MAYVILLE, N.Y. – Chautauqua County recently concluded a multi-session System of Care (SOC) Action Planning Series, bringing together cross-system leaders to collaboratively strengthen services and supports for children, youth, and families across the county’s SOC. Facilitated in partnership with the New York State Office of Mental Health, and the local SOC grantee, Chautauqua Tapestry, the series focused on identifying shared priorities, strengthening collaboration, and laying the groundwork for sustainable system improvements.
Throughout the series, participants demonstrated strong engagement and a clear sense of community. Jessica Stanis, from the New York State Office of Mental Health who facilitated the workshops, noted the high level of participation, shared commitment, and genuine collaboration across systems, highlighting the county’s readiness to move from planning to action.
As a result of the action planning process, stakeholders identified access to services as the top priority, with three key focus areas emerging: workforce, access and awareness of services, and transportation. Participants emphasized the importance of ensuring families know how to access supports, strengthening workforce recruitment and retention, and improving transportation options so services are truly reachable for those who need them.
The series also produced a shared action plan, including expanding awareness and use of service navigation tools such as United Way 211 and FindHelp, increasing understanding and availability of CHQ Transit, and improving onboarding and retention strategies across the behavioral health workforce. These priorities reflect a cross-system consensus on where targeted efforts can have the greatest impact.
To support these priorities in action, Chautauqua Tapestry will spotlight key community resources in its quarterly newsletter series, featuring 211WNY this Spring, CARTS in the Summer edition, and NY Connects in the Fall to increase awareness and help families and providers better connect to services.
Moving forward, Chautauqua County will continue to refine and implement the action plan by strengthening partnerships, inviting additional stakeholders to the table, aligning efforts with existing cross-system initiatives, and finalizing a shared vision statement to guide the work beyond the System of Care grant period. County leaders and partners remain committed to maintaining the momentum built during the series and translating collaboration into meaningful, long-term improvements for children and families.
For more information about Chautauqua Tapestry and the county’s system of care efforts, email Grant Director Rachel Ludwig at mesmerr@chqgov.com or visit TapestryCHQ.com.
