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Peninsula Community Services, Inc.
Peninsula Community Services, Inc., a non-profit, 501(c)3, organization, has
provided a variety of direct and supportive services for residents of San
Mateo County since 1978. Alan Merrifield is the founder and President of
PCS,Inc. We became interested in
extreme hoarding because of our years of experience working with community
agencies and with the clean-up and disposal problems of persons at the
end-stage of their severe hoarding difficulties.
In March of 2000, PCS supported a 2 day professional symposium called “The
Pack Rat and the Neighborhood Trash House - Understanding Extreme Hoarding
Behavior and Implications for Communities”. It was very well received
by the many professionals and interested public from the Bay Area who
attended.
In June of 2010, PCS ended a relationship with Urban Wildlife Management and
no longer provided any direct clean-up services for clients but focused on
education and early intervention, support, and recovery for people with
hoarding problems.
To this end, PCS has
·
Created a Web site
www.hoarders.org on
which we
maintain and post any relevant information that is given to us and that we
have encountered that could be of interest. Linda Merrifield is the editor.
·
Participated since its
inception 2006 in the San Mateo County Task Force on Hoarding’s
quarterly meetings.
·
Created an “Information
Guide About Hoarding and Cluttering with helpful suggestions for
residents facing an overwhelming problem”. This
was created for the S.M. County Task Force.
·
Conducted surveys
of San Mateo County Code Enforcement officers and people with hoarding
issues to identify needed services.
·
Actively supported and
participated in the May 2011 Workshop “Partners Addressing Hoarding
in San Mateo County” for First responders. 80 people attended.
·
Initiated and supported
the formation of a Hoarders’ Support Group in September 2010 at Mills
Health Center in San Mateo. The response was much greater that we
anticipated. Presently we have
three ongoing bi-weekly peer support groups led by Psychologist Dana
Girard and PhD students in training. Usually 8-12 people attend each group.
This is presently a free program.
·
Begun a 16-week CBT
Treatment group for hoarding in March 2011. It is led by Dr, Joanne
Chan, PhD who specializes in the treatment of extreme hoarding and chronic
disorganization. Eight people
with hoarding problems are enrolled and beginning recovery.
It is subsidized by PCS.
·
Began recruitment in June
2011 for a Support Group for Families of those affected by hoarding.
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