The Safe Steps Program is a free, year-long program offered by the Hoarding Disorder Foundation of Alberta for Edmontonians who are experiencing challenges related to hoarding. 

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The program provides both in-home declutter coaching and mental health counselling, with the goal of helping people make meaningful and sustainable changes in their homes and in their relationship with their belongings.  Participants are also encouraged to attend the Sorting Through Hoarding Drop In Support Group. 

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Safe Steps takes a collaborative, compassionate and harm-reduction approach. The program recognizes that change takes time and that each person's situation, priorities and goals are different. 

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Who is Safe Steps for?

 

Safe Steps is intended for Edmontonians who would benefit from intensive, longer-term support to address hoarding concerns before reaching a crisis point. 

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Applicants should be interested in making changes in their home and willing to actively participate in the year-long program. 

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Cost and Program Capacity

 

Cost: No cost to the participants 

Length: One year 

Capacity: The program is funded to support 10 client projects in 2027 and 10 client projects in 2028. 

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Application Process

 

The application process includes: 

• An online application 

• A telephone interview 

• An in-home assessment, including photographs of the home 

The application process helps both the applicant and the Safe Steps team determine whether the program is a good fit. 

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Applications for 2027 open on October 1, 2026. Participants will begin the program in January 2027. ​

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• Click here to start your application

• Applicants can expect to hear from a member of the Safe Steps team within two weeks of submitting their application to book a telephone intake interview. 

• Following the intake interview, an in home assessment will be booked if the applicant and safe steps team member feel that the program is a good fit.   

• Once the in home assessment is complete, the participants will be assigned their declutter coach and mental health counsellor.  First appointments will be booked in January 2027. 

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What to Expect

 

Safe Steps works from a harm-reduction perspective. This means that the focus is on increasing safety and functionality in the home, while working toward goals that are meaningful to the individual.  Typically, safety issues in the home will be addressed first, then functionality in active living areas.  Additional goals can be set once safety and priority active living areas has been addressed if there is time remaining. 

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Change related to hoarding is often gradual. Depending on the person's circumstances and goals, the entire home may not be decluttered during the year. Progress can take many forms, and the Safe Steps team will work collaboratively with each participant to identify priorities and realistic goals. 

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Making changes related to hoarding can also take significant emotional and physical energy. The Safe Steps team will work with participants to find a pace that supports progress while remaining manageable and sustainable. 

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Declutter Coaching

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Participants can receive up to 22 two-hour declutter coaching sessions over the course of the year. 

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The frequency and length of sessions can be adjusted throughout the year according to individual needs and capacity.  

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Declutter coaching may include: 

• Goal setting and problem solving 

• Developing strategies for sorting belongings 

• Developing strategies to reduce acquiring 

• Hands-on decluttering 

• Processing and making decisions about items 

• Identifying and addressing barriers that make it difficult to work in the home  

• Developing strategies that can be practised between sessions as well as maintained when the program has completed.      

 

The direction and content and pace of sessions will be developed collaboratively between the participant and the declutter coach. 

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Between sessions, participants will be encouraged to work on tasks independently. These tasks will be developed collaboratively and based on the harm reduction focus, as well as participant's goals and capacity.   

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Mental Health Counselling

 

Participants can receive up to 16 90-minute counselling sessions over the course of the year. 

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As with declutter coaching, the frequency and length of counselling sessions can be adjusted according to individual needs. 

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Counselling provides an opportunity to explore the emotional connections and attachments to belongings and to better understand the factors that contribute to hoarding behaviours. 

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For some people, this may include exploring experiences of trauma, grief or loss. Counselling may also focus on: 

• Building insight 

• Developing strategies for managing anxiety and distress 

• Increasing motivation 

• Supporting greater flexibility around thoughts, beliefs and emotions 

• Developing understanding and strategies to address acquiring issues 

• Strengthening decision-making skills and developing helpful systems 

• Working through emotional or practical barriers that make it difficult to work with belongings 

 

The work between the counsellor and participant is collaborative and guided by the participant's needs and goals.  

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Other Supports

 

Every person's situation is different. When needed and when resources are available, Safe Steps may also be able to assist participants in accessing additional supports, such as: 

• Advocacy 

• Pest control 

• Cleaning 

• Other supports that may help reduce barriers to creating a safer and more functional home 

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Our Approach

 

Safe Steps recognizes that hoarding is complex and that lasting change usually does not happen quickly. 

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The goal is not perfection or simply having fewer belongings. The goal is to work alongside participants to increase safety, functionality and quality of life, while supporting changes that are meaningful and sustainable for them.