Family Service of the Chautauqua Region, located at 332 East 4^th St. in Jamestown, offers family-focused mental health therapy to the greater Chautauqua region.

“The office is closed for clinical business but administration continues to facilitate all forms of correspondence and coordination with all of our staff for our clients and partners,” said Julie Chipman, Director of Clinical Services. “Patients are being seen through telehealth appointments, new and routine referrals within two weeks, and sooner for urgent or crisis referrals.”

For more information about Family Service of the Chautauqua Region, please call (716) 488-1971 or visit  http://fscrmentalhealth.com .

The Chautauqua Center provides behavioral health services with individual and group counseling and treatment for substance use disorder, including medication-assisted therapy. The Chautauqua Center has offices at 107 Institute St. in Jamestown and 319 Central Ave. in Dunkirk. For more information, please call (716) 484-4334 or (716) 363-6050.

The Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Clinics are providing telemedicine appointments Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Clinics are also open for crisis appointments and other special circumstances Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The clinics are located at 200 E. Third St., 5th Floor, in Jamestown and 319 Central Ave. in Dunkirk. For more information, please call (716) 661-8330 or (716) 363-3550.

The Resource Center (TRC) provides one-to-one counseling, group counseling, and medication assisted treatment.

“We are accepting new referrals both in our PROS (Personalized Recovery Oriented Services) Program and in our Outpatient Clinics for Mental Health Counseling and Psychiatric Services,” said Nicole Mucheck, Director of Behavioral Health Services & Care Coordination. “We can schedule same day or next day appointments in both programs, and have on-site crisis appointments as well as telemental health services including both phone and video.”

TRC office at 186 Lakeshore Dr. W. in Dunkirk is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and its office at 880 E. 2^nd St. in Jamestown is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (716) 366-7660 or (716) 661-1447.

TLC Health operates clinics at 33 N. Main St. in Cassadaga and at 7020 Erie Rd. in Derby, just outside of Chautauqua County.

“We are accepting new patients at both clinics and are scheduling appointments within three business days,” said Megan Schmitt, Director of Substance Use Disorder Services. “All interactions between patients and staff will be via telephone through Telemed. The best way to contact each clinic is by phone.”

Its Cassadaga Clinic can be reached Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at (716) 595-3355. Its Derby Clinic can also be reached at (716) 947-0316.

UPMC Chautauqua Outpatient Mental Health and Outpatient Chemical Dependency clinics are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Appointments, including new evaluations and crisis appointments, will continue to be offered via phone or video linkage,” said Trish McClennan, Director, Behavioral Health Services. “During this time, we have limited staff at both locations. These folks are taking care of all calls, scheduling tele visits, and handling crisis appointments. Peers from the Mental Health Association (MHA) are also on site to assist patients with any tele connection issues, as well as interface with the community.”

Its clinic at the Jones Health Center, 51 Glasgow Ave. in Jamestown, can be reached at (716) 664-8641 and its clinic at the Dunkirk Health Center, 306 Central Ave. in Dunkirk, can be reached at (716) 363-0018.

If you answer YES to any of these questions, please call ahead before visiting any health care provider.

• Do you have any respiratory symptoms?
• Do you have a fever?
• Have you traveled outside of the United States or New York State in the last 14 days?
• Have you been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have you been in close contact with anyone who may have coronavirus or COVID-19 virus in the last 14 days?

The Chautauqua County Crisis Hotline at 1-800-724-02461 is available if you are experiencing a personal crisis or are in emotional distress.

If you are feeling lonely and need someone to talk to about how you are feeling, the WARMLINE is available 24/7 at 1-877-426-4373 or send a text to (716) 392-0252.

Only if you, a friend, or loved one is experiencing a life threatening medical emergency, should you go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.

Kennebunk, Maine Police Chief Robert MacKenzie

CELORON – Healthcare officials from throughout Chautauqua County were in Celoron on Tuesday to participate in a day-long forum addressing the issue of substance abuse and to also hear from a guest speaker who has first hand experience with the impact drug addiction can have on a person’s life.

Kennebunk, Maine Police Chief Robert MacKenzie served as the guest speaker at the Combat Addiction CHQ event at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel.

Cheif MacKenzie shared details about his career in public safety and law enforcement, including the numerous projects he’s been involved with to help reduce substance abuse in his home community. MacKenzie also shared details about his personal life, saying he’s had both a daughter and a step-son who’ve been affected by substance abuse, including having been arrested as well as receiving rehabilitation treatment.

