Featured Speaker at SoDACE Conference

Featured Speaker at SoDACE Conference Hoarding: A Simple Look at a Complex Disorder

By Cory Chalmers

Hoarding is a term that has gained notoriety after the explosion of media coverage it has received over the past several years. While hoarding is nothing new, it certainly seemstobedramaticallyincreasing.Peoplesufferingfrom the Hoarding Disorder are said to be reaching five percent oftheUnitedStatespopulation.Thinkaboutthat…oneout of every 20 homes you drive past are hoarders. There are not enough resources anywhere to tackle this epidemic, especially the way we are doing it now.

As Code Enforcement Officers, the regular Standard Operating Procedure for most cities and counties throughoutthecountryiseithertoonlyaddresstheexterior, orredtagthehome.Inthebiggerpicture,whatisthisreally accomplishing? Ninety-seven percent of hoarders will returntohoardingbehavior,unlesscertainprocessesareput in place. Do you know what these processes are? Is your agency even able to provide them? Most likely the answer is no, meaning you will continue your careers dealing with the same hoarders over and over, as well as new ones that pop up for years. No matter how your agency works, do you want to know how to better handle these situations?

My name is Cory Chalmers, featured expert on A&E’s Emmynominatedseries“Hoarders, ”andPresident/CEOof Steri-Clean Inc. I have been working with hoarders for 19 years, successfully helping clean up over 10,000 homes. I amalsoaretiredFireDepartmentCaptain,andtheChairof the San Bernardino Hoarding Task Force. Every Sunday I hold a free online hoarding support group for hoarders and their loved ones, and developed an international hoarding resources website which over the past three years has become the most viewed hoarding website in the world.

Sincemanyofyoudealwithhoardingonaregularbasis,I invite you to attend the upcoming South Dakota Association of Code Enforcement Conference onApril 30 and May 1 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center in Pierre, SD. I will be presenting for over three hours on the hoarding disorder and want to share with you some valuable information and insight on the Hoarding Disorder. This presentation will provide you with all aspects of education on the hoarding disorder including, why people hoard, different types of hoarding behaviors, hidden dangers in hoarding homes, how to make the most progress with hoarders, and the necessary aftercare to reverse the recidivism rates.

Icanassureyouthatthisisnotaboringpresentationwhere I read sentences off slide after slide. This presentation is filled with over 100 photos and a couple of videos that paint a clear image of each topic I will be discussing. I have presented at over 30 nationwide conferences, and have received nothing but incredible feedback on the knowledge and insight that people gained from attending.

If you are truly interested in learning how to decrease the amount of time you or your agency employees spend on hoarding cases, be safer while working in hoarding environments, or just want to be educated on this complex disorder, please join usApril 30!

Cory Chalmers is a Featured Expert on A&E’ s

“Hoarders ” and a Biohazard/Hoarding Specialist with Steri-Clean, Inc. He can be reached at 800-462-7337 Ext. 111 or visit www.HOARDERS.com or www.HoardingCleanup.com.

Agenda and registration for the SoDACE conference to be held April 30-May 1 at the Ramkota in Pierre can be found on the next page and also on the SDML website, www.sdmunicipalleague.org under SDML Events.