A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide

Hoarding support in Harrisburg.

A respectful place to begin - whether you are looking for support for yourself, worried about someone you love, or trying to respond to a safety, housing, care, or practical concern in Dauphin County.

People first.Then the stuff.A Fight the Blight initiative

Start here - Fight the Blight

You do not have to be in Pennsylvania to begin with us.

Our virtual groups give people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns a place to connect from Harrisburg, Dauphin County, and other communities. We can help you think through what is happening and what kind of next step may fit.

For immediate danger

Call 911 for a medical emergency, fire, or immediate threat. For behavioral-health crisis support, call or text 988 or call Dauphin County Crisis Intervention at (717) 232-7511.

First conversations

A few good places to start

You do not need to know the perfect service name before reaching out. These organizations can help you understand the landscape and identify a next step.

County behavioral-health navigation - Dauphin County; eligibility and referral rules apply

Dauphin County Mental Health, Autism, and Developmental Programs

Dauphin County’s program provides funding and administrative oversight for community services supporting people and families affected by mental illness, developmental disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. Ask which county pathway, assessment, or provider fits; this is a navigation entry point, not a promise of immediate treatment or cleanup support.

24-hour behavioral-health crisis service - Dauphin County; free crisis response

Dauphin County Crisis Intervention Services

Dauphin County describes Crisis Intervention as a 24-hour emergency mental-health service offering supportive counseling, outreach, assessment, and referral information. Staff may help de-escalate a crisis, coordinate with emergency departments or providers, and provide mobile outreach when appropriate. It is not a routine cleanup intake.

Publicly funded mental-health intake - Dauphin County residents; assessment and financial eligibility apply

Pathways Forward

Dauphin County identifies Pathways Forward as the gateway to its publicly funded mental-health system. The organization offers intake, assessment, financial-eligibility review, and service planning. Ask what documentation is needed, whether walk-in intake is currently available, and whether the situation fits the county system.

Qualified behavioral health - Central Pennsylvania; program fit, insurance, and availability apply

Penn State Health Psychiatry and Behavioral Health

Penn State Health’s Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute materials describe inpatient, outpatient, partial-hospitalization, adult, and mature-adult behavioral-health programs in the Harrisburg area. The organization is changing locations and names, so confirm the current service site, admissions process, insurance, and level of care before relying on this pathway. It is not a hoarding-specific guarantee.

Aging and caregiver navigation - Dauphin County adults 60+ and caregivers

Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging

The Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging offers information and referral, transportation, home-delivered meals, legal assistance, caregiver and health-insurance guidance, and protective-services pathways for eligible older adults. Eligibility, assessment, service capacity, and wait times vary; call to discuss the situation and ask what support may fit.

Health, housing, and human-services navigation - Pennsylvania; free 24/7 information and referral

PA 211

PA 211 provides free, locally curated health, housing, and human-services information and referral throughout Pennsylvania. Ask for Dauphin County options related to housing stability, food, utilities, aging, disability, behavioral health, transportation, or practical help. A referral is not a guarantee of eligibility or immediate service.

Independent nonprofit - Central Pennsylvania; housing and utility eligibility applies

Tri County Community Action

Tri County Community Action describes housing-security and utility-assistance programs, including OnTrack support for eligible PPL customers and housing counseling. Dauphin County also identifies it as a possible contact for emergency rent and utility assistance. Confirm current funding, service area, application steps, and program fit.

Safety and stability

When the concern involves safety, housing, or crisis

These pathways serve different situations. Read the labels carefully before calling, especially when a response may involve protective services, housing screening, or emergency dispatch.

Behavioral-health crisis - Pennsylvania; free, confidential, 24/7

Pennsylvania 988

Pennsylvania’s 988 pathway provides free, confidential call, text, and chat support for mental-health, substance-use, suicidal, and emotional-distress concerns. It is not a cleanup or housing service. Call 911 for immediate danger, fire, or a medical emergency.

Regional crisis walk-in and mobile response - Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry Counties; crisis scope applies

Connections Harrisburg Regional Crisis Walk-In Center

Dauphin County describes Connections Harrisburg as a regional crisis walk-in center and mobile crisis response provider serving youth and adults. Confirm the current location, hours, and response scope before traveling. This pathway addresses behavioral-health crises, not routine decluttering or property cleanup.

Adults 60+ - Abuse, neglect, self-neglect, abandonment, or exploitation

Dauphin County Older Adult Protective Services

Dauphin County’s Area Agency on Aging accepts reports involving older adults who may be at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment. Reports may be anonymous and the county notes a 24-hour response line. Call to understand whether the concern fits protective services; this is not a general clutter referral.

Adults ages 18-59 with qualifying disabilities - Abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment

Pennsylvania Adult Protective Services

Pennsylvania APS protects adults ages 18 through 59 whose physical or mental disability limits major life activities and who may be at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment. This is a protective-services pathway, not a general cleanup referral. Call to understand the definition, reporting process, and local route.

