The Summit County Hoarding Task Force is preparing to host its 2026 fall conference on Thursday, Oct. 29, at St. George's Hall in Fairlawn, bringing together first responders, social workers, and families confronting one of the most dangerous and misunderstood conditions a household can face. Registration for the all-day event, titled “Make It Safe! Keep It Safe! Helping Without Hurting in Hoarding Situations,” closes Oct. 20.
According to Cleveland.com, the conference runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the hall, located at 3204 Ridgewood Road in Fairlawn, and is open to cross-disciplinary professionals as well as individuals and family members affected by hoarding disorder. Eligible professionals include first responders, social workers, housing coordinators, code enforcement officers, elder services workers, and healthcare providers, and the event offers continuing education units for several professional disciplines, the outlet reports.
The task force operates under the leadership of Summit County Public Health, and its past statewide events have drawn more than 200 attendees representing 28 Ohio counties, per the same report. That track record lines up with a similar fall gathering the task force held in November 2024 at the same fellowship hall, which also brought together over 200 attendees from 28 counties to focus on assessment tools, case management, and harm-reduction strategies, according to the County of Summit ADM Board.
Why Hoarding Is Treated as a Public Safety Emergency
Hoarding is not simply a private clutter problem in the eyes of first responders. The National Fire Protection Association explains that hoarding creates severe public safety hazards due to heavy combustible fuel loads, blocked escape routes, and heightened risks of structural collapse during emergency responses, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
That danger is backed by sobering numbers. Data presented in crisis response training materials by mental health educator Becca Belofsky indicates that approximately 25% of fire deaths are related to hoarding, according to Western Mass CIT-TTAC training materials. Belofsky, described by Cleveland.com as an international speaker and mental health educator, will headline the Fairlawn conference with sessions on intervention, stigma reduction, and complex mental health challenges including OCD, chronic disorganization, and aging.
Belofsky co-founded Mutual Support Consulting and adapted the evidence-based “Buried in Treasures” peer support workshop for online delivery, drawing on both professional expertise and lived family experience, according to Mutual Support Consulting. Event registration details list presenters Gabrielle Faggella and Derek Watkins alongside Belofsky for the eight-and-a-half-hour event, per the Eventbrite listing cited in the research record.
A Relatively New Diagnosis, a Growing Response Network
Hoarding disorder was only first recognized as a distinct clinical diagnosis in 2013, when it appeared in the DSM-5, having previously been treated as a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder, according to the American Psychological Association. That relatively recent formal recognition helps explain why specialized, multi-agency task forces like Summit County's have become more common over the past decade as a way to coordinate responses across health, housing, and public safety sectors.
The scale of the condition is substantial. The American Psychological Association estimates that hoarding disorder affects approximately 2.5% of the general population, with higher prevalence rates among adults over 60 years old and individuals with co-occurring anxiety or depression, the organization notes. Hoarding behaviors in supported housing have also been examined in research.
Local Resources Already in Place for At-Risk Seniors
Summit County Public Health's Gatekeeper Program responds to community referrals with social-worker home visits to vulnerable older adults. Accumulated clutter can be a warning sign.
Task force members Donna Barrett and Nikki Becher said in a statement that hoarding disorder impacts individuals, families, neighborhoods, and community safety, Cleveland.com reports. Their comment underscores the conference's dual focus: addressing the tactical hazards that worry fire crews and code officers while also steering families toward harm-reduction approaches rather than traumatic forced cleanouts.
That balance is increasingly supported by clinical evidence. A 2024 clinical trial published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research showed that combining “Buried in Treasures” support groups with hands-on, in-home uncluttering assistance produced statistically significant reductions in hoarding severity, according to research indexed on PubMed. The conference emphasizes practical, compassionate approaches to intervention.
Residents seeking more information about the Oct. 29 conference can reach organizers by email at [email protected] or by phone at 330-926-5650, per the Cleveland.com report.
