Organized Assistant » hoarders

A New Website for the Atlanta Hoarding Task Force

Janet — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:38:30 +0000

Last year, I blogged about the importance of connecting with other resources in your area, particularly if you`re working with hoarders. In that post I mentioned that hoarding task forces and coalitions are forming in various communities in order to provide the public with information about the resources available to help hoarders and their families. I consider the work of these groups to be vital, especially now that television has opened so many people`s eyes and minds to hoarding issues. I was therefore thrilled when Judith Kolberg, Director of the Atlanta Hoarding Task Force (AHTF), asked me to convert the organization`s website to WordPress, to enable group members to easily update information and post news items and events. The AHTF, which was formed in 2009, includes professional organizers, therapists, and providers of supplemental services such as biohazard services. Their mission is to make resources and services available to metro-Atlanta compulsive hoarders and their families, and to educate those who encounter people who are hoarders. As a non-profit corporation with a small budget, the AHTF opted for our Basic WordPress Package and selected the Yukon Theme by iThemes. This gave them an uncluttered, easy-to-navigate site on which to present information about hoarding and the Task Force itself, with the ability to easily incorporate new material in the future. If you`re looking for hoarding-related books, websites, or videos, be sure to check out the new Atlanta Hoarding Task Force website. Where do you get information about resources for hoarders in YOUR community?

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Janet — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:50:11 +0000

I've often said that if one wanted to, it would be possible to attend a seminar, workshop, webinar or teleclass on a topic of interest every single week, if not every day! Most of us don't have quite that much time (or training budget) available, but it is important to keep on learning. Here are a few events taking place over the next couple of months that you just may want to consider. The Organized Child Wednesday, August 18, 2010 – 10 a.m. (Eastern) Teleclass 7 Secrets to a Successful Workshop Wednesday, September 1, 2010 – 10 a.m. (Eastern) Teleclass Comprehensive Training Program for Professional Organizers September 13 – 15, 2010 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 2010 Australasian Association of Professional Organisers (AAPO) Conference September 13 – 14, 2010 Christchurch, New Zealand Innovative Closet Organizing Wednesday, September 15, 2010 – 10 a.m. (Eastern) Teleclass Organizer's Boot Camp September 21 & 23, 2010 – 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Cambridge, Ontario, Canada Comprehensive Training Program for Professional Organizers September 22 – 24, 2010 Toronto, Ontario, Canada NSGCD Fall 2010 Conference September 23 – 25, 2010 Austin, Texas Professional Organizer Training Institute™ program September 27 - 29, 2010 Lake Oswego, Oregon Orvention 2010 Friday, October 1, 2010 Gelderland, The Netherlands Mid Atlantic Regional Conference for Professional Organizers (MARCPO) Saturday, October 2, 2010 Bethesda, Maryland Organize In Your Own Learning Style Wednesday, October 4, 2010 – 10 a.m. (Eastern) Teleclass Addressing Hoarding Through Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Thursday, October 7, 2010 – 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Brantford, Ontario, Canada Comprehensive Training Program for Professional Organizers October 11 – 13, 2010 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada This is by no means a complete list, so if you know of other classes or conferences that are taking place soon, please leave a comment below. I'm thinking about adding an event calendar page on this site – is this something you'd like to see here?

Help Hoarders by Connecting with Community Resources

Janet — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:58:21 +0000

With increased public awareness of hoarding due to the TV series, Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive, more and more people are contacting professional organizers for assistance for themselves or their loved ones. Although this presents a good business opportunity, working with this challenging population requires a specific skill set and should not be attempted without specialized training.

