Hoarding and Cluttering Conference

October 29, 2008 San Francisco, CA

Overwhelmed by too much stuff?

Most of us like to keep possessions that bring us comfort or appear to have value. But when one’s daily activities and quality of life are compromised by an accumulation of these possessions, then a person might have a problem with compulsive hoarding.

Come join the Mental Health Association of San Francisco in this year’s 11th annual conference, which will focus on building support systems through community collaboration to develop cutting-edge programs and services that meet the needs of individuals who compulsively hoard.

When:
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Registration begins at 8:00 am

Where:
The Westin San Francisco Market Street (formerly the Argent Hotel)
50 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Who should attend:

Adult Protective Services workers
Advocates
Attorneys
Case managers
Clinicians
Code enforcement staff
Family members
Individuals who hoard and clutter
IHSS workers
Landlords and property managers
Nurses
Policy makers
Researchers
Social workers

Public Information: You can register in three ways:

Online: www.mha-sf.org
Fax: (415) 421-2928
Mail: MHA-SF Conference on Hoarding and Cluttering

870 Market Street, Suite 928
San Francisco, CA 94102

Could I have a compulsive hoarding and cluttering problem?

Do I think I have too much stuff?
Do friends and family think I have too much stuff?
Do I have rooms I cannot use because of clutter?
Do I have to move stuff off the furniture/bed in order to use it?
Do I often lose things in my clutter?
Am I reluctant to have people over because of clutter?
Do I have trouble getting to my windows, fire escape and doors?
Have I fallen over my clutter?
Do I get anxious when I think someone might take, rearrange or throw away my things?
Do I bring things home even though my place is already cluttered?
Am I afraid I will get in trouble with my landlord because of clutter or have I already gotten in trouble?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a problem with compulsive hoarding.

Many people can find themselves overwhelmed by extensive clutter. Compulsive hoarding and cluttering refers to the acquisition of and failure to discard a large number of possessions, which appear to be useless or of limited value, in an attempt to decrease stress and anxiety. This serious and prevalent problem, estimated to affect over 1 million households in the U.S., can lead to eviction and homelessness. It is often a feature of several psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder and major depression, and can be caused or aggravated by problems associated with increasing age or physical disabilities.

Experts will address:

The difficulties caused by compulsive hoarding and cluttering behaviors, and current research on the nature and treatment of compulsive hoarding.
Service coordination between public and private groups who work with people who compulsively hoard, providers and the community, towards a comprehensive approach to this challenging condition.
Practical tools to build collaborative networks for support and advocacy needed for those with compulsive hoarding behaviors.
Models for successful collaboration among public-private service systems for multi-disciplinary strategies on compulsive hoarding.

Got Questions? Contact…
Jessica Valencia
Event Planning Intern
(415) 421-2926 ext. 307
registration@mha-sf.org

Registration for the conference is now open!

To register for the conference online, click here.
To register by mail, click here for a registration brochure in PDF.
For more information about the conference, click here.

SAVE THE DATE!
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Time: 9am-4pm
Location: The Westin San Francisco Market Street Hotel, 50 Third Street @ Market
Keynote Speaker: David Tolin, Ph.D.

Compulsive hoarding and cluttering refers to the acquisition of and failure to discard a large number of possessions, which appear to be useless or of limited value, in an attempt to decrease stress and anxiety. This serious and prevalent problem can lead to eviction and homelessness. It is often a feature of several psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder and major depression, and can be caused or aggravated by problems associated with increasing age or physical disabilities.

This conference is sponsored in part by a grant from the City and County of San Francisco Human Services Agency, Department of Aging and Adult Services.

Conference Sponsorships

Sponsoring MHA-SF's Conference on Hoarding and Cluttering will allow your company to gain visibility and recognition as a leader among mental health experts and in supporting innovative solutions to homelessness.

To sponsor this conference, fill out this form and mail or fax to MHA-SF.

Exhibitor Packages

This is a rare opportunity for a small group of exhibitors to showcase their products or services to this audience of 400 mental health service providers, policy makers, legal professionals, county employees, professional organizers and people who compulsively hoard and clutter and their loved ones. MHA-SF is offering a limited number of exhibitor packages, each including one exhibitor table with two chairs, two conference registrations*, and an exhibitor listing in the conference booklet.

For more information and to exhibit at this conference, fill out this form and mail or fax to MHA-SF.

*Conference registrations do not include CEU credits, which are available for $20 each license type.

Conference Booklet Ad Space

A conference booklet will be provided to all attendees at the conference with conference materials and other resources. Your company can purchase full page, half page or quarter page ad space in the booklet. To purchase ad space, fill out this form and mail or fax back to MHA-SF.