Hoarding Program
Hoarding disorder and compulsive saving are challenging issues which often go untreated due to stigma and lack of awareness of resources. At JFCS, our expert staff is here to address hoarding disorder in a thoughtful and trauma-informed manner, helping individuals and their families begin the process of decluttering and healing.
People with hoarding disorder excessively save items that others may view as no longer useful or needed. They have persistent difficulty parting with possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts their ability to use their spaces as intended, and can lead to health and safety concerns.
Hoarding is not the same as collecting. Collectors look for specific items, such as model cars or stamps, and may organize or display them. People with hoarding disorder save items to prevent waste, fear losing important information, experience over sentimentality around belongings, or find a feeling of safety being surrounded by their items. This hoarding causes major distress in family and social dynamics, work, and other important areas of function.
INDIVIDUAL HOARDING SERVICES SUPPORT
JFCS works with individuals experiencing hoarding disorder to develop goals to reduce the items that take up physical and emotional space in their lives. Our staff is specially trained in hoarding disorder, sharing appropriate strategies to help achieve goals and maintain them.
SUPPORT GROUPS
JFCS offers a wide range of support groups to address hoarding disorder.
- Mindfulness and Hoarding
Learn simple tools to practice anywhere that cultivate calm, focus, and a sense of well-being. - Buried in Treasures: Hoarding Support Group and Workshop
Join like-minded individuals in a supportive community to learn tools that address compulsive acquiring and saving while deepening understanding of clutter. - The Art of Letting Go: Art Therapy for Individuals Coping with Hoarding Disorder
Gain new coping skills and express and process what it means to let go through art journaling, which can be helpful in creating a sense of containment and safety, as well as a timeline of a transformative therapeutic process. - General Monthly Drop-In Support
For individuals who have completed a prior hoarding support group program. - Supporting Your Loved Ones with Hoarding Disorder
Find community and connection with individuals whose partner, parent, or loved one is also struggling with hoarding disorder.
TRAINING & EDUCATION
JFCS offers training and education to organizations or partners who are interested in learning more about hoarding disorder, and how to work with those who hoard. JFCS is a partner of the Philadelphia Hoarding Task Force and offers an annual conference and lecture series on various aspects of hoarding disorder.
Eligibility is determined based on the specific needs of the individual or family.
We offer services via a variety of locations and platforms: telehealth, in office settings, and mobile therapy for those who are eligible.
If fees are applicable, they are established on a case-by-case basis. If you need assistance, please do not let financial concerns keep you from calling for help. Payment options may include a sliding scale, Medicare, and/or additional assistance.
Our Staff
Courtney Owen, LCSW, Director, Program Officer, Education and Outreach Services & Mental Health
Dara Leinweber, Hoarding Program Coordinator & Care Manager
Jasmin Romero, LSW, Care Manager
Kiarra Williams, MA, Art Therapist