Agencies partner to provide mental health services at Lockport's Peer Recovery Respite Center

For those living with mental illness in Eastern Niagara County, treatment options for psychiatric symptoms in recent years have been lacking. This inability to access of resources has often resulted in multiple trips to emergency rooms, creating drains on budgets and increased wait times, while still failing to meet the needs of these individuals.

With this in mind, the Peer Recovery Respite Center, located at 344 Walnut St., Lockport, was created as a result of a partnership between Healthy Minds of Niagara, Community Missions of Niagara Frontier Inc., the Mental Health Association in Niagara County and the Niagara County Department of Mental Health. Unique to this program is its peer-operated aspect, where over half of the program's staff identify as having lived experiences themselves.

The program was developed to provide services to Niagara County adults in a home-like, safe and secure environment. The center offers four respite beds for hospital diversion, temporary housing, symptom management and as a rest or relief from stressors to current living situations.

Also offered is a recovery line, providing face-to-face meetings and/or phone support to prevent the onset of an emotional crisis. Therapeutic support and intervention services are offered through the mobile transitional support team, specifically helping those in transition during this critical time.

Launched in March, the Peer Recovery Respite Center will hold a public open house from 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, May 20. Highlighting the event will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:15 p.m. with State Sen. Rob Ortt, chairman of the Senate committee on mental health and developmental disabilities.

RSVPs are requested by Monday, May 18, to Deborah Owens-Williamson at 716-285-3403, ext. 2240, or [email protected].

The Peer Recovery Respite Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can be reached at 716-433-6543.