Furthermore, helping your clients to organize their physical environment is only one piece of the puzzle. Hoarding is usually the result of a serious mental health condition which must be addressed in order for any lasting changes to occur. The health and safety of your client as well as his or her family members and pets must also be taken into consideration. For this reason, professionals from other disciplines will nearly always be involved as well. In many communities, task forces have been formed to bring together the many different agencies involved in supporting the needs of individuals and families whose lives are affected by hoarding. Geralin Thomas, a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization (CPO-CD) who frequently appears on Hoarders, describes this trend in her blog post, It Takes a Community to Help a Hoarder. As she explains, the first such group, the Fairfax County Hoarding Task Force, was formed in 1998. Since then, hoarding task forces and coalitions have been established in other communities around the world, and a list is maintained on the International Exchange on Hoarding website. If you work with hoarders, or are interested in doing so, find out whether there is such a group in your area, and how you can get involved. Having access to organizations who deal with mental health and addiction, financial support, child protection, animal control, crisis intervention, and other issues, will make you better equipped to connect your clients to the additional supports they may require. In addition, making yourself known to these professionals may open the doors to more opportunities for your business. In the event that there is no formal group in your community related to hoarding, it is in your best interest and that of your clients for you to assemble your own list of non-profit associations and other businesses with whom you may be able to collaborate. Canadian Professional Organizers Heather Burke and Laurene Livesey Park have played an active role in the formation of the Kingston/Frontenac Region Hoarding Coalition, through which they meet with other service providers and front line workers from a number of disciplines on a monthly basis. The Coalition is "committed to creating easy access to the integrated services needed to maintain housing stability and a quality of life that optimizes the health and safety for those who find themselves in a hoarding situation." Their resource list, which is constantly being updated, currently consists of the following:

Services, including the Housing Help Centre, Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, and Salvation Army
Clothing Programs
Children's Services
Animal Control
Crisis Intervention, including hospitals, fire, police, and ambulance services
Financial Resources, such as social assistance and credit counseling
Food Services, including food banks
Garbage and Large Item Removal
Home Support Services
Legal Aid
Lifestyle Transition Specialist
Mental Health Services and Counseling
Addiction Services

This should provide you with an excellent starting point for creating your own list. You may need to conduct in-depth research to discover resources that might not immediately come to mind. For example, I recently learned about an initiative in my own community called the Hamilton Gatekeepers Program, which was created over five years ago to work with health and social service community partners to identify seniors with Diogenes Syndrome. Characteristics of this disorder include domestic squalor and compulsive hoarding of rubbish, yet it's not a term or a program I'd heard mentioned before. Even if you do not work with hoarders, you and your clients will benefit from having access to a directory of contractors, painters, cleaning services, shredding companies, suppliers of closet and/or garage organizing systems, and other related services and products.

Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. Vince Lombardi

Professional Organizers Blog Carnival – January 2010 Edition, Part 2

Janet — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:09:25 +0000

As promised, I'm back today for the second part of the January Professional Organizers Blog Carnival. If you're not familiar with this feature, it's a monthly collection of blog posts submitted by our readers. On Monday, we read about Christmas, New Year's Resolutions, and time management, and today we're going to learn about a few other topics to help you and your business.

Today we'll start off with one of my favorite topics: technology. For those of you looking at ways to eliminate or reduce your collection of business cards, Deb Lee brings us The Business Card vs. 7 iPhone Apps. While we're on the subject of handheld devices, Jacki Hollywood Brown tells us how she uses her iPod Touch to stay organized. Jacki says,

New technology can be expensive but if it is easy to use and increases your productivity it is certainly worth the effort.

Michelle Deo introduces us to a wonderful e-mail marketing service, in Friday Fave : MailChimp. I have just started using this service on behalf of a client and can honestly say it's one of the best I've used (and I've used quite a few)! Also on the subject of marketing, Janet Baker describes Two Great Ways for Professional Organizers and Virtual Assistants to Market their Business. If you're looking for new ways to support your clients, check out Stephanie LH Calahan's I've Had Enough and I'm Doing Something About It!. Stephanie explains,

I've had a lot of clients over the years that have waged war on their paper, but a while ago I received a letter in the mail that made me smile and say, "You GO Girl!" Mary and I had completed a strategy session that included ideas for how she could manage the ever mounting piles of paper in her home office. She had good ideas about what she needed to keep and what to let go of, but over time, the piles had just accumulated and had grown to an overwhelming amount. We came up with an idea that was fun and managed the situation really well. I'll tell you about it today. See if you have any clients that could use this strategy.

If any of your clients are dealing with hoarding or other serious issues, you should read Geralin Thomas's post about the Harm Reduction Method. This topic is explored further in the book reviewed by Jeri Dansky in her post, Good Book: Digging Out. Jeri says,

This new book is a great resource for anyone dealing with a friend or family member - or a client - who has hoarding issues. The focus on harm reduction is something I've not seen elsewhere, making this one of the few "organizing" books I've read that taught me something totally new.