Property safety and housing-code navigation - City of Harrisburg; complaints and inspections follow city rules

Harrisburg Bureau of Codes

The City of Harrisburg Bureau of Codes enforces building, housing, health, sanitation, rental, and property-maintenance requirements and accepts complaints about issues such as heating, leaks, and unsafe conditions. Use this for a city property-safety concern, not as a substitute for consent-based support or an emergency response.

Housing repair and stabilization - City of Harrisburg; program eligibility and funding vary

Harrisburg Department of Building and Housing Development

The City’s housing-development department describes federally supported programs including CDBG, HOME, ESG, and lead-hazard reduction resources. These may be relevant when habitability, safety, homelessness, or housing stabilization overlaps with clutter concerns. Ask about current applications, income rules, property requirements, and funding.

Public housing and voucher navigation - City of Harrisburg; waiting lists and eligibility apply

Harrisburg Housing Authority

The Harrisburg Housing Authority serves low-income households through public housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs. Waiting-list status, application rules, property availability, and eligibility can change. Contact the authority directly before relying on this pathway; it is not a hoarding-specific program or emergency shelter.

Housing and utility stabilization - Dauphin County; income, crisis, and funding rules apply

Dauphin County Emergency Rent and Utility Assistance

Dauphin County lists contacts for emergency rent and utility assistance, including Tri County Community Action, the Salvation Army, COMPASS, and PA 211. Assistance is not guaranteed and may depend on current funding, household circumstances, documentation, and the utility or landlord involved. Confirm the correct application route before relying on a referral.

People and practical help

County coordination, peer support, and practical options

These listings offer connections for care, education, housing, organizing, or disposal. They are independent organizations; ask about current availability, cost, scope, consent, and safety before relying on them.

Practical disposal - City of Harrisburg residents; collection rules and limits apply

City of Harrisburg Trash and Recycling

Harrisburg’s Sanitation Office provides weekly residential trash and recycling collection and says each household may place one bulk item out each week. Large appliances may require a removal fee, and additional bulk items may be subject to a fine. Confirm the current schedule, set-out location, and accepted materials before placing anything outside.

Practical disposal navigation - Pennsylvania; material, location, and municipal rules vary

Pennsylvania Recycling and Disposal

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection explains recycling and disposal pathways and links to bulky-item and special-waste information. Use it to identify options for items that cannot go into regular curbside service, and confirm acceptance rules, fees, transportation, and safety requirements before relying on a facility.

Aging and disability navigation - Pennsylvania; free information and assistance

Pennsylvania Link to Aging and Disability Resources

PA Link helps older adults and people with disabilities find community services, compare options for living independently, and get help with applications. Use the county filter for Dauphin and confirm the provider, eligibility, and service area before relying on a referral.

Therapy group - Harrisburg; sign-up, group fit, and fee details apply

Harrisburg, PA OCD Group

The IOCDF directory lists a Harrisburg OCD group open to individuals and support persons, with monthly meetings and changing topics. The listing says participants should contact the group organizer to determine whether the group is appropriate. Confirm current venue, schedule, cost, and whether hoarding concerns are a fit before attending.

Qualified-care and support search - National directory; verify details directly

IOCDF Hoarding Resource Directory

The International OCD Foundation directory can help people search for therapists, programs, support groups, organizers, and task forces. Availability, credentials, insurance, fees, and service area can change; use it as a starting point and confirm every detail with the provider.

Practical support - Harrisburg and Central Pennsylvania searches; independent providers and fees vary

IOCDF Professional Organizer Directory

The IOCDF organizer directory can help identify professional organizers with chronic-disorganization or hoarding-related training. A directory entry is not an endorsement. Ask about scope, cost, disposal practices, privacy, consent, pacing, and how the person living in the home will be involved.

Practical and peer support - Private-pay pathway; confirm fit, scope, and fees

The Peer Tree

The Peer Tree offers nonclinical hoarding and clutter support, including organizing help, groups, family guidance, and practical next steps. Ask about current availability, service area, scope, pacing, privacy, and fees before beginning. The Peer Tree is a separate private-pay pathway from Fight the Blight’s nonprofit programming.

Digital peer support - Available online; not therapy or emergency support

Unburied

Unburied, from The Peer Tree, is a judgment-free digital peer-support pathway for people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns and for friends and family. It can offer ongoing connection, tools, and momentum from Harrisburg or anywhere else. It is not therapy, clinical care, or emergency support.

A note from the Alliance

Start with the person. Then decide what the situation needs.

This guide is anchored in Harrisburg, the county seat of Dauphin County, and includes countywide pathways. A listing here does not mean Fight the Blight endorses every provider or can guarantee availability. The Hoarding Alliance is not a city or county agency, therapy practice, emergency service, or cleanup company. We will keep reviewing this page, but please confirm details directly before relying on them.

Need help choosing a path? Contact Fight the Blight