2020 MHANP Annual Report
Reflections from the CEO and Board President
To our amazing and resilient Erie Community:
Through all the unique challenges we have faced during this past year at the Mental Health Association, we find great comfort knowing that we can and will endure. The members, peers and staff at MHA are grateful for the perseverance and support of the Erie Community. For without the help of our community, our services to the most in need could not exist.
There were many difficult decisions to be made at the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2020. MHA suspended all services on March 20, 2020 in hopes of ordering personal protection equipment and disinfecting supplies quickly to open back up safely to our members and peers.
The Peer Support Team continued to make phone contact with their peers throughout the pandemic. The Consumer Center reopened on May 11, 2020 for persons who were experiencing homelessness. The Consumer and Family Satisfaction Team resumed services in June while the Peer Navigator program opened and closed a few times due to the orders by the Erie County Executive. Our external advocate at Warren State Hospital continued to provide services throughout the pandemic.
As many other non-profits experienced, there was a decrease in donations and volunteers at MHA. We are thankful for the donations received and volunteers who were able to help out at MHA. The MHA Board of Directors continued to be a dedicated group whose constant support helped us to stay focused on our mission to help those who are the most in need and vulnerable in our community.
We are grateful for the many conversations about mental health that seemed to happen more often during the pandemic. It is our hope that we continue to embrace this, “We are more alike than different.”