealistic.  Harm reduction emphasizes improving the safety, health and comfort of persons who hoard, while also improving relationships between the person who hoards and his or her family members or caregivers.

Over 400 mental health service providers, policy makers, legal professionals, county employees, professional organizers, people who compulsively hoard and clutter, and their loved ones will attend this important meeting.

Continuing Education Units offered to LCSW/MFT.
Full and partial scholarships available for low-income individuals.

Additional information and registration materials will become available August at www.mha-sf.org.
In the interim, contact MHA-SF at 415-421-2926 EXT 301 for updated conference information.