The Center for Hoarding Presents:

Professional Certification in Community Hoarding Intervention

A 12-part, 24 Contact Hour/NASW CEU approved Live, Online

Professional Certification & Continuing Education Program.

The only hoarding certification that combines comprehensive training with continuing education and professional support.

This is more than a training – IT’S A SOLUTION!

The 2024 U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging’s Consequences of Clutter report underscores the urgent need for, and strongly recommends, increased focus on training and coordinated responses to hoarding for agencies nationwide. Our Comprehensive Professional Certification and Ongoing Education Support Program delivers exactly that. Our live, interactive online training and ongoing professional support provides you with:

  • 12-Part Live, Online Professional Certification Program – Our program offers an in-depth, structured curriculum that blends foundational knowledge with practical strategies. Learn directly from top experts in real time, with practical, evidence-based strategies. Our Professional Certification Program equips key agency staff and community professionals with the knowledge, tools, ongoing education and support needed to effectively respond to hoarding cases. (see rates below)

  • Multi-Disciplinary Training – Participants will gain expertise in inter-agency collaboration and evidence-based approaches to intervention. Our program is designed for Case Managers, Social Workers, Elder Service Providers, Adult Protective Services, Housing Authorities, Property Management, HUD, HHS, Housing Service Coordinators, First Responders, Public Health Agencies, Code Enforcement Officers, members of Hoarding Task Forces and more.

  • Ongoing Support & Education – Once certified, stay connected and maintain certification through immediate enrollment in our Continued Education and Support Program. Unlimited courses available to deepen your knowledge and skills in addition to unlimited participation in 24+ TEAM Case Consultation opportunities per year. (see more info below in Continuing Education and Ongoing Support section) PLEASE NOTE: Our unique Continued Education and Support Program is a separate program with a separate fee from the Professional Certification Course. Participants must complete the Professional Certification Course to enroll in the Continued Education and Support Program. Immediate enrollment after 12-part certification course provides ongoing training, case consultation, and expert support to help you effectively apply and sustain your work in real-world cases with no gap in training and support. (see rates below)

Join us to strengthen your expertise, expand your impact, and turn National Recommendations into real-world action and sustainable solutions for your agency, your professional community and the people you serve.

Who We Are

Since 2013, The Center for Hoarding, under the direction of Marnie Matthews, LCSW, has been a trusted leader in training multi-disciplinary teams, agencies, and communities across the U.S. and Canada to effectively manage hoarding cases. Highly sought-after, our trainings are consistently fully booked each year with a waitlist, reflecting the value and impact agencies place on our expertise. We provide high-quality, evidence-based instruction that equips professionals with practical tools, collaborative strategies, and compassionate approaches. Participants consistently report that our trainings enhance understanding of the complex health, mental health, and social dimensions of hoarding while fostering empathy, patience, and confidence in client care. From Adult Protective Services to housing authorities, social workers, and community teams, our proven methods and innovative resources, such as the Uniform Inspection Checklist and harm reduction strategies, create meaningful improvements in the lives of individuals and families affected by hoarding.

     

Course Curriculum Overview

Class 1: Foundations of Hoarding Disorder: Psychology, Assessment and Interdisciplinary Approaches

Class 2: Applying Disaster Psychology and Trauma-Informed Practices

Class 3: We Need Families. Families Need Us First

Class 4: Empathy, Empowerment, and Voices of Lived Experience

Class 5: Practical Tools for Safe and Effective In-Home Work with Hoarding Clients

Class 6: Motivational Interviewing & Culturally Responsive Strategies for Hoarding Intervention

Class 7: The Harm Reduction Model in Hoarding Intervention: Rationale and Practice

Class 8: Intervention Models and Best Practices

Class 9: Developing Multi-Disciplinary Case Management Plans for Agencies Managing Hoarding Cases

Class 10: Housing Stability and Tenancy Preservation

Class 11: Building Community Partnerships & Multi-Disciplinary Hoarding Teams

Class 12: Capstone Case Simulation and Course Wrap-Up

Summer Course Calendar

Classes start Thursday, May 21, 2026.

Classes meet on Thursday’s only from 10:00am – 12:30pm CST.

Class schedule is 3 weeks on, 1 week off.

Final class date is Thursday, August 27, 2026.

***Registration Timeline***

Registration for the Professional Certification Course closes on May 19, 2026.

Although the course does not begin until May 21, 2026, this registration deadline is necessary to allow adequate time to process enrollments, set up participant accounts, and ensure that all students have full access to course materials in advance of the program start date.

Agency Enrollment Recommendation

To maximize the impact of community hoarding interventions and ensure consistent, high-quality support for clients, we strongly recommend that agencies enroll a minimum of two key staff members per agency or department in the Professional Certification in Community Hoarding Intervention (PCCHI).