On the financial front, Janet Nusbaum answers the question, Do Coupons Really Save you Money? Jane Veldhoven talks about managing a business and a house, something many of us can relate to, in Managing My Life - Whew!, and Lelah Baker-Rabe explains why Simplicity is revolutionary. This month's carnival closes with a caution from Lisa Montanaro: Don’t Fall Into the Trap of the Shoemaker’s Shoes: Benefit From Your Own Expertise! Thanks so much to everyone who submitted a post this month! I am just delighted about the growing popularity of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival, but I'm concerned about the amount of time it's taking me to compile the rapidly increasing number of submissions, and for you to read them. Therefore, I'm going to try something new next month. Since February is National Time Management Month, next month's Carnival will be dedicated to the topic of Time Management, and only submissions related to that subject will be accepted. If you haven't blogged on that topic recently, you are welcome to submit an older post – or maybe this will inspire you to write something new!

Professional Organizers Blog Carnival – December 2009 Edition

Janet — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:43:28 +0000

Here it is – the 7^th Professional Organizers Blog Carnival, and the last one for 2009. We have a record number of professional organizers participating this month, and I'd like to thank those who are joining us for the first time, as well as our regulars and everyone in between! Grab your favorite beverage and get ready to read and enjoy!

Since it's the festive season, it's no surprise that many of this month's entries are related to holiday preparations. In A Few Thoughts on the Holiday Season, Jane Veldhoven gets us thinking about what's really important to us at this time of year, and how we can maximize our enjoyment of it. Jacki Hollywood Brown has some great ideas for Clutter Free Gift Giving, and reminds us that:

The holidays can be one of the happiest times of the year as we enjoy the company of our family and friends. It is also one of the most clutter-generating times of the year. Take a look at these gift ideas to reduce clutter and save you time and money.

You can read additional clutter-free Christmas gift suggestions from Angela Esnouf in her special series, beginning with Angela's Advent, Day 1. Joan Kosmachuk tells us how to Simplify your Holiday Decorating with Live or Edible Decorations, and Lelah Baker-Rabe suggests a few simple things you can do to create a year-round gift wrap station to minimize stress and maximize efficiency, in her post Preparing for every day: Gift wrap station. If you're looking for a unique way to keep track of Christmas card lists for yourself or your clients, check out Jeri Dansky's Forget the Address Book: Use an Address BOX. Of course, this is also a good time for making plans for next year. Elaine Shannon tells us all about her own Planning Day, saying:

I love organizing so much that I have organized some planning around my 2010 goals. Yes the organizer is organizing herself. So many people wonder why they are not moving forward in their business but don't have a score card to compare it to. By failing to plan as we know you plan to fail. With a few strategies you can take charge of your new year and meet your goals..whatever they may be!

While you're making those plans, you might find it interesting to read about other organizers' success strategies. Anne Blumer tells us how she got to where she is today in her post, Ask the Organizer Panel, and Angie Weid shares The Story Behind Organized Solutions, saying:

This post is sharing a story of being kicked down, learning to stand back up and keep on working toward success. My hope is that it encourages fellow organizers to be strong and succeed.

Lisa Montanaro offers some eye-opening information in Coopetition: A Fantastic Way To Boost Your Business, a sneak peek of "Don't Go It Alone: It Takes a Village to Run A Successful Business," which she'll be presenting at the 2010 NAPO Conference in Columbus, OH. Looking for interesting organizing resources? Be sure to read My Brain Book from Hellen Buttigieg and PaperBackSwap.com from Michelle Deo. Janet Baker discusses the why's and how's of Indexing Your Document Management Filing System is Worth it When You're on the Road. If you're curious about hoarding from the client's point of view, you won't want to miss Geralin Thomas' Anatomy of a Client. Deb Lee tackles The Myth of Work/Family Balance, asking:

Is it realistic to think that work/family balance is possible? Can you be a great parent and a great employee (or entrepreneur) at the same time? Can a family where both parents work achieve this balance?

Janine Adams wraps up this month's Professional Organizers Blog Carnival with a look at her favorite social networking site in Why I Love Twitter. I hope you've enjoyed this month's edition. As you visit your colleagues' blogs, be sure to take a moment to leave a comment or two and get to know one another. As the Carnival continues to grow, I'd love to know what you'd like to see in the future. Specific topics for each month? Two separate carnivals, with one dedicated to organizing and the other to business ideas? Or just keep it the same?

The NSGCD conference: Learning and networking and great food all rolled into one!

Janet — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:12:19 +0000

There have been quite a few major events for professional organizers this fall, and since many of you can only spare the time and funds to attend one (or maybe not even that), I've recruited some special people to let you know what you've missed. We've already heard about the POAA and AAPO conferences, and today Janine Adams is here to tell us all about the recent NSGCD Conference.

