Hoarding Coalition
What is Hoarding?
Definition of Hoarding
The acquisition of and failure to discard items that appear to be useless or of little value. It is manifested in excessive possessions in the home interfering with the normal use of living space and furniture, and is accompanied by significant interference or distress. – Cristina M. Sorrentino, PhD, MSW
Definition of Animal Hoarding
The accumulation of a large number of animals, overwhelming that person’s ability to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation and veterinary care.
Coalition History
Central Plains Area Agency on Aging established the Wichita/Sedgwick County Hoarding Coalition to address issues of hoarding in our community. The Hoarding Coalition is made up of a diverse group of professionals that includes social workers, aging service professionals, mental health professionals and health care professionals.
Other partners include representatives from the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County offices of animal control, housing authority, central inspection, code enforcement, legal representatives, as well as Meals on Wheels, law enforcement and professional organizers. The members of the Coalition are working together to combat the growing issue of hoarding and the effects on older adults, families and the community.
Coalition Goals
The Coalition is an ongoing interagency team that seeks to build and maintain a “collaborative effort of diverse community agencies seeking to provide intervention, education and follow-up support for hoarding behavior affecting the health and safety of the individual, the family and the community.” The Coalition has established eligibility criteria, detailed procedures, decision points, and responsibilities of individual agencies.
The primary goals of the Coalition:
- To provide an organized community response to individuals exhibiting hoarding behaviors who are identified as self-neglecting.
- To reduce risk to the client and the community and assure compliance with appropriate building and property codes.
Who’s Involved?
The Wichita/Sedgwick County Hoarding Coalition is made up of organizations, businesses, and city, county, and state agencies. Prior to forming the taskforce, agencies had little to no collaborative means to address the issue of hoarding.
Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
271 W Third St N 5th Floor
Wichita 67202
(316) 660-7298
www.cpaaa.org
COMCARE – CAPS Program
934 N. Water
Wichita, KS 67203
(316) 660-7525 – Administrative Office
(316) 660-7500 – 24-Hour Crisis Line
www.sedgwickcounty.org/comcare/crisis
KU School of Social Welfare
1545 Lilac Ln.
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 864-4720
www.socwel.ku.edu
Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas
555 N. Woodlawn, Ste 3105
Wichita, KS 67208
(316) 685-1821
www.mhasck.org
Prairie View, Inc.
9333 E. 21st Street N.
Wichita, KS 67206
(316) 634-4700
www.prairieview.org
Senior Services, Inc. of Wichita
200 South Walnut
Wichita, Kansas 67213
(316) 267-0302
www.seniorservicesofwichita.org
Department of Children and Families – Adult Protective Services
915 SW Harrison St., Topeka, KS 66612
(785) 296-3959
http://www.dcf.ks.gov
Westar Energy
(316) 383-8600
https://www.westarenergy.com
Home Technology Solutions, Inc.
149 South Ridge Road
Wichita, KS 67209
(316) 265-1700
http://www.homets.org/
City of Wichita
- Animal Services – (316) 268-8378
- Environmental Services – (316) 268-8351
- Fire Department – (316) 268-4451
- Housing & Community Investments – (316) 462-3700
- Neighborhood Improvement Services – (316) 462-3700
- Office of Central Inspection (neighborhood inspections) – (316) 268-4481
- Police Department – (316) 268-4158
Sedgwick County
- Animal Control – (316) 660-7070
- Code Enforcement – (316) 660-1840
- Environmental Resources – (316) 660-7200
- Fire District 1 – (316) 660-3473
- Sheriff’s Office – (316) 660-3900
- Housing Department – (316) 660-7270
Help is available
To make a report or ask for help, call:
For those 60 years of age and older: (316) 660-5144
For those 59 years of age and younger*: (316) 337-6791
*Consumer must be disabled and seen as someone who is unable to protect their best interest.
Hoarding Referral Form
In an emergent situation: (i.e. a hoarder without heat or air conditioning in extreme weather conditions or an elderly person who is no longer able to care for themselves call 9-1-1.
