MHA Celebrates Diamond Anniversary

60 YEARS OF SERVICE

We often talk about the stigma surrounding mental illness and the crisis faced by today’s mental healthcare system. As bad as it is, we are a far cry from where we were just a few decades ago. The prevailing treatment prior to 1960 for anyone labeled as having a mental illness was the “institutional care model” – public and private asylums – where patients often lived in poor and harsh conditions subjected to inhumane treatment methods. It took little to have someone “committed” and if they were fortunate enough to be discharged, there was little-to-no support to help them return to community life.

This was the case in 1962 even in Western New York. The idea of deinstitutionalizing mental healthcare in favor of community-based treatment was taking root around the nation. In Buffalo, a group of concerned citizens gathered around a kitchen table to start a movement advocating for mental health patient rights and to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. That was the beginning of the Mental Health Association of Erie County – today known as Mental Health Advocates of WNY (MHA) – and our rich history of accomplishments.

In the early 1960s, besides patient rights, MHA’s efforts mobilized other movements that established psychiatric services for children, created what would eventually become the Erie County Department of Mental Health, worked towards the development of Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services, and made significant contributions to the recodification of the New York State Mental Hygiene Law.

BE HEARD. BE HELPED.

In the six decades since, MHA has not only evolved but engrained itself within the WNY community. We have seen our service footprint grow beyond Erie County to include all eight counties of Western New York…and beyond.

The agency changed its name in 2018 to Mental Health Advocates of WNY to reflect current programs, mission, and geographic areas served. Our new logo, a symbol combining heart and mind, represents a more holistic approach to mental health and well-being. The tag line, “BE HEARD. BE HELPED,” speaks to the core of what MHA has always been about: a place where a person can turn when they or a family member is struggling and needs someone to listen with compassion and offer a connection to help.

Services MHA provides include:

• LEGAL SERVICES AND ADVOCACY: pro bono civil legal assistance for individuals with a mental health diagnosis
• PEER SUPPORT GROUPS: for youth, 20somethings, adults, seniors, and children of military families
• CHILD AND FAMILY SUPPORT: to help families navigate the WNY mental health system, provide caregivers respite, and family peer support
• EMOTIONAL SKILLS TRAINING AND EARLY INTERVENTION: in-school curriculum programs for students pre-k through 12
• ADVOCATES FOR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN: home to CASA of Erie County (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
• WORKPLACE WELLNESS TRAINING: helps employers recognize mental health warning signs and employees maintain healthy work-life balance
• INFORMATION AND REFERRAL: links individuals to treatment and resources
• ONGOING PUBLIC AWARENESS: campaigns focusing on prevention, early intervention, and the de-stigmatizing of mental illness.

In recent years, the agency has had a renewed focus on wellness with prevention and early intervention initiatives and has made it a priority to expand existing services to reach more youth primarily where they spend their time – in schools and online.

The common thread through all our programs is advocacy, whether it be for a client, cause, or idea. While our programs are varied and diverse, our mission is simple: to promote mental health and wellness in the community, and support individuals and families challenged by mental illness.

LOOKING AHEAD

The collective trauma of the past 24 months has created a new level of anxiety and uncertainty which only worsened an existing mental health crisis. In that time the country has seen an unprecedented increase of people suffering from mental health challenges. Pre-pandemic, 1-5 Americans were living with a diagnosable mental health condition. Today, more than 50% of Americans now meet the clinical definition of anxiety disorder or depression. The rate among teens is even higher.

The crisis isn’t over. The need for services and assistance is beyond current capacities. In looking to the future needs of the region, MHA has become an agent for progress. As a founding partner and influencing force behind the newly formed Care Management Coalition of WNY, MHA is a member of a growing collective of health and human services agencies who now share not only space at 1021 Broadway on the city’s eastside but mindshare as they collaboratively strategize how best together to offer a broader, more impactful continuum of services focused as much on promoting and preserving mental health wellness as treating illness

GRATEFUL, RESILIENT, AND STRONG

For 60 years, MHA has anticipated, adapted, and delivered the services needed by those living with mental illness in Western New York. What began as a grassroots effort operating from a kitchen table is today a $2 million organization with programs that serve more than 17,000 individuals and families each year.

As we celebrate 60 years of service – our diamond anniversary – we will continue to work tirelessly to improve the lives of those living with mental illness often in their most critical time of need. Diamonds are known for their brilliance, strength, and endurance. Like the facets of a diamond, MHA’s varied programs and services will continue to reflect the needs within our community – helping to build resilience and strength among those we serve so they may live fuller, happier, and mentally healthier lives.

To our supporters over the past 60 years, thank you. As we prepare for the unknown traumas that still lie ahead, we will need your help to continue to evolve and transform as we enter our next 60 years of service to this great community of Western New York.