Benefits to Agencies and Clients:

  • Enhanced Expertise: Certified staff gain advanced skills in assessing and intervening in hoarding situations, improving outcomes for clients and reducing risks for staff.

  • Consistent Standards of Care: Having multiple certified staff ensures that best practices are applied consistently across cases and shifts, enhancing agency credibility and efficiency.

  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Staff trained in PCCHI are better equipped to collaborate with other professionals and agencies, ensuring a coordinated, multi-faceted approach to complex cases.

  • Sustainable Knowledge: Through our continued education program, certified staff maintain up-to-date knowledge of emerging practices, legal considerations, and evidence-based strategies, ensuring long-term agency capacity in addressing hoarding challenges.

  • Positive Client Outcomes: Clients benefit from interventions led by trained professionals who understand the nuances of hoarding behavior, trauma-informed approaches, and strategies for sustainable support and environmental safety.

  Continuing Education & Ongoing Support

Unlike many certifications that end once the course is complete, this program ensures participants remain supported and up to date. After completing the 12-part Professional Certification, participants will maintain their certification, deepen their knowledge and increase their skills through exclusive monthly Continuing Education classes and Team Case Consultations. 

Both live and pre-recorded course options are available, offering flexibility to meet the demands of busy professionals and agencies. Certification renewal is based on annual participation targets—providing accountability without requiring weekly attendance.

This unique ongoing education and consultation model means your staff not only earn a certification, but also continue to grow, stay aligned with best practices, and remain part of a supportive professional community.

Meet Your Trainers

Terina Bainter, COC®, ICD is a hoarding specialist serving Pierce and South King counties with more than a decade of experience supporting individuals facing chronic disorganization. From 2012 – 2021, she held multiple Institute for Challenging Disorganization certifications in Hoarding, Chronic Disorganization, Aging, and ADHD and serves on the Board of The Hoarding Project. Terina provides trauma-informed assessments, community workshops, and coordinated interventions that reduce safety risks and connect people to vital supports. A Professional Organizer Coach (COC®) and Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, she uses a three-stage process—Awareness, Action, Learning—to help clients declutter homes, manage finances, and build lasting habits through practical, goal-oriented coaching.

Eileen Dacey, LICSW, is an independently licensed clinical social worker and CBT-certified therapist specializing in the treatment of hoarding disorder and OCD-related conditions. She provides psychotherapy, facilitates support groups for individuals and families affected by hoarding, and delivers crisis management for those facing eviction or condemnation. One of the few clinicians in Massachusetts with expertise in animal hoarding, Eileen is frequently called on regionally and nationally to consult on complex cases, develop uniform procedures and best practices, and train multidisciplinary service providers. In addition to her clinical work, Eileen is a PhD candidate and Associate Professor of Practice at Simmons University School of Social Work, where she directs Online BSW Practicum Education and teaches at both the BSW and MSW levels, including the elective Understanding Suicide: Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention. Her doctoral research explores the intersection of OCD and suicide to improve assessment and intervention strategies.

Cecilia “Ceci” Garrett, MSW, LICSW, specializes in treating Hoarding Disorder, anxiety, and trauma. Her unique personal and professional experience with hoarding—working with individuals, families, agencies, and communities—informs her advocacy efforts. Her passion is destigmatizing hoarding disorder through compassionate and engaging education of professionals, families, and communities about the importance of mental health treatment as a vital part of addressing hoarding behaviors.

Miriam Greenburg, MSW, LICSW, brings 26 years of experience in the social work field across a variety of settings, with the last 12 years dedicated to Massachusetts’ Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP) at Eliot Community Human Services, where she currently serves as Assistant Director. In this role, she provides clinical consultation to Housing Court, collaborates with judges, landlords, and community providers, and connects tenants whose housing difficulties are related to disability (which includes mental health disability related to hoarding) with the supports they need to remain stably housed. Through her leadership, Miriam has helped TPP fulfill its mission of preventing homelessness by fostering collaboration among courts, landlords, and service systems.

 

Ashley Kraft, PSC, (Professional Service Coordinator) is the leading expert on hoarding disorder for the Seattle Housing Authority, where she is creating a housing program to address high clutter and hoarding behaviors. As co-facilitator of the Northwest Hoarding Coalition, she connects housing providers and community service professionals with education, resources, and compassionate support for individuals experiencing hoarding disorder. Ashley has presented at multiple conferences on the intersection of seniors, housing, and hoarding. She holds a B.S. in Gerontology from Central Washington University and brings more than 12 years of experience in Assisted Living and Memory Care. A mid-career shift into affordable senior housing inspired her to launch Resident Services and Housing Stability programs after attending a pivotal seminar on hoarding disorder in 2013.

