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Hoarding Disorder Assessment Tools

Reblogger Lynn B. Friedman CRS Atlanta, GA 404-617-6375
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Atlanta Homes ODAT Realty - Love our Great City - Love our Clients! Buckhead - Midtown - Westside

Dear Readers -
Hopefully, you were able to attend the ActiveRain Zoom Meet-Up featuring  Lauren Williams, CPO, CVPO. Lauren regaled us with great tips for when we encounter Clients who need help with organization.

She explained that there are many levels of professional training to achieve the certification for these skills. Her company is called Casual Uncluttering  which is NAPO certified as well as certified for VIRTUAL work sessions. Her first hour walk-through is without charge.

In addition to her specific examples of techniques she uses, she cautioned everyone to avoid loaded words such as "messy" or "cluttered" when beginning conversations about getting a home ready to sell. No point in setting up a negtive environment from the beginning, she cautioned.

When asked about sorting and disposing of items from a deceased spouse, Lauren stressed there is NO TIMELINE for that which she details in her post Grief, Loss and Clutter. She explained that everyone processes grief differently and the person determines his or her own timeline.

Be sure to read other posts of hers such as Shoes, Shoes Everywhere and Not A Pair To Wear; 12 Brilliant Organizing Tips; and, GiveBackBox.

Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400 asked a very interesting question which she agreed I could mention. "What if the Client's office is the kitchen table, how do you organize?" Lauren responded that just separating the work area from the eating area would be a way to start while looking for another space in the home - no matter how small - to relocate the office items.

Wonderful presentation and thanks to Kat Palmiotti who invited Lauren Williams, everyone in attendance learned so much!

NEXT WEEK - the Tuesday at 2pm ActiveRain Zoom Meet-Up will be presented by Ben Kinney - the man who rescued ActiveRain from the two (what I call) kidnappings - and saved our AR community! Ben has put his money where his mouth is - he personally pumps cash in monthly to keep AR rebuilding the site and continuing to move ahead. Link available from George Souto to join.

Original content by Lauren Williams, CPO,CVOP

My everlasting gratitude to Dr. Gregory Chasson, a clinician with too many impressive accomplishments to list here, and The Philadelphia Hoarding Task Force for pointing me to several of these hoarding disorder assessment tools which were unfamiliar to me. I'm pleased to say that several of my colleagues and I pointed him to a resource in turn.

Hoarding disorder experts Drs. Gail Steketee and Randy O. Frost first published the Compulsive Hoarding and Acquiring Therapist Guide in 2007. One of the elements of the Guide is the Clutter Image Rating Scale, a series of photos showing several rooms in increasingly cluttered condition. Anyone can use it: a person who suspects s/he has the disorder or anyone attempting to help a person make that decision.

The Philadelphia Hoarding Task Force posts a brilliant interactive version of the Scale which lets you immediately rate your challenge.

Another excellent viewpoint is the HOMES® scale, published in the 2011 The Hoarding Handbook: A Guide for Human Service Professionals, by Dr. Christiana Bratiotis, Cristina Sorrentino Schmalisch and Gail Steketee.

The Hoarding Rating Scale developed by Dr. David Tolin and a team provides another lens.

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization Clutter-Hoarding Scale and its Clutter Quality of Life Scale.

Activities of Daily Living for Hoarding is an eye-opening instrument also formatted by Gail Steketee and Randy Frost.

This version of the Savings Inventory - Revised, another powerful Steketee instrument, is interactive, and generously provided by its publisher, Oxford University Press.

The Center for Hoarding and Cluttering, an astonishing resource in many dimensions, designed the Uniform Inspection Checklist "to objectively identify Harm Reduction targets, prioritize reasonable and relevant goals, set a baseline status, and monitor and measure progress throughout the resolution process."

Apple even has a Clutter Image Rating Scale app.

Lauren A. Williams, Certified Professional Organizer

  

POB 2448

Woodinville, WA  98072-2448

425-947-3976 Lauren@casualuncluttering.com www.casualuncluttering.com 

Facebook Yelp Google+ 

Professional organizing services.  Licensed, bonded and insured in WA.  

