Hoarding Task Forces
Christiana Bratiotis, PhD
Boston University
One method for addressing the multiple concerns raised by hoarding is through agency and community hoarding task forces. The first task force in the United States began in 1998 in Fairfax County, Virginia chaired by Mr. Frank Teevan. Since that time, the number of hoarding task forces has grown exponentially as public recognition of the problem and its related social and community consequences have been acknowledged. At least 75 communities throughout the United States have formed task forces as an important method of coordinating care. The mission, goals and functions of the task forces are as varied as the communities in which they exist. The unifying purpose of all task forces is to provide a directed and managed response to hoarding cases that come to public attention. Whether in large metropolitan areas or in small towns, task forces organize and provide public education about hoarding, synchronized interventions, service agency information dissemination, training and familial support.
Task forces typically form as cross-agency collaborations, while some smaller communities have chosen a model of within-agency task forces. In some communities the town municipality has prioritized hoarding as a problem that requires a coordinated response from its police, fire, public health, social work and inspectional divisions.
While some task forces operate within town, county and city governments, others are formed to respond to hoarding cases that affect a specific population. The most common example is hoarding among older adults. Another example is a task force formed specifically to address cases of animal hoarding.
As the mission of hoarding task forces varies across communities throughout the U.S., so too the organization and operation of task forces take differing forms. The differences are usually variations of commonalities present across task forces. For example, most task forces have a chair person, a regular meeting time and are comprised of public, private, governmental and non-governmental organizations
The formation, operation and sustainability of hoarding task forces varies considerably. Some hoarding task forces form for a specific purpose, such as hosting a hoarding conference or providing support groups for hoarders and their families. Others develop to achieve set goals and commit to a specific timeline for the achievement of those goals. Still other task forces are constituted because they have received funds for a specified period of time; these task forces often disband when funding is terminated. While most task forces are not formally funded from a public or private granting agency, many arise and continue because the participating agencies provide various in-kind contributions. These resources include staff time devoted to task force projects, as well as donation of goods and services like meeting space and creation and duplication of printed materials (meeting minutes, handouts, brochures). Task force agencies also donate services such as dumpsters and clean-out activities for people with compulsive hoarding who are working with the task force team.