Shared services to develop policy for complex hoarding and boarding cases; CCIT model recommended

Regional environmental-health staff told the shared-services group they will finish a policy for response to hoarding and boarding cases and then build coordinated education and a tabletop exercise for municipal partners. Staff said they debated whether to provide interim education now but decided a policy-first approach would better prepare partners and answer predictable questions.

Participants described the Community Crisis Intervention Team (CCIT) model as a foundation for coordinated responses. A public-health representative said police convene monthly confidential CCIT meetings and are not subject to HIPAA, enabling police to lead case reviews while non-police participants sign confidentiality agreements. That structure, members said, helps bring together social workers, nurses, environmental-health staff and public-safety partners to manage complex cases while protecting privacy.

Members noted the resource intensity of even a single hoarding/boarding case and recommended multi-disciplinary planning and a regional approach. Staff proposed inviting public-safety and fire partners to future tabletop exercises once the policy is finalized and suggested adding public-health nurses to environmental-health work groups so nursing perspectives are integrated into policy development.

The group did not set a firm date for tabletop exercises but suggested January 2027 as a tentative target to allow policy development and stakeholder engagement. Staff committed to continue policy work over the summer and to report back as the draft is ready for review.