“What that did is it led me to bring hope to recovery, and there is hope in recovery. I’m pretty sure that all of you here know that and that’s why you do what you do, by working with a lot of people in long-term recovery who are doing some really good things,” MacKenzie said.

The chief said that his own personal experiences have only driven him to work harder at addressing substance abuse by working to initiate new education programs that not only work to reduce and prevent addiction, but to also provide the help that is needed for those seeking recovery.  That includes working with several community organizations to raise money for naloxone use and recovery coach training. He has also worked to breakdown the stigma of addiction by getting local service organizations like rotary involved in education people about dependence.

MacKenzie also said that even though there now appears to be ground being gained in the Opioid epidemic, health officials and law enforcement need to remain vigilant in the broader fight against substance abuse.

“Every time I do a talk, no matter where I am, I’m bringing up substance use disorder. We have to do that now more than anytime because what’s going to happen – and I think you’re seeing here with an increase in meth and your opioid use is starting to decline – some time, at some point probably soon, the opioid epidemic is going to be a thing of the past but we can’t lose sight of substance use disorder. We have to start making those connections now to our communities so they get it, because education is key,” MacKenzie said.

MacKenzie’s appearance was made possible by the Chautauqua Substance Abuse Response Partnerships (CSARP) group, which is a multi-agency partnership comprised of representatives from the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene, Chautauqua County Department of Health, local hospitals and healthcare centers, Mental Health Association, Evergreen Health, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County, The Resource Center,  and Prevention Works (formerly CASAC).

CSARP is a multi-agency partnership of prevention, treatment and recovery providers. CSARP was established under a Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) grant awarded to the Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene. The RCORP implementation grant is a $1 million multi-year initiative supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to address barriers to access in rural communities related to substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder.

Earlier this month, health officials reported overdose deaths declined in Chautauqua County in 2018 for the first time since 2012, with at least a 30 percent reduction in fatal overdoses occurring from 2017 to 2018.

According to the latest statistics, there is an estimated 8,500 to 9,000 county residents with a substance use disorder, with about 15% of them having an opioid use disorder. Health officials said that 2,800 are receiving treatment.

Residents benefit from the availability of a wide range of treatment services.  Outpatient clinics and inpatient rehabs operate in both the northern and southern portions of the county. Utilization of treatment has been increasing. In 2018, almost 30 percent more county residents received treatment for opioid use than in 2016. Medication assisted treatment is available from providers across the county.  A new, long-term residential program has recently opened at UPMC Chautauqua. Peer support services through the Mental Health Association (MHA) in Chautauqua are now available in both Jamestown and Dunkirk.

Pictured from left are Pastor Daniel Nagle of First Lutheran Church of Jamestown; Debi Brandi (with dog Snoopy), manager of First Lutheran’s Community Outreach Store; The Resource Center’s Heather C. Brown, Toys for Tots coordinator; and Jane Young, a TRC employee who is a member of First Lutheran’s choir.

JAMESTOWN – Organizers of the local Marine Toys for Tots campaign say they are behind pace on donations this year and are asking the community to come forward to make sure the program is a success.

For the 18th straight year, The Resource Center is coordinating the Toys for Tots drive in Chautauqua County. Assisting in operating the campaign again this year are Chautauqua Connections, Inc., and the Chautauqua Connections Children’s Coalition.

The Marine Toys for Tots campaign seeks to deliver a message of hope to less-fortunate children throughout the United States by providing them with toys for Christmas. Locally, about 2,400 children are usually supported through the annual toy drive and last year more than 2,600 received gifts.

Toy donations are being accepted at various collection boxes that are located at dozens of area businesses around the community. Cash donations also are welcome.

Anyone interested making a donation or need information on where to donate should call 661-1042 for more information.

Pictured from left are Pastor Daniel Nagle of First Lutheran Church of Jamestown; Debi Brandi (with dog Snoopy), manager of First Lutheran’s Community Outreach Store; The Resource Center’s Heather C. Brown, Toys for Tots coordinator; and Jane Young, a TRC employee who is a member of First Lutheran’s choir.

CELORON – Coming off of a record year in terms of the number of children supported through the toy drive, organizers of the local Marine Toys for Tots campaign are counting on the community’s generosity to make this year’s effort a success.

For the 18th straight year, The Resource Center is coordinating the Toys for Tots drive in Chautauqua County. Assisting in operating the campaign again this year are Chautauqua Connections, Inc., and the Chautauqua Connections Children’s Coalition.