I had the brain on my brain after attending the annual conference of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization in sunny Los Angeles, October 1 to 3. I’m a conference junkie (this was my fourth organizers’ conference in the past year) and NSGCD is always one of my favorites. This year’s conference did not disappoint. One thing I love about the NSGCD conference is that it’s relatively small: there were 115 folks in attendance. That’s small enough to really get to know people. NSGCD subscribers are such smart, compassionate, fun people. From the very first one I attended, I always felt like I was among friends. Another bonus: The food at NSGCD conferences is always great (and plentiful). And the meals are included in the conference fee. So why was the brain on my brain? Mostly because of the presentation called, “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life,” by renowned brain researcher, Daniel G. Amen, M.D. He spoke about keeping our brains young by avoiding certain behaviors (including smoking, drugs, excessive caffeine, sleep deprivation—he says that at least seven hours of sleep each night is essential) and embracing others (like a healthy diet, vitamins, fish oil, new learning, sex and exercise—he recommends table tennis). For me, the talk was enlightening and I gleaned information that will cause me to change some behaviors. And I’ve already spoken with some clients about what I learned from Dr. Amen. But Dr. Amen wasn’t the only great speaker on the agenda. The two-day conference was full of them. In her lively presentation, Catherine “Ross” Roster, Ph.D., NSGCD Research Director, gave us an update on the association’s current research projects and encouraged NSGCD subscribers to get involved in two new projects: one with artist Corinne Botz, who will create art from objects of significance donated by people. The project, titled “The Secret Lives of Objects” can use the help of 20 to 25 NSGCD subscribers to identify clients who might wish to participate. The other project is to create a new Clutter Quality of Life Scale (CQLS), a self-assessment tool designed to measure the impact of clutter on an individual’s life and the consequences of clutter. Dr. Roster pointed out that the CQLS will be a great way for POs to engage clients in discussion of the impact of clutter, as well as quantify progress with their clients. If you’re an NSGCD subscriber interested in participating in NSGCD research projects (you can earn service points!), email Catherine Roster at roster@mqt.unm.edu. Also on the program was Tracey Greene Mintz, a social worker who, in a surprisingly entertaining presentation, advocated for the elderly in her talk on mitigating relocation stress syndrome in elderly clients. On the second day, Nancy Schlossberg, Ed.D., a vibrant 80-year-old and expert on change and transition gave two enlightening sessions on transitions. Because of a personal obligation, I had to take an early flight, so I missed Mark Odom’s talk on “Overcoming Resistance: Understanding and Engaging Reluctant Clients.” I was also sorry to miss the panel discussion on collaboration that ended the conference. In my opinion, one of the hallmarks of NSGCD is its reaching out to other disciplines to offer us different perspectives on our work. This particular panel included Tammy L. Chalmers, CFO of Crime Scene Steri-Clean, whose company specializes in clean-ups for hoarders; Marie K. Lee, Ph.D., a cognitive behavioral therapist; Margaret Riley, Neighborhood Improvement/Code Enforcement Manager for the City of Buena Park, California and the co-chair of the Orange County Task Force on Hoarding; Sheryl Vito, a Senior Social Worker with Orange County Adult Protective Services; and another social worker for older adults, with the City of Huntington Beach, Senior Services. To me, that’s an exciting panel. I truly wish I could have heard them, but I can always purchase CDs or DVDs of the conference sessions. If you find yourself working with chronically disorganized clients and don’t feel equipped with the tools to make progress with them, I strongly recommend investing in NSGCD. The teleclasses throughout the year are great and the conferences truly rock. Mark your calendars now: Next year’s conference will be September 23 to 25 in Austin, Texas. Keep your eye on the conference page on the NSGCD website for more information as it becomes available. Janine Adams, CPO®, CPO-CD® is owner of Peace of Mind Organizing in St. Louis, Missouri. Together with life coach Shannon Wilkinson, she’s the co-creator of the e-course Declutter Happy Hour. On Twitter, she’s @janinea.

Professional Organizers Blog Carnival – November 2009 Edition

Janet — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:20:48 +0000

Welcome to the November issue of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! It's exciting for me to watch the carnival grow, with new bloggers participating every month. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with and learn from your organizing colleagues! There's a lot to read here, so if you can't get through all the links at one sitting, I hope you'll bookmark this post and come back later.

