Where it all began
It was a cold evening in Launceston, Tasmania, nearly a decade ago. We had just presented our Working with People Who Hoard course to a sold out group of keen outreach workers. There were social workers, psychologists, support carers, case workers, environmental health officers, district nurses and loved ones of people who hoard in the audience that day. And they all gave us the same message, loud and clear – they had never heard such refreshingly practical strategies to help in a hoarding situation before. You see, they all had something in common. They were all frustrated with hoarding situations and the lack of progress they’d been confronted with. They were all searching for solutions.
So there we were, sitting in an Italian restaurant in Launceston on a cold wintry night, feeling pleased that we’d been able to help so many people, and knowing that a positive ripple effect would be felt long after we left Tasmania.*
The great need
We knew we had something that needed sharing a lot further than this little corner of the world. The Apple Isle is not alone in needing support for people who hoard. We hear the same story wherever we go, over and over again.
We hear it from friends and family: “My sister/father/friend desperately needs help to declutter their home, and I want to help, but I don’t know where to start.” and “I try to help but it always ends in tears and arguments.”
We hear it from support workers: “I have a client who needs to stop hoarding or they’ll be evicted.” and “There’s not enough funding to support our hoarding clients.”
We hear it from service providers: “I have these tricky clients and my usual strategies aren’t working for them.”
So right there, in that cosy Italian restaurant in Launceston, came our lightbulb moment. We realised we needed to take this training further than ever before. Online training would allow the message of how to help those who hoard, on a practical level, right there is their homes, to reach people everywhere.
But why the name “Hoarding Home Solutions”?
We knew this couldn’t be just another trainer that talked about the difficulties and nuances of Hoarding Disorder without offering some practical solutions.
It’s not enough to know the person is in danger. We need to share the down-to-earth steps of creating a safer home.
It’s not enough to know that the person has difficulty discarding. We need to share the discarding strategies we know work.
It’s not enough to witness the distress caused by hoarding behaviours. We need to share the practical ways to alleviate that distress.
Hoarding in the Home is what it’s about, but even more than that, it’s about Solutions.
So thank you Tasmania, for your support of our live workshops and training. Thank you for sparking the idea that has become Hoarding Home Solutions online training.
* The ripple effect has indeed lasted. This month we welcome 30 new staff from an outreach agency in Tasmania to our online training.