Begun in 1947, the Marine Toys for Tots campaign seeks to deliver a message of hope to less-fortunate children throughout the United States by providing them with toys for Christmas. More than 700 toy drives are held nation-wide each year. The Resource Center has led the local toy drive since 2001. About 2,400 usually are supported through the annual toy drive, and last year more than 2,600 Chautauqua County children received gifts.

The biggest change in the way this year’s drive will operate is that families – themselves, or through their children’s school or service coordinator – are encouraged to apply for assistance online. To do that, people should visit www.toysfortots.org and click on the “Donate or Request a Toy” link, then follow the steps to navigate to the Chautauqua County campaign.

People without internet access can apply in person. Walk-in applications will be accepted in The Resource Center’s facility at 407 East Chestnut Street in Dunkirk from noon to 3:00 on Thursday, November 29. For Jamestown-area residents, applications will be accepted in The Resource Center’s offices at 200 Dunham Avenue from 1:00 to 4:00 on Friday, November 30, and from 9:00 to noon Saturday, December 1.

All applicants must bring identification for themselves and their children living in their household, as well as proof of household income. Children age 17 and younger whose families meet household income guidelines are eligible for assistance through Toys for Tots. Efforts are made to help all families that apply for assistance.

“If there is a need, we will do what we can to help,” said The Resource Center’s Terri Johnson, one of the toy drive’s lead organizers.

She and her colleagues are pleased with the outpouring of support they have received thus far. Toy collection boxes have been placed at more than 100 locations, and a number of businesses and organizations will be holding events to raise money and toys. The goal of the toy drive is to collect enough toys to provide one large gift and at least one stocking stuffer to every child who is registered to receive assistance.

The Resource Center’s primary mission is supporting people with disabilities. While many people with disabilities benefit from Toys for Tots each year, TRC also coordinates the annual toy drive in order to give back to the community. Though TRC organizes the toy campaign, support from area residents and businesses makes the effort a success.

“We are so fortunate to be working with so many community partners to bring Toys for Toys to Chautauqua County again this year,” said TRC’s Heather C. Brown, another of the lead organizers. “We can’t do this without the many donors, volunteers and supporters. Each year we are concerned that the donations will not equal the need, and each year this community pulls together to be sure each child has a present to open on Christmas morning, and we are thankful that we can play a part in making that happen.”

In addition to placing toys in the collection boxes that are located at dozens of area businesses, people can donate toys by attending the Jamestown holiday parade Friday, November 30, and placing their gifts on The Resource Center’s Toys for Tots float. On Friday, December 7, the third annual “Teddy Bear Toss” will take place at Northwest Arena, with fans encouraged to throw teddy bears onto the ice after the Jamestown Rebels score their first goal. The bears will be donated to Toys for Tots.

Cash donations also are welcome, as the money is used to buy gifts for children in age groups that typically do not receive a lot of toy donations. The Resource Center will host a Holiday Shopping Extravaganza at 200 Dunham Avenue in Saturday, December 8, and proceeds from the event will go to Toys for Tots. People can also donate by mailing a check (made payable to Toys for Tots) to The Resource Center, 200 Dunham Avenue, Jamestown, NY, 14701.

With thousands of toys being donated, organizers need a large warehouse space to safely store the toys. For the fourth straight year, Allied Alarm Services has donated the use of its facilities to store the toys that are donated. Mike Roberts, the owner of Allied Alarm, said he and his staff welcome the opportunity to support the toy drive.

“It’s become part of who we are. We love doing it,” Roberts said. “We’re all so blessed. For us to be able to give a little bit back and bring some smiles to children’s faces is an honor.”

During the first three weekends in December, volunteers will be sorting toys and preparing them for distribution. Organizers are seeking volunteers to assist with this effort. Anyone interested can phone Brown at 661-1042 for more information.

Updates on the toy drive, including the dates of fund-raising events and a list of businesses where collection boxes are located, can be found by visiting the Chautauqua County, New York – Toys for Tots 2018 Facebook page.

The annual Downtown Jamestown Holiday Parade attracts thousands of people each year. (Photo courtesy of jrconline.org)

JAMESTOWN – The weather should cooperate for the annual Downtown Jamestown Holiday Parade, taking place Friday night along third street.

Thousands of people are expected to line the streets for the Winter Games Christmas Parade and Holiday Celebration, coordinated by the Downtown Jamestown Renaissance Corporation and presented by The Resource Center. Organizers say this year’s Winter Games theme is an acknowledgement of the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea.

The event will feature pre-parade musical entertainment, a traditional tree lighting ceremony, and a fireworks display above the Spring Street parking ramp.