We'll kick things off with some posts about Working with Clients. If you've been watching Hoarders, you might be wondering whether you have what it takes to work with clients with hoarding issues. Find out by reading Geralin Thomas' post, Cleaning a Hoarder’s Home: Not for the Faint of Heart. Can you ever combine friendship and business? Lisa Montanaro says "yes" in Mixing Business With Pleasure: Professional Organizer + Disorganized Friend = Valuable Lessons. Next, we have some Business Strategies in Deb Lee's post, The Entrepreneur's Toolbox: 8 Things You Need to Get. Effective Time Management is crucial to the success of your business, and this topic is covered by Christine Simiriglia in Thirty Minute Time Management Miracle and Margaret Lukens in The Jump-Start Meeting. Alex Fayle says:

Many of us, even Professional Organizers, put off doing things because we think there will be plenty of time to do it later. There won't be. As author Mignon McLaughlin said: "Don't fool yourself that important things can be put off till tomorrow; they can be put off forever, or not at all."

Read more in his post Someday Doesn't Last Forever. Procrastination is also addressed by Claire Tompkins in Why I Procrastinate. Several bloggers share some great Organizing Tips that you can use with your clients or in your own life. In Decluttering Adventure - the Roadmap, Angela Esnouf explains that

The Roadmap is just the start of a Decluttering Adventure, with more steps in the journey to follow.

Hellen Buttigieg explores the psychological benefits of decluttering in her post, Letting Go. Preventing clutter is also important, and this topic is covered by Ramona Creel in Ways To Bring Less Paper Into Your Life, and Jeri Dansky in How to Shop So You Don't Wind Up with Clutter. In Organizing myth: Organize once and never do it again, Lelah Baker-Rabe explains that

Organization requires maintenance; there is no one-time "organization vaccine."

Julie Bestry, AKA the Paper Doll, uncovers some eye-opening information in Who Knows Your Secrets? Part 2: Checking Up on Your Checking History. We'll close off this month's Professional Organizers Blog Carnival with an announcement from Janet Baker about a “Smooth Sailing Document Management” contest drawing for a FREE 7-day Caribbean sailing vacation! Thanks very much to everyone who participated this month! Please show your support by visiting their blogs and leaving some comments – it's a great way to get to know one another! If you've never taken part in the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival, perhaps we'll see you next month!

Professional Organizers Blog Carnival – October 2009 Edition

Janet — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:07:14 +0000

Here it is once again – time for the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! This monthly feature is a chance for you to share your best blog posts and learn from your colleagues in the organizing industry. We have a few new contributors this month, including a very special guest. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag, so read on and enjoy!

Let's begin with the 10 Best Reasons to Get Organized, in which Lelah Baker-Rabe shares some familiar and not-so-familiar reminders about how getting organized can improve your life. Next, a few Organizing Products and Systems you may wish to recommend to your clients, or use yourself: Jodi Granok has the solution for Fixing Our Food Storage Container Clutter in a photo essay, and Jeri Dansky answers a Reader Question: Organizing the Adult Toys. Margaret Lukens describes Three everyday uses for mind-maps, and Jacki Hollywood Brown blogs about The King of Classification:

This Professional Organizer built an easy to understand, simple to apply, easily modified classification system for all life on Earth over 300 years ago!

The value of Professional Organizer Training, Certification and Credentials are discussed by Geralin Thomas in Working with Hoarders: Training and Experience Highly Recommended and Janine Adams in Why training and credentials matter Business Strategy is a topic that's important to all of us, and Lisa Montanaro shares some great ideas in Time is on Your Side: 10 Ways to Reinvest in Your Business During a Slow Economy. Lisa says,

If business is slow for you, this may be the perfect time to do some of the business-building activities that you never have the time to do when you are too busy working in the business. This may also be a golden opportunity for professional development, reflection, and brainstorming.

Angela Esnouf states that:

To get change you need to make changes. This holds true for our clients as much as it does for our businesses.

Read her post Different Actions Get Different Results for an example. Since a carnival is all about having fun, we'll close this one with Dave Gary's light-hearted way of presenting both sides of the organizing coin (at least through the eyes of one PO's spouse) in Top 5 Reasons You Should Marry A Professional Organizer. Thanks for stopping by, and a special thanks to everyone who contributed to this month's Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! Be sure to read the above posts, leave some comments, and get to know one your organizing colleagues. If you didn't participate, I do hope you'll join us next time!

