Rachel Ludwig, project director of Chautauqua Tapestry, holds the award recognizing Chautauqua Tapestry at the What’s Great in Our State event.

ALBANY — New York State honored Chautauqua Tapestry — a network charged with enhancing Chautauqua County’s System of Care — with the 2019 What’s Great in Our State Systems of Care Award.

Chautauqua Tapestry was established in 2008 as part of a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant to expand the community’s System of Care. System of Care is an approach to developing a spectrum of effective, community-based services and supports organized into a coordinated network.

Chautauqua Tapestry works to enhance Chautauqua County’s existing service and support delivery system, and to address identified unmet needs. An effective System of Care meets the physical, mental, social, emotional, educational and developmental needs of children and their families.

“Chautauqua Tapestry is, in essence, organizing the village that we all know it takes to raise a child. The team is bringing together stakeholders, improving service access and strengthening communication in order to improve the mental health of children and families,” said New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan. “We thank all our honorees for their hard work and commitment to children’s mental health.”

Chautauqua Tapestry was presented with the award at the annual What’s Great in Our State 2019 event on May 7 in Rotterdam, N.Y. The celebration recognizes the individuals and programs that are successfully advancing the cause of children’s mental health in New York State.

Chautauqua Tapestry builds bridges among providers, families, and the community to share responsibility, exchange resources, and improve the lives of youth and families. The Tapestry name was selected to emphasize the weaving together of services to support children and families in the community. Its ongoing work on system sustainability includes cross-system governance, workforce development, and diversifying financial investments and opportunities.

“The Chautauqua Tapestry team is pleased to be recognized as a System of Care Community at the What’s Great in Our State 2019 event,” said Rachel Ludwig, Project Director of Chautauqua Tapestry. “These awareness celebrations are an opportunity for us to join communities across the state in celebrating the positive impact that we can have on the lives of children, youth, and young adults when we are able to integrate positive mental health into every environment. When we focus on building resilience and skills in children, youth, and young adults, we help these individuals and their families thrive.”

“It is an honor and a privilege to be selected,” said Patricia Brinkman, Chautauqua County Community Mental Hygiene Services Director and Principle Investigator for Chautauqua Tapestry. “We believe so strongly in the importance of children’s mental health and are committed to the work we do. Since 2008, we have devoted 11 years of passion to this work and we plan to continue building on our successes as a System of Care Community.”

For more information on Chautauqua Tapestry, visit www.chautauquatapestry.org.

What’s Great in Our State

The What’s Great in Our State event coincides with Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, a national movement that seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and to show that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development from birth.

What’s Great in Our State started in 2010 and has expanded and evolved. It features a Governor’s proclamation declaring the week as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, a ceremony recognizing our honorees, keynote speakers and an art show featuring artwork created by children receiving services from New York State’s mental health system.

This year’s celebration includes an expanded format that combines education, awareness and recognition. The new, full-day forum adds three breakout workshops to the schedule, focusing on the work being done to build Systems of Care across New York State. The expanded format uses funding from a SAMHSA grant dedicated to strengthening this cross-systems effort.

The event is planned and sponsored by six New York State agencies and a number of mental health advocacy organizations. For more information on this year’s What’s Great in Our State honorees, visit https://youtu.be/AHpf6Jvthe0.