O’Brien praised for expanding mental health services in community

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mark O’Brien has led the Orleans County Mental Health Department the past seven years. During his tenure the department expanded to have staff working out of 15 sites in the community, including schools, healthcare facilities and the county jail.

ALBION – The Orleans County Mental Health Director is leaving the county to take the job as Erie County Commissioner of Mental Health.

Mark O’Brien has been the Orleans County director for seven years. He has worked for the county for a decade.

O’Brien, a Grand Island resident, told county legislators it was a “very difficult decision” to leave Orleans. He praised the legislators for supporting initiatives to expand mental health services in the county.

He was presented a “Special Recognition Award” on Wednesday by County Legislators.

“Your dedication and expertise has benefited our county tremendously,” the award states. “We appreciate your support and commitment to the residents of our county, which will forever be widespread, long lasting and extremely appreciated. The Orleans County Legislature does hereby wish you well as you enjoy your newest endeavor as the Erie County Commissioner of Mental Health.”

O’Brien built many partnerships in the community to expand mental health services, including satellite mental health offices in all five school districts in the county. Those offices allow students to receive mental health services without having to travel to county clinic in Albion. Transportation was a barrier for many families to access services.

Counselors help students who have anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

“It makes it more accessible for the kids,” O’Brien told the Orleans Hub in a previous article. “The superintendents have been super cooperative to work with.”

O’Brien also led the department in bringing mental health services to the county jail. About 80 percent of the inmates in the Orleans County Jail have mental health disorders. Providing them treatment and appropriate medication can help reduce recidivism.

The Mental Health Department also has worked with local law enforcement agencies to provide training for responding to people in a mental health crisis.

He also developed partnerships with the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Orleans Community Health and Oak Orchard Health to have mental health staff at their sites.

He was honored with the Constance Miller Award from the Mental Health Association of Genesee & Orleans in 2017. The award is named in honor of the founder of the MHA in 1993.

“We want to recognize people working promote mental wellness in the community,” Scott Wilson, vice president of the MHA board of directors, said then.

Wilson is also the Orleans County Jail superintendent. He has seen O’Brien work with many local agencies in the community to expand mental health services, including at the jail.

The Mental Health Department has two clinicians working at the jail, which has reduced psychotropic medication and suicide attempts, Wilson said.

O’Brien said he appreciated the response from partners in the county, welcoming mental health staff.

“It’s making mental health services more accessible to the community and reducing the stigma because they are not going to a classified mental health building,” he said.

He also worked to make county mental health building more accessible to the public by having open access where people don’t need an appointment to be served during regular business hours.

O’Brien’s last day with the county is May 7. The County Legislature has appointed Danielle Figura, the current clinic coordinator for Mental Health, to serve as interim director for the department beginning on May 8.

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More than 2,000 people have filed for unemployment in Orleans County in four weeks, according to the state Department of Labor.

The county has a workforce of about 17,000 people. The number of workers to file initial claims is 2,138 in the weeks ending March 21 (138 claims), March 28 (824 claims), April 4 (595 claims) and April 11 (581 claims).

That is far more than the same time period a year. The last week of March in 2019 had 39 claims filed in Orleans County, with 23 the first week of April and 21 the second week of April.

Unemployment claims surged after many were closed during the Covid-19 shutdown. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is keeping schools and many nonessential businesses closed until May 15. He announced on Tuesday he is forming regional councils to develop plans for reopening businesses. The governor said he is looking for incrementally reopening the economy.

The county typically has had about 1,000 people on unemployment. March 2010 was the last time the county had 2,000 unemployed. The unemployment rate was 10 percent then.

The unemployment rate was at 5.5 percent in February and 5.6 in March, before the mass unemployment claims were filed.

State-wide there were 1,210,947 unemployment claims filed between March 14 and April 11. That compares to 64,941 during the same time frame a year earlier.

Some of the industries seeing the biggest unemployment filings include retail trade, from 5,602 in mid-March to mid-April 2019 to 162,356 during that same period in 2020; accommodation and food services, 7,374 to 248,355; arts, entertainment and recreation, 1,934 to 46,544; construction/utilities, 11,255 to 112,895; health care and social assistance, 5,498 to 131,204; manufacturing, 3,971 to 63,398; professional, scientific and technical services, 3,571 to 41,928; and transportation and warehousing, from 2,565 to 49,455.

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Health Department, Villages of Orleans stepping up efforts to stop spread of virus among residents and employees

File photo by Tom Rivers: The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center is contending with many cases of Covid-19 among residents at the Albion site on Route 31.

ALBION – Public health professionals are increasing their efforts to help The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion after an outbreak of Covid-19 cases. There have been 27 confirmed cases and three deaths among residents at the nursing home on Route 31 in Albion.

“We are aware and have been proactively responding to the number of positive cases being generated from The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehab Center,” said Paul Pettit, director of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.  “We are working with The Villages of Orleans along with the New York State Department of Health to assist them in containing and stopping the spread of the virus among residents and employees.”

