This site was originally conceived and commissioned by Dr. Christiana Bratiotis of the Boston University School of Social Work Hoarding Research Project. Dr. Bratiotis is a researcher and specialist in the area of hoarding task force development in communities throughout the United States. During her initial study of hoarding task forces, Dr. Bratiotis received repeated requests from members for a forum that provided an opportunity for discussion and idea exchange among hoarding task forces. In response to these requests and in an effort to support hoarding task forces in their development and operation, the website was initiated.
While underdevelopment, the responsibility for the site was passed onto the leadership of the Orange County (California) Task Force on Hoarding (OCTFH). Soon after, the OCTFH joined the Mental Health Association of Orange County, a non-profit community service organization. As a public service, The Mental Health Association of Orange County has provided the funding necessary to launch and maintain this website.
The authors of this website embody the collaborative nature of a hoarding task force. They include a city code enforcement official, a mental health clinician, a protective service worker, a vector control employee, a university lecturer, a fire prevention officer, a community service organization representative, a senior services worker, and a professional organizer. It is hoped and anticipated that other professionals from around the world engaged in helping people who hoard will participate in the further development of this website by contributing articles, insights, and managing the content and evolution of this effort.