The parade itself will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the Third Street Bridge and continue down Third Street toward City Hall.

Parade line up will begin at 5 p.m. on West Third Street between Hallock Street and Porter Avenue.

For more information on the parade and activities, visit www.jamestownrenaissance.org.

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WRFA public Affairs Director Jason Sample talks with Victoria Patti (Community Alliance for Suicide Prevention), Anne Rosenthal (Chautauqua Tapestry), and Chris Anderson (Resource Center) about the 2017 Chautauqua County Suicide Prevention Week, featuring a series of events taking place throughout the county and starting Sept. 18, 2017.

For more details on all the events, visit the Chautauqua County Community Alliance for Suicide Prevention Facebook page.

The annual Downtown Jamestown Holiday Parade attracts thousands of people each year. (Photo courtesy of jrconline.org)

JAMESTOWN – The annual downtown Jamestown Holiday Parade is set to take place tonight on Third Street.

Jamestown Up Close and the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is inviting the entire community to the “Gift Exchange Christmas Parade and Holiday Celebration,” presented by The Resource Center.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will feature more than 90 units participating, along with a tree-lighting ceremony, live music, and a dazzling holiday fireworks display sponsored by the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

The grand marshal for this year’s parade is Jamestown Police Department’s K-9 Officer Mitchell and his handler, officer Eric Kraft.

If you are unable to make it downtown, Time Warner Cable will be filming LIVE on the news station and re-airing the program later in the evening.

The parade will last approximately 60 to 90 minutes in addition to the pre-parade entertainment at Tracy Plaza.

This holiday parade is sponsored by Jamestown Renaissance Corproation, Jamestown Up Close, City of Jamestown, The Resource Center, Shults Auto Group, and Elite Kreation$ Auto Detailing.

Parade lineup will start promptly at 5 pm. The following streets and intersecting side streets will be for the event to operate from 3 pm to 9 pm:

• Third Street between Hallock Street and Foote Avenue
• Porter Avenue between Third Street and Front Street
• Spring Street between Second Street and Third Street
• Front Street between Hall Avenue and Sprague Street

All parade entrants must enter the lineup at the intersection of Third Street at Hallock Street. No entries may enter traveling west. All participants with motor vehicles or trucks should have their driver remain with the vehicle at all times.

For more information on the Parade, visit jamestownrenaissance.org or call 664-2477 ext 226.

The event was created by Silver Creek residents Wayne and Elaine Hotelling in honor of their oldest daughter, who has Down syndrome. Laurel Run is an opportunity for the community to come together to demonstrate its support for people with disabilities.

Laurel Run begins Friday, July 15, with the traditional flag relay.  Following a free kickoff breakfast at The Resource Center’s facility at 75 Jones & Gifford Avenue in Jamestown, teams of runners will take turns transporting Laurel Run flags to Dunkirk.

Most of the relay teams are composed students, teachers and coaches from area school districts.  The relay, which will begin at about 8:30 a.m., will wrap up at around 1 p.m. when the last set of runners – led again this year by employees of the Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility – arrives at Washington Park, where the city will host a victory celebration.

For the fourth straight year, a few hardy souls will be taking on the Laurel-thon by running the entire 30-mile relay route themselves.  Several other people are planning to ride bicycles from Jamestown to Dunkirk that day in support of Laurel Run.  Anyone interested in running part of the relay run, tackling the Laurel-thon or pedaling along to Dunkirk on the bike ride may phone 661-4735 for information.

8K RUN, 5K FITNESS WALK, 1K FUN WALK ON JULY 16

Employees from the Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility and area school students follow a police escort to the finish of the 2016 flag relay.

The following day, the action shifts to Silver Creek.  A 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) fitness walk and a 1-kilometer fun walk will begin at 8:30 a.m.  At 9:00, an 8K run takes place.

The 8K run offers cash prizes ($100, $75, $50) to the first three male and female finishers.  Medals will be given to the first three male and female finishers in each age group in the 5K walk and the 8K run.  And everyone who crosses the finish line will receive a commemorative medal made by people with disabilities.

Fun runs for children age 7 and younger will take place at about 10:20, followed by the signature event – Laurel’s Lap, in which people with disabilities take a lap around the track at the ball field in downtown Silver Creek.

All morning long there will be a party in the village square featuring music, food and adult and children’s activities.

