San Francisco Task Force on Compulsive Hoarding

The San Francisco Task Force on Compulsive Hoarding launched in the summer of 2007, convening representatives from major city departments, non-profit housing and service providers, and others to strategize on how to facilitate collaboration among service systems that is needed to implement multi-disciplinary strategies on compulsive hoarding. Task Force Members represent various backgrounds and organizations, including landlords (non-profit landlords, San Francisco Apartment Association), city departments (including DAAS, CBHS, City Attorney’s Office, Mayor’s Office on Disability), legal, mental health, and others. Task Force members will give presentations to the group on their area of expertise (e.g. indicators for unsafe conditions, guidelines for working with people who hoard, and who to contact for help). The Task Force will coordinate its efforts with the work of two groups that are currently meeting: a group of City employees that meets to discuss specific hoarding cases and the Mental Health Association of San Francisco’s (MHA-SF) annual hoarding conference planning committee. The Task Force is co-chaired by the Mental Health Association of San Francisco and the City and County of San Francisco Department of Aging and Adults Services.

Task Force Goals:

• Identify gaps and barriers in service
• Assess current services and needs
• Identify best practices to improve coordination of services and eviction prevention to reduce eviction and improve quality of life for compulsive hoarders
• Raise awareness among the public and policy makers
• Facilitate information exchange among various service providers so as to improve service linkages and coordination
  
• Make policy recommendations
• Conduct PR campaign about compulsive hoarding issues
• Create and present final report in 2009

Objectives:
Identify what is needed to reduce evictions and improve the quality of life for compulsive hoarders in San Francisco and facilitate information exchange among various service providers so as to improve service linkages and coordination. Develop a mechanism for continually coordinating available services, identifying ways to use existing resources to prevent eviction for compulsive hoarders, and identifying gaps in services and needs.

Outcome:
Improved coordination of services among those providing services to compulsive hoarders, and significant reduction of gaps and barriers to services.

Evaluation:
Progress toward goals will be measured by Task Force membership, attendance, presentations made at meetings and evaluation survey reports completed by Task Force members.