Goodskills Staff are Guests at MHA Recovery Luncheon

Jamestown, N.Y. – At the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County’s (MHA) recent recovery luncheon in Jamestown, Executive Director Steven Cobb welcomed everyone with the reminder that being together is part of supporting recovery.

Staffers Roseann Crocker and Sienna Swanson joined Cobb in presenting certificates to a number of participants for accomplishments including completing the Positive Parenting Program, being accepted at Jamestown Community College, reaching their personal goals, and more.

Justin Jimenez, staffer of MHA’s OPEN Work Program, shared his song, “Give Me Your Eyes.”

Special guests at the luncheon were Gabby Rafan and Bryan Boleratz, community outreach liaisons with Goodskills Career Builder, a program of Goodwill of Western New York.

This new program for Chautauqua County prepares workers for careers in advanced manufacturing through four weeks of training provided at no cost to residents of Chautauqua County. The combination of classroom and hands-on experience helps to fill a growing need for skilled workers among businesses and provides opportunities for people to advance from minimum or low-wage jobs into higher paying careers. Goodskills next training begins Monday, April 17. Potential candidates for Goodskills and potential employer partners can learn more by visiting Goodskillswny.org or by calling (716) 710-7114.

A delicious chicken and biscuits dinner was prepared and served by St. Luke’s Episcopal Church of Jamestown. Servers were Sandy Harle, Brian and Sandra Kearney, Fran Lapinski and Linda McCallum.

Anyone with questions or in need of services for themselves or a family member suffering from a mental health or substance use disorder is welcome to call or stop in at the Jamestown recovery center at Door 14 in the rear of the Gateway Center, 31 Water Street. It is open Monday – Thursday, 9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 a.m. –4:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Hours for the north county recovery center at Grace Lutheran Church, 601 Eagle Street in Dunkirk, are 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

The Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County is a peer recovery center offering support groups and individual coaching for people looking to improve their lives, deepen wellness, thrive in recovery, or support those on a recovery path. Peers use their personal stories to help people find recovery in their own lives in their own way.

To learn more about the Mental Health Association, call (716) 661-9044 or visit MHAChautauqua. org or facebook.com/ MHAChautauqua. A schedule with descriptions of MHA’s more than five dozen groups and classes is at MHAchautauqua. org/groups.