Hoarders will learn skills to deal with their excessive clutter as part of a free online course which begins in February.
Catholic Healthcare’s 15-week online Buried in Treasures program will start from 22 February 2021.
The program has been developed to support people living in NSW who have a tendency to accumulate excessive items, or find it difficult to part with them.
Hoarding is also a significant and unnecessary barrier stopping people moving from their larger family home and instead enjoying the benefits of moving into over 50s housing projects, such as a retirement village or land lease community.
The free program is open to people across NSW who are eligible for the government's Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP).
To be eligible for CHSP, you must be aged 65 years or older (50 years or older for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people), or 50 years or older (45 years or older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and on a low income, homeless, or at risk of being homeless.
The course is based on the successful self-help book Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding, written by Dr Randy Frost, Dr David Tolin, and Dr Gail Steketee who are among the world’s leading experts in the study and treatment of hoarding disorder.
Topics covered include:
- Understanding hoarding and why people collect
- Motivation and confidence to get started with organising clutter
- Practical skills and strategies for deciding which items to save, and resisting the temptation to collect more
- Overcoming feelings of anxiety and/or depression
One of the features of the program is the opportunity for participants to meet others who understand, all in a supportive and respectful environment. Each participant also receives a copy of the Buried in Treasures book.
Catholic Healthcare is running Buried in Treasures information sessions for individuals, families and referrers from 16 February.
The Buried in Treasures online program commences from Monday, 22 February.
Find more information here or call 1300 345 852.
