Home Domestic Violence Homelessness Hospitalization & Illness Animal Hoarding Pet Relinquishment Animal-Assisted Therapy Resources

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1 Animal Hoarding 1 of 3 6/22/2015 9:13 AM Home Domestic Violence Homelessness Hospitalization & Illness Animal Hoarding Pet Relinquishment Animal-Assisted Therapy Resources Animal Hoarding Animal hoarding is recognized as a complex public health problem challenging cities and communities across the country and impacting tens of thousands of animals each year. It is defined by the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium by four characteristics: A failure to provide the minimum standard of sanitation, space, nutrition, and veterinary care for animals An inability to recognize the impact of the above-mentioned failure on the welfare of the animals, human members of the household, and the environment Obsessive attempts to accumulate or maintain a collection of animals in the face of progressively deteriorating conditions Denial or minimization of problems and living conditions for people and animals Animal hoarding is now understood to be as much a human behavior and mental health problem as it is an animal welfare concern. The condition is now also recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5). The condition is closely linked to the elderly. In addition, the effects of animal hoarding seriously impact the environment and community. Left untreated, there is a near 100% recidivism rate. Traditional responses often continue to disregard the complexities of these cases and focus primarily on animal removal. Done by itself, this is a costly and short-term solution that burdens the animal welfare community, since most hoarders return to collecting animals. What Social Workers and Their Agencies Can Do Social workers have a long history working with the most disenfranchised and isolated groups, which makes them particularly helpful in addressing animal hoarding cases. Their unique skills can find solutions early on that go beyond animal removal. To fully address hoarding, there must be a commitment

2 Animal Hoarding 2 of 3 6/22/2015 9:13 AM between multiple agencies and disciplines. Social workers can: Conduct a home visit to assess conditions and evaluate the situation Provide education regarding proper animal care Implement a Coordinated Response between animal welfare, human welfare, public health, and safety organizations Engage other organizations (such as Health Department, Animal Control, Environmental Affairs, Agriculture Department, Humane Law Enforcement, Mental Health Services, Child Protection, Department of Buildings, etc.) to participate in a case conference and intervention Engage animal welfare organizations to conduct spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and wellness exams (and determine if any animals are adoptable, if the hoarder will release them) Provide linkages to human services, such as Adult Protective and Mental Health Services Provide linkages to family and friends, if appropriate Additional Interventions Have the hoarder document information about each owned animal (including name, type of animal, age, behavior, etc. This will further inform an assessment of the hoarder s ability to care for their animals) Help the hoarder to visualize an improvement and develop goals to reach an improvement through motivational interviewing Help the hoarder identify animals appropriate for adoption Offer eviction prevention assistance and referrals to legal assistance, if necessary Coordinate a heavy duty cleaning Consider alternative temporary placement for animals, including vet offices, boarding facilities, or temporary crates in a safe place in the environment Work with the hoarder to sign an animal surrender form to transfer ownership Consider formal arrest for animal cruelty, if necessary Arrange for emergency animal removal, if necessary Closely monitor the situation on an on-going basis, before, during, and after interventions Tips and Tools Hoarding Assessment Model Hoarding Intervention

3 Hoarding Assessment 1 of 1 6/25/ :26 AM Home Domestic Violence Homelessness Hospitalization & Illness Animal Hoarding Pet Relinquishment Animal-Assisted Therapy Resources Hoarding Assessment Copyright 2015 Mayor's Alliance for NYC'S Animals

