Submitted by Councillor Arlene Bova
Nya:wëh sgë:nö’ gagwe:goh,
“Breathe” and “new normal” are just a few of the new buzz words we are hearing during the Covid-19 pandemic. We all are working through COPING and MAINTAINING. We have all had to cope in order to maintain our activities of daily living. Congrats to you!
Do you, like me, need spiritual, mental and physical support at times? One of the areas I have been discussing and working on is with our Seneca Nation Behavioral Health Departments. I asked each department to share information highlighting their services and ways they can help.
Please share with your mate, family and friends. Talking with one another is always good medicine. Nya:wëh to all the staff of Behavioral Health, Seneca Strong and Child & Family services for their concern and care for the community. Nya:wëh for what you are doing for yourself, your family and community. Be well spiritually, mentally and physically.
If you need help from any of these departments, please reach out to respective contact numbers. If you have non-medical related questions, please call 716-945-8153.
Behavioral Health
In the year 2020, we never thought that we as a society would be social distancing, working from home, home schooling, and worrying about our neighbors, loved ones, and ourselves on a daily basis, but here we are.
The Behavioral Health Unit wants everyone to know that we are still here for all of you. We understand that this can be a trying time, whether it is frustration with home schooling, your own fears, anger, confusion, and anxiety. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused these emotions in many people, so please do not feel that you are alone.
During this time, counselors are working primarily from home, but we do have a counselor on site daily at Lionel R. John Health Center (LRJHC) and the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation Health Center (CIRHC).
With this being said, we still would prefer people to call to get connected instead of reporting to the units at LRJHC and CIRHC, unless your counselor has made that request. This is to ensure social distancing, and the health of both staff as well as all of you.
If you have any questions, needs, or concerns, please reach out to us as we want to assist you. If you are in need of our services, please contact our unit at: 716-945-9001 for the Allegany Behavioral Health Unit or Cattaraugus Behavioral Health Unit at 716-532-5583 extension 5450; 8-4:40PM, Monday through Friday.
If it is after hours, please call the crisis hotline at 716-834-3131 or 1-800-339-5209 or report to your local Emergency Room if needed.
Please remember you are not alone, and we can get through this together.
Seneca Strong
As we all continue to make changes and adjust to the World that has been thrust upon us, we wanted to offer the community our sentiment. The staff here at Seneca Strong continues to desire to offer services for those who need the compassion and support that they have been able to find when walking through the doors of the Seneca Strong program on both territories.
While for the time being we have to practice safety measure to assure the continued health and wellness of the staff and our participants, we will continue to be active in a limited capacity. The Seneca Strong program continues to offer services to assist those in need.
• The Seneca Strong staff has been able to provide transportation to detox when needed. However, we continue to ask that the individual in need is transported by ambulance when that service is available.
• Our referral process continues to work on assisting people in need of inpatient care of Substance Use Disorders. Working along with Behavioral Health we can work electronically and via telephone to make these referrals.
• Our staff has also been working in conjunction with the Seneca Health System Behavioral Health Unit and Pharmacy to deliver medications to community members who cannot get to the Health Centers.
• AOA in Cattaraugus has been utilizing one of the peers to deliver meals to our Elders.
• We have worked with Tribal Advocate for the delivery of food boxes to the community members who need them and lack the resources for travel.
• The Seneca Strong program continues to answer the phone. While the Centers are closed the phones lines are active. We have employees on staff from 8-4:30 Monday-Friday to answer the phones and assist individuals within our limited capacity. Beyond the normal hours we continue to have an on-call peer available 24/7.
If any community members are struggling with Alcohol or substance use needs to talk to someone and receive compassion, care and understanding, please reach out to the Seneca Strong program as we want to help the community in the ways that we can.
Our phone numbers are:
Allegany: 716-945-8413
Cattaraugus: 716-532-8456
Child and Family
Greetings from Child and Family Services! We hope everyone is well and staying safe during these trying and unique times. We wanted to let you know Child and Family Services is here to support, guide, and offer assistance. We are in this together as a community and united people.
We want you to know that we are here and have been actively able to assist families. While some of our procedures may have changed to protect the health and wellness of the community, we are still offering our services, but a bit more cautiously to fir the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently we offer:
• Support and active efforts in working with the agencies that our community/families may encounter, including county child welfare assistance.
• We also strive to meet our family’s needs by providing proactive services. We are available to any parenting needs or concerns. We can offer help seek items to assist the family’s current situations.
• We still provide transportation based on emergent needs.
• We are still working with BHU, Seneca Strong, and medical to provide quality and complete care for our families. We continue to work in conjunction with all Seneca nation services and can complete all necessary referrals.
• We are still in compliance and in contact with our county family court and peacemakers court to assist families who may be recommended services.
Lastly, our current families will be receiving weekly mailers that contain activities and materials for children as well as ideas, information, and coping mechanisms for parents/families as we all strive to maintain a safe and healthy family dynamic in these trying times.
If any families in our community wish to receive the mailers, and/or are in need of any assistance from Child and Family Services we can be reached (24 hours a day/7 days a week) at:
Allegany: 716-945-5895 Extension 3233
Cattaraugus: 716-532-4035
Stay safe and we are here to help!!