This year’s Laurel Run carries on a long tradition.  The first Laurel Run took place in the summer of 1997 when Wayne Hotelling jogged and bicycled more than 400 miles across New York State to raise public awareness about the potential that exists within people who have developmental disabilities.  His journey was so well received that he decided to make Laurel Run an annual event.

“Here we are, 20 years later, and the successes we have seen would not have been possible without the loyal support of all of you over the years,” Wayne said.  “Laurel and her friends have grown through their participation in the planning and operation of Laurel Run.  Thank you for helping us make this possible for them.”

The registration fee for the 8K run, the 5K walk and the 1K walk is $20 until July 5 and $25 after that day.  The children’s runs cost $3 per child or $5 for a family with two or more children.  All paid participants will receive a 2016 Laurel Run T-shirt and a goody bag.  Laurel Run organizers encourage people to raise money from family, friends and co-workers in support of their participation in Laurel Run.  People who raise $50 will receive free entry into the Laurel Run event of their choice, and they can earn gift cards by raising more money.

For those who are unable to participate in the actual Laurel Run events, organizers have created a Virtual Laurel Run in which people can tackle one of the Laurel Run distances at their own convenience, wherever they want.  Participation in the Virtual Laurel Run is free, but those who agree to raise at least $50 can receive a shirt and a finisher’s medal.  Visit www.crowdrise.com/trcfoundationinc for information.

Major sponsors of this year’s Laurel Run include Brown & Brown of New York, Independent Health Self-Funded Services, Kwik Fill/Red Apple Food Mart, the Observer, Premier Consulting Associates, Saxton Kocur and Associates, Support Enterprises, Inc., and the Winifred Crawford Dibert Foundation.

Money raised through Laurel Run goes to Filling the Gap, Inc., which works with The Resource Center and TRC Foundation to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families in Chautauqua County.

For more information or to register, visit www.laurel-run.com or phone the Hotellings (934-3952) or The Resource Center (483-2344).

Area residents can also show their support for people with disabilities by buying a paper sneaker at Kwik Fill. From July 1 through July 17, United Refining Company’s Kwik Fill and Red Apple Food Mart locations will be selling paper sneakers to raise money for the 20th annual Laurel Run.

Representatives from The Resource Center and other community partners will explore issues surrounding opioid dependency, including awareness of the problem, education, advocacy, and treatment options.

The meeting is part of The Resource Center’s series of monthly get-togethers to address issues of interest to people with disabilities and other challenges, their families and the public.

Those planning to attend can park in TRC’s large parking lot located across the street. For more information, phone 483-2344.

Plans are under way for the sixth annual Step Up for Autism celebration, to be held Saturday, September 26, in Celoron. The event is being coordinated by The Resource Center and Filling the Gap, Inc., with support from parents and village officials.

Step Up For Autism will include a 1.5-mile walk that begins and ends at The Resource Center’s Administrative Offices at 200 Dunham Avenue. Participants will walk to Lucille Ball Memorial Park on the shore of Chautauqua Lake, then return to The Resource Center for a hot-dog lunch. There also will be games, activities for adults and children (including face painting, a fire truck, bounce houses, and an identification and fingerprinting program for children and for adults with special needs), a Chinese auction, and the famous cake auction, which features cakes donated by a number of area businesses and residents.

Registration and check-in for the walk begin at 8:30 a.m., with the walk scheduled to start at about 10:30. The cake auction will begin at around noon, and the entire event should be finished by 1:00.

The entry fee is $20, and additional donations of any amount will be accepted – organizers are planning on a huge turnout. Those paying the registration fee will receive a 2015 Step Up for Autism T-shirt. T-shirts and other Step Up for Autism memorabilia will be available for sale.

There also is an opportunity for people to earn prizes for themselves by raising money online for Step Up for Autism. For more information or to create your personal fund-raising web page, visit www.firstgiving.com/trcfoundation.

In addition to the 1.5 –mile walk, the Loop the Lake Motorcycle Dice Run (formerly the Laurel Run Dice Run) will take place that day, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Riders will enjoy a trip through scenic Chautauqua County on a route that takes participants around beautiful Chautauqua Lake before returning to 200 Dunham Avenue.

The cost is $20 per driver and $30 for those with a rider. After the dice run, participants are invited to enjoy the event festivities. Prizes will be awarded to the high-rolling driver, high-rolling rider, low-rolling driver, and the low-rolling rider.

All money raised through Step Up for Autism will stay in Chautauqua County to support people on the autism spectrum and others with developmental disabilities. For more information or to register, phone 661-1477, email vicky.bardo@resourcecenter.org or visit the web site – www.stepupforautism.com.