Michael Nordin, Mental Health Association executive director, introduced Julie Flaker, Chautauqua Works disability resource coordinator, at the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County’s February recovery luncheon. Flaker described her services that are aimed at improving employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

At the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County’s (MHA) February recovery luncheon, Michael Nordin, executive director, introduced Julie Flaker, disability resource coordinator for Chautauqua Works.

Flaker explained that her role is to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. This includes making sure people with disabilities know about services that will help them to get and keep jobs with wages they can live on, linking them to employers, and helping to remove employment barriers. She can also assist employers with hiring and retaining individuals with disabilities, letting them know about tax incentives for businesses that employ individuals with disabilities, and training on disability benefits and how they interact with employment.

Chautauqua Works is overseen and funded by the Chautauqua County Workforce Investment Board that consists of local business leaders and community members. With plans to return to the MHA, Flaker has offices in both Jamestown and Dunkirk and can be reached at 716-487-5127.

Nordin awarded certificates to participants for completing an anger management course, 1,000 days of sobriety, and for getting their car back on the road and achieving their personal goals, like volunteering at the Humane Society. He announced the return on March 3 of 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. hours Tuesday through Thursday at the Jamestown recovery center at Door 14 in the rear of the Gateway Center, 31 Water St. Monday and Friday hours remain 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

When participant Melita Lyons offered grace before the meal, she said that in addition to “Mental Health Association,” MHA also means “Miracles Happen Always.” The meal was prepared and served by MHA staff.

The MHA is advertising for a part-time bilingual (Spanish and English) peer for the North County recovery center in Dunkirk. To learn more about the position, go to MHAChautauqua.org and click on “We’re Hiring in Dunkirk” at the top.

MHA recovery luncheons are open to anyone on the third Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. Like all MHA services, the luncheons are free.

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.

Hours for the North County recovery center at Grace Lutheran Church, 601 Eagle Street in Dunkirk are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To learn more about the MHA, call 716-661-9044 or visit MHAChautauqua.org or Facebook.com/MHAChautauqua. A schedule with descriptions of MHA’s dozens of groups and classes in Dunkirk and Jamestown is at MHAChautauqua.org/groups.