The Orleans County Health Department, Emergency Management staff and NYSDOH have worked cooperatively to provide guidance to the nursing home leadership to provide swabs for testing the residents, accessing personal protective equipment and to provide instruction on isolation/quarantine for the residents as well as self-monitoring the employees’ health prior to reporting for duty.

The facility used to be owned by the county. It was sold for $7.8 million on Feb. 6, 2014 to Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services LLC.

Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, praised the efforts by Pettit and Dr. Tom Madejski, medical director for The Villages of Orleans, to fight the virus at the nursing home.

“We will commit resources as necessary to combat this situation and help to keep our neighbors, friends, families and co-workers healthy,” Johnson said in a news release from the Health Department. “We were also saddened to learn of a third Covid-19 related death for one of our Orleans County residents. Our condolences to the family and friends of this individual.”

In the event of a resident being exposed or infected with Covid-19 the New York State Department of Health has jurisdictional oversight of nursing homes and will follow-up with contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.

The State Department of Health will work with the agency and contact the local health department with information about the employees (from the county where they reside) who may have been exposed, the Orleans and Genesee County Health Departments said in the news release.

The local health department will then provide follow-up on those who live in their respective counties while the state deals with the facility.

As of today, in the Villages of Orleans, there have been 89 residents swabbed – some were swabbed twice due to change of symptoms – with 27 confirmed cases and 3 deaths related to Covid-19.

Any questions and concerns should be addressed first to the nursing home. If there are further concerns, call the appropriate Complaint Hotline: For Nursing Homes: 1-888-201-4563  or visit the NYS Consumer Health Care Information website (click here).

In an effort to provide additional information on state and federally regulated facilities in both Genesee and Orleans counties, the health department will be adding some additional layers to the mapping tool that will break out community versus (non-county regulated) facility spread cases.

In addition, the two health departments will be adding a chart to their websites and daily briefings that will detail the number of cases and deaths in the regulated facilities in the two counties.

“As the number of Covid-19 positive cases are confirmed and growing in both Genesee and Orleans counties, we all need to continue to take measures to help prevent infections and spreading the disease to others, especially our most vulnerable citizens, our older adults and those with underlying health issues,” the Health Department said in a news release.

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That day also includes special election and primary for NY-27^th, with presidential primary also scheduled

June 23 will be a busy day at the polls in Orleans County with a presidential primary, a long-awaited special election to fill the vacant Congressional seat in the 27^th district, and a primary for county clerk.

The 27^th Congressional seat has been vacant since Chris Collins resigned on Sept. 30. Collins was sentenced on Jan. 17 to 26 months in federal prison for participating in a scheme to commit insider trading and for making false statements to federal law enforcement agents when interviewed about his conduct. He also was fined $200,000.

The special election was set for April 28 but was pushed back about two months due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

So June 23 is currently scheduled for the election to fill a vacancy for the 27^th Congressional District. The winner will fill about five months of the remainder of the term.

The special election on June 23 will include the following candidates:

• Nathan D. McMurray – Democratic, Working Families

• Chris Jacobs – Republican, Independence

• Michael J. Gammariello – Green

• Duane Whitmer – Libertarian

There will also be a Republican primary on June 23 to see who gets the Republican line in the November election for a full two-year term. Jacobs, Beth Parlato and Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw are among those expected to be pursuing the Republican line. The candidates for that primary won’t be announced by the Board of Elections until April 29.

April 28 also was supposed to be the presidential primary. But both major parties have settled on their candidates: Donald Trump for Republicans and Joe Biden for the Democrats. The presidential primary is still scheduled to go forward on June 23.

Absentee ballots

The local Board of Elections reminds registered voters they can use absentee ballots to vote. Voters can request an absentee ballot by calling (585) 589-3274. Click here for more information on how to reach the Board of Elections.

Local primaries include County Clerk, Republican Committees in Ridgeway and Murray

There are two Republican candidates are running for Orleans County Clerk. Diane Shampine is the current acting clerk. She assumed the post after Karen Lake-Maynard retired. Shampine was Lake-Maynard’s deputy clerk for 14 years. Nadine Hanlon, current clerk of the County Legislature, also submitted petitions to be on the ballot of the primary. Hanlon is also a former Kendall town clerk. She is a current member of the Kendall Board of Education.

Normally candidates running in primaries need signatures from 5 percent of registered voters in the party to be on the ballot for a primary. Gov. Andrew Cuomo reduced that threshold to 1.25 percent of registered voters. He didn’t want people out going door-to-door to get signatures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

There are also primaries to pick members for Republican Committees in Murray and Ridgeway.

In Murray, there are primaries for three of the districts, with three candidates seeking two positions in District 3, District 5 and District 6.

In District 3, the candidates include Kathleen Case, Anthony Peone and Kerri Neale.

In District 5, the candidates include Lynn Wood, Cynthia Oliver and Ronald Vendetti.

In District 6, the candidates include Kellie Gregoire, Robert Miller and Adam R. Moore.