4 Model Hoarding Intervention 1 of 3 6/25/ :28 AM Home Domestic Violence Homelessness Hospitalization & Illness Animal Hoarding Pet Relinquishment Animal-Assisted Therapy Resources Model Hoarding Intervention Animal hoarding is a serious public health issue that encompasses human welfare, environmental health, animal welfare, and property concerns, particularly in a city like New York, where vertical living is the norm. As more cases are uncovered throughout the country, a model intervention involves a coordinated community response to address the welfare of the person, the animals, and the environment. Due to the cost associated with a large intervention and the lack of motivation of the hoarder to seek help or restitution, many animal hoarding cases go unaddressed until conditions fully deteriorate and the legal system intervenes. Frontline social workers making home visits may discover these situations first, and with an understanding of the complexity of these situations, they can work to coordinate successful responses. Because animal hoarding is linked to a very high recidivism rate, it is important to address each situation early and comprehensively: addressing the behavior and hoarding conditions and also incorporating a plan that monitors each situation to ensure compliance long after an intervention occurs. Communities throughout the country have developed Hoarding Task Forces that engage multiple disciplines, including the law, human welfare, animal welfare, environmental health, and safety. Specific goals to this type of intervention include: An agreed-upon plan among agencies that is well communicated among partners Agreed-upon goals and a timeline for interventions Coordination of responders in consideration of the environment, safety, and human and animal welfare

5 Model Hoarding Intervention 2 of 3 6/25/ :28 AM Willingness to address the immediate situation and continue services to address long-term safety and possible recidivism In New York City, the agencies and organizations that could benefit from a collaborative and coordinated community response are often independent of each other. These include the New York Police Department (NYPD), New York Fire Department (NYFD), Adult Protective Services, Department for the Aging, Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Buildings, community boards throughout the city, the New York City Housing Authority, and the Office of Emergency Management. In addition, there are a number of social service agencies (many with City contracts) that address human welfare of the elderly and others at-risk. Interventions include: Preventive strategies, such as stopping animal reproduction through spay/neuter, improving the environment through cleaning, and referring additional supportive services to monitor the conditions and offer assistance Legal intervention strategies, such as assessing for cause for legal intervention (animal cruelty/neglect, eviction, guardianship, etc.) and animal removal by AC&C and/or private animal welfare groups Emergency intervention strategies, such as a coordinated response to remove the individual(s) and animals because of health/public health issues The model intervention addresses the behavior, the conditions, the community impact, and recidivism. As more agencies commit to addressing these concerns, there is a better chance for a successful response. Resources: Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C): dial Tufts Hoarding Research Consortium: Adult Protective Services: dial New York Police Department: dial New York Fire Department: dial ASPCA: dial (212) Copyright 2015 Mayor's Alliance for NYC'S Animals

6 Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders The upcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) will include a new chapter on Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders to reflect the increasing evidence of these disorders relatedness to one another and distinction from other anxiety disorders, as well as to help clinicians better identify and treat individuals suffering from these disorders. Disorders grouped in this new chapter have features in common such as an obsessive preoccupation and repetitive behaviors. The disorders included in this new chapter have enough similarities to group them together in the same diagnostic classification but enough important differences between them to exist as distinct disorders. Disorders in this chapter include obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder), as well as two new disorders: hoarding disorder and excoriation (skinpicking) disorder. Hoarding Disorder Hoarding disorder is characterized by the persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of the value others may attribute to these possessions. The behavior usually has harmful effects emotional, physical, social, financial, and even legal for the person suffering from the disorder and family members. For individuals who hoard, the quantity of their collected items sets them apart from people with normal collecting behaviors. They accumulate a large number of possessions that often fill up or clutter active living areas of the home or workplace to the extent that their intended use is no longer possible. Symptoms of the disorder cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning including maintaining an environment for self and/or others. While some people who hoard may not be particularly distressed by their behavior, their behavior can be distressing to other people, such as family members or landlords. Hoarding disorder is included in DSM-5 because research shows that it is a distinct disorder with distinct treatments. Using DSM-IV, individuals with pathological hoarding behaviors could receive a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, anxiety disorder not otherwise specified or no diagnosis at all, since many severe cases of hoarding are not accompanied by obsessive or compulsive behavior. Creating a unique diagnosis in DSM-5 will increase public awareness, improve identification of cases, and stimulate both research and the development of specific treatments for hoarding disorder. This is particularly important as studies show that the prevalence of hoarding disorder is estimated at approximately two to five percent of the population. These behaviors can often be quite severe and even threatening. Beyond the mental impact of the disorder, the accumulation of clutter can create a public health issue by completely filling people s homes and creating fall and fire hazards.

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