PAID AFFILIATE OF High Road Organizers – GREAT STUFF FOR CARS!!

PAID AFFILIATE OF Organize-It: your storage and organization resource." 

Comments(9)

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Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400
The Top Team @ Charles Rutenberg Realty 255 Executive Dr, Plainview NY 11803 - Plainview, NY
Long Island Condo and Home Specialists

Lynn, Nice recap of today's A/R Zoom meeting. Lauren did a nice presentation and what a cute name for her business!

Feb 23, 2021 01:57 PM
Lauren Williams, CPO,CVOP

Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400 I agree, Lynn B. Friedman CRS Atlanta GA 404-939-2727 summary of what I went over is excellent.

Feb 23, 2021 04:52 PM
Pete Xavier
Investments to Luxury - Pacific Palisades, CA
Outstanding Agent Referrals-Nationwide

Wondering if there is group therapy? Asking for a friend.

Feb 23, 2021 02:03 PM
Lauren Williams, CPO,CVOP

Pete Xavier Your friend can look for Buried in Treasures support groups, can find Clutterers Anonymous, or if s/he is a loved one of a person with hoarding disorder, might find Children of Hoarders, Lee Shuer and Becca Belofsky's Mutual Support community welcoming, or can approach Kathleen Crombie who is running workshops designed to help family members coach change in their hoarding loved ones. Take a look at my website hoarding resources page for all sorts of tools. Lauren

Feb 23, 2021 05:02 PM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Lynn it was a good ZOOM Meeting today.  Lauren shared a lot of good information.

Feb 23, 2021 02:08 PM
Lauren Williams, CPO,CVOP

George Souto I loved seeing so many people I know here. Hearing voices with faces was awesome. Lauren

Feb 23, 2021 05:03 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Lynn:

Thanks for sharing this! Lauren did a terrific job today with some great information for situations we have probably all encountered, as well as helping with our own organizing.

Jeff

Feb 23, 2021 02:27 PM
Lauren Williams, CPO,CVOP

Jeff Dowler, CRS 🙂 Lauren

Feb 23, 2021 05:04 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Fantastic recap of today's Zoom call! I learned a lot, and have some ideas about a neatness-challenged offspring of mine. :-)

Feb 23, 2021 03:25 PM
Lauren Williams, CPO,CVOP

Kat Palmiotti Yes, it's a great summary! Lauren

Feb 23, 2021 05:05 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
Retired Broker/Owner - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Thanks for doing a recap as I was unable to atttend this meeting.  Sounds like it was spot on perfect for this crowd. 

Feb 23, 2021 03:39 PM
Lauren Williams, CPO,CVOP

Anna Banana Kruchten CRS CRB, Phoenix Broker Feel free to wander over to my resource pages on my website Casual Uncluttering. Good starts there. Lauren

Feb 23, 2021 05:06 PM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Associate Real Estate Broker

I was unable to attend today but will look for posts like yours to try and get a feel for the call

Feb 23, 2021 04:18 PM
Lauren Williams, CPO,CVOP

Ed Silva Feel free to wander over to my resource pages on my website Casual Uncluttering. Good starts there. Lauren

Feb 23, 2021 05:06 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Lynne, A huge congratulations to you on hitting one million points! Shows a lot of time and dedication to AR!!

Lauren Williams, CPO, CVPO, gave us an in-depth look into the benefits of a well-trained professional organizer.  I plan to devour her blogs.

 

Feb 23, 2021 08:40 PM
Lauren Williams, CPO,CVOP

Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400 I wish I'd started blogging years ago. I enjoy it far more than I'd expected. Lauren

Feb 23, 2021 09:11 PM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Hi Lynn B. Friedman CRS Atlanta GA 404-939-2727 
Thanks for the recap. Lauren covered a LOT in the allotted hour!  I liked her suggestion to take pictures of or create a shadow box of loved ones belongings as a remembrance.

And, Congratulations on joining the Millionaire Club! 

Feb 24, 2021 08:09 AM