Professional Organizers Blog Carnival – September 2009 Edition

Janet — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:41:40 +0000

Welcome to this month’s issue of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival, a collection of blog posts submitted by some of the organizing consultants who enjoy reading Your Organizing Business. I'm so thrilled to be hosting this monthly feature, and I hope you'll take some time to read the various posts and get to know some of your fellow organizers.

As usual, we have an interesting variety of topics this month. Home and Family Terry shares some easy tips to get you and your clients thinking about Preparing For Disaster, explaining that

Preparing for a disaster is something that 90% of Americans know they need to do, but only 5-10% of them actually do.

Anne Blumer presents the first in a series of seven posts on organizing for Back to School. Other posts in the series will cover:

Parents Need to Stay Involved
Make Homework Routine
Use Tools Wisely
Teach Time Management
Teach Project Management
Help Them Find Their Own Way

Personal and Professional Development In How to Manage the Chaos of Transformation, Alex Fayle explains that

Renovating the soul has more in common with renovating the home than you might think... a little planning and chaos control can help through the transformation.

Margaret Lukens shares Four no-excuses ways to exercise for better productivity. Angela Esnouf describes The Journey to Expert, saying

I'm thrilled to be granted Expert accreditation and happy to share what got me there.

Collecting, Hoarding, Streamlining and Organizing All Kinds of Stuff Geralin Thomas, who is currently appearing on A&E's Hoarders, shares her expertise in Collectors and Hoarders: There is a Difference. Jodi Granok answers the question, Do Professional Organizers Ever Need to Organize Themselves? In What's In Your Memory Box? Creating an Organized Home for Your Prized Possessions, Lisa Montanaro shares her tip on dealing with personal memorabilia, and says,

A Memory Box is a great tool to use with a client that wants to save sentimental items, and get them in one place. And yes, even us organizers have Memory Boxes too! :-)

Lelah Baker-Rabe answers the question, Who needs a professional organizer? with a few warning signs that someone might be prone to overbuying and need some professional help. Jacki Hollywood Brown offers three Alternatives to Owning that will help you and your clients keep your space clutter free, while using stuff you don’t actually own. Janet Baker gives us 5 Ways to Deal with Paper using The Paper Tiger filing software. Contest! No, I don't normally include my own posts in the Blog Carnival, but I want to make sure you know about my contest, as described in Recommend a Planner and Win a Free E-Book! I've received some great entries already, but you may have an even better idea! As always, I'd like to thank all the bloggers who have participated in this month's Professional Organizers Blog Carnival. This is a monthly event, so if you didn't submit a post, feel free to join us next time! In the meantime, be sure to check out the above posts, leave some comments, and get to know one another!

Photo courtesy of Troy McCullough

Would You Like to Work with Hoarders?

Janet — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:18:05 +0000

There's lots of buzz right now about A&E's new documentary series about real people whose compulsive hoarding is leading to serious problems in their everyday lives. If you didn't catch the premiere on Monday night, be sure to visit the Hoarders website to see what you missed.

I found it heartbreaking to witness the challenges faced by the compulsive hoarders on the show, and by their families. At the same time, I admire them, not only for taking the huge step of making positive changes in their lives, but for exposing themselves to the world in order to educate others. I also have a great deal of admiration and respect for the professional organizers who work with these individuals. You may never encounter a situation like those shown on Hoarders, but if you offer residential organizing, there's a chance that you will. I predict that it's even more likely now, because the show will help reduce the stigma associated with chronic disorganization, empowering viewers facing similar issues to take action. You can prepare yourself by downloading a free copy of the Clutter Hoarding Scale developed by the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD). The Clutter Hoarding Scale is an assessment that may be used during your initial consultation to determine the degree of household clutter and hoarding, and the level of support needed. In many cases, the client will need to work with a professional organizer with specialized training in chronic disorganization. If you are interested in this specialty, you should become a member of NSGCD. Before joining, you must first be a member of NAPO or POC, or provide documentation showing that you've been in business as a professional organizer for at least one year. NSGCD offers weekly teleclasses to help their members work towards various levels of certification. In addition, NSGCD also holds an annual conference for organizers and other professionals who work with chronic disorganization clients. This year's conference will take place from October 1 to 3 in Los Angeles, California. Registration fees go up after August 31, so if you're thinking of attending, you should register as soon as possible. If you're not sure whether chronic disorganization is your thing, you may wish to explore the subject further before investing in membership or the conference. In this case, you'll be pleased to know that NSGCD also offers a number of inexpensive publications which you may find of value.