Marnie Matthews, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in the mental health treatment and crisis management of hoarding disorder, OCD, and Anxiety Disorder. She is the founder of the Center for Hoarding and previously developed and served as Clinical and Program Director of the North Shore Center for Hoarding and Cluttering in Massachusetts, where she led support groups and provided individual and family counseling, crisis case management, and community and agency trainings. Since 2013 Marnie has been a highly sought-after and respected trainer for agencies and communities across the U.S. working to better address hoarding. She developed the Uniform Inspection Checklist (UIC), a universal tool for applying Harm Reduction to hoarding cases, now used in the U.S., Canada, and Australia to effectively address hoarding cases, and has held leadership roles on multiple hoarding task forces and committees, including serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors for The Hoarding Project.

 Dr. Jennifer Sampson, PhD, LMFT, is a licensed therapist with extensive expertise in hoarding disorder. As Executive Director of The Hoarding Project for ten years, she developed treatment programs, supervised clinicians, and partnered with community task forces to advance best practices in clinical care and crisis intervention. Her doctoral research examined trauma and family experiences in hoarding behavior, and she has authored multiple publications and trainings on hoarding and its impact on individuals, families, and communities. Dr. Sampson is a sought-after national and international trainer, keynote speaker, and consultant on hoarding disorder, known for her compassionate, systemic, and research-informed approach. Dr. Jennifer Sampson, PhD, LMFT, is co-founder of Northwest Relationships, a Washington-based group practice committed to accessible, anti-oppressive mental health care, and founder of Lovewell Initiatives, which provides leadership development and equity-focused training for professionals. With nearly 20 years of clinical, academic, and supervisory experience, she specializes in reproductive mental health, sexuality, and systemic leadership development. A past president of the Washington Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Dr. Sampson is recognized nationally for advancing trauma-informed, socially just approaches in both clinical practice and professional education.

Leslie Shapiro, MA, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist with extensive expertise in Hoarding Disorder. In her work with THP Consulting (formerly The Hoarding Project), she served as a staff consultant, mental health therapist, and educator, providing clinical support and nationwide trainings on hoarding intervention. Leslie has worked across diverse clinical settings, including outpatient therapy, children’s therapy units, and support groups, and has co-authored a chapter on hoarding in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Marriage, Family, and Couples Counseling. She specializes in anxiety and depression, and her expertise in hoarding, comorbid conditions, and the legal and ethical dimensions of complex cases has made her a highly respected clinician, educator, and consultant in the field.

 

Karen Sullivan, MSW, LICSW, is a licensed independent clinical social worker specializing in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization, and crisis case management of hoarding cases in the community. She spent six years as a Clinical Hoarding Specialist, including as a Program Manager, at an elder services agency, providing clinical and crisis case management for individuals struggling with hoarding behaviors and excessive clutter while supporting and educating their families and friends. Karen has extensive experience facilitating support groups, leading five to six decluttering groups each year, and collaborating with community stakeholders on complex cases. She also oversaw the program’s referral process and master’s-level social work internship program, and previously served as Outreach Coordinator at a council on aging, advocating for seniors and caregivers and connecting them to essential resources.  

Get Certified. Stay Certified.

Stay Current. Stay Supported.

  • Our 12-class, 24 contact hour Professional Certification equips professionals and communities to manage hoarding cases effectively.

  • Our Continuing Education and Support program ensures uninterrupted credentialing and the most up-to-date information, support and skills training.

  • Annual Continuing Education & Support Program: $600 per year, billed annually starting at completion of Professional Certification Course.

Without enrollment in the Continuing Education Program after certification is completed, certification expires in six months.

Recertification without Continuing Education Program membership requires retaking the full course.

Enrollment and Certification Policy

To ensure the integrity and quality of our training programs, all enrollments in the Professional Certification Course and Continued Education Program are final and non-transferable. Once a participant is enrolled, they may not be replaced by another individual.

The Professional Certification Course, Continued Education Program, and any associated certification are intended solely for the registered student. Professional Certification and ongoing certification will be issued exclusively in the name of the enrolled participant.

Participants are required to attend a minimum of 8 out of the 12 classes in real-time at the scheduled class time. Classes will be recorded. Any real-time classes not attended must be viewed in full, and all related coursework must be completed, prior to issuance of the Professional Certification.

All courses are delivered through The Center for Hoarding’s secure online Learning Management System (LMS) which is designed to provide participants with ease of access, centralized course materials, and a user-friendly learning experience. The LMS also allows The Center for Hoarding to accurately track attendance, completion of coursework, and certification requirements, ensuring both participant accountability and program integrity.

Any attempt to share access, materials, or credentials with individuals other than the registered participant will result in immediate deactivation of the account, revocation of certification, and disqualification from any associated program benefits. The Center for Hoarding reserves the right to enforce these policies without exception to maintain the standards of professional training and certification.