Capacity Crowd Expected for Educational Seminar on Hoarding

(Costa Mesa) – The second educational seminar on hoarding to be held in Orange County this year is expected to draw a capacity audience to the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center on Wednesday, September 29.

Human hoarding behavior, a recently recognized health and safety issue with mental health implications, is defined as a situation in which a person has too many belongings to function safely. “The interest in these seminars on hoarding has been overwhelming and is a reflection of this growing problem in our society,” said Mark Odom, LCSW, of the Orange County Health Care Agency’s Older Adult Services. “Senior service providers, code enforcement officials, fire inspectors, animal service employees, vector control, and many others are encountering more and more cases of human hoarding behavior here in Orange County.”

The seminar will provide examples of how health and human services professionals can intervene, and offer information on resources available to assist local officials encountering hoarding situations. Speakers will include Jonnae Ostrom, LCSW, one of the first professionals to take a closer look at human hoarding behavior; Inspector Dennis Bogard of the Los Angeles Fire Department; attorney Gregory P. Palmer, JD; and Lt. Brian Frick of Orange County Animal Care Services.

For more information about the Summit on Hoarding in Orange County, contact Mark Odom at (714) 972-3700 or visit the Health Care Agency website at: http://www.ochealthinfo.com/behavioral/amhs/community.htm.