In Ridgeway, there are three candidates for two positions with District 2 on the Ridgeway Republican Committee. The candidates include Virginia Nicholson, David Stalker and Ayesha Kreutz.

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County officials fear plummeting sales tax revenue, state reimbursement cuts

Photo by Tom Rivers: County Legislator John DeFilipps, R-Clarendon, reads the resolution this morning calling for temporary county layoffs. It passed in a 7-0 vote.

ALBION – The county government workforce will shrink by 40 employees or about 10 percent as the county grapples with declining sales tax revenue and anticipated reduced state reimbursements.

The county could face big losses in sales tax revenue and expects cuts in state reimbursements for other services. The stock market decline also will mean local government will have to pay more in pension contributions.

“We’re in unchartered territory here,” said Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.

The county annually receives about $17 million in sales tax. March was down 9 percent and that’s only with nonessential businesses closed for about two weeks.

Early projections from the state comptroller estimated the county would take a minimal hit of about $559,000. That estimate for the minimal decrease has since been doubled to about $1.1 million. And that’s on the low side. The county could see a bigger loss.

“We have no idea how bad it could get,” Welch said.

The sales tax helps fund the county government, and reduces the level of property tax.

If the sales tax drops, the county would have to raise property taxes, unless it reduces expenses.

That’s why the County Legislature voted this morning to temporarily lay off 40 employees, initially for 30 days. The Legislature may extend that in two additional 30-day increments, ending July 31. After that day, if the county is in economic distress, it could make the layoffs permanent, according to the resolution adopted this morning.

The Legislature agreed to have the county continue to pay towards the health insurance of those employees during the temporary layoff.

Welch said employees will be asked if they want to be temporarily laid off. Once the county has a list of names, Welch and department heads will meet mid-week next week to identify 40 people by the end of the week, with the layoffs to start on a new pay period beginning April 26.

Welch said the reductions will include many departments, but not the Health Department or the Sheriff’s Office.

Welch said some county employees, with unemployment and the government stimulus checks for people on unemployment, could actually see more money during the temporary layoff.

Many of the employees have been working from home, or just are at home during the shutdown. Welch said the county isn’t in a position to keep paying people to stay home and not work, especially with a state-imposed shutdown continuing through at least May 15.

Lynne Johnson, County Legislature chairwoman, said the Legislature didn’t make the action lightly.

“Our employees and families are very important not only to county operations but to our community,” she said. “This is a temporary action to help stabilize the situation. Our employees are our most valuable asset.”

Johnson said the union representing the employees agreed later this morning to the temporary layoffs.

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‘A perfect storm of financial difficulty for Orleans County’

ALBION — Orleans County legislators are looking at temporary layoffs in county government due to anticipated steep reductions in revenue.

Legislators will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday to discuss the issue. They are hoping the labor unions among county employees will be a partner in a temporary layoff.

“We are trying to weigh all the factors involved here to do what’s right for our employees and the county taxpayers,” said Jack Welch, the county’s  chief administrative officer.

Welch and county legislators say the financial impact to the county from Covid-19 will be dramatic in 2020 and next year. Sales tax projections will be down at least $500,000 and perhaps much more, with state reimbursements also expected to be cut. Losses in the stock market also will likely mean higher pension contribution rates over the next several years.

“The 2 percent tax cap was made permanent in state law and tied to several state reimbursement formulas,” Welch said in a news release. “These factors come together to create a perfect storm of financial difficulty for Orleans County.”

County officials say a temporary layoff now could ease some of the damage to the county’s finances.

“This is not a course of action that we are pursuing lightly,” said Lynne Johnson, Legislature chairwoman. “Our employees and families are very important not only to county operations but to our community. This is a temporary action to help stabilize the situation. Our employees are our most valuable asset.”

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When Dean Bellack offered his services as director of United Way of Orleans County, he couldn’t have envisioned the challenge ahead with the ensuing coronavirus pandemic.

Dean Bellack

“During a hard time such as this is when charities step up to the plate,” Bellack said. “When you think of United Way you should think of human relief. We are in a time when our lives have been altered, and it is our job is to bring dollars, partnerships and help to those who need it.

Bellack referred to the Buffalo community which just raised $5 million in the past two weeks from corporate donors, philanthropic organizations and community foundations. Being able to help out in a time of crisis improves an organization’s stature and that benefits them in the future when they try to raise money, he said.

Unfortunately, as much as United Way of Orleans County would like to step up and offer assistance now, the allocations for the year have been set, and United Way needs to focus on honoring those allocations. He said the community donations to United Way were up this past year, allowing them to provide funding to all their partner agencies.

However, with the hardships placed on businesses, corporations and individuals with the coronavirus  pandemic, United Way worries whether people will be able to meet their pledges so that United Way can meet its obligations to its agencies. Because of that concern, Bellack is pursuing other funding opportunities.

Bellack’s goal is to position United Way of Orleans County to the place in people’s minds where their mindset is, “When I want to help people, I give to United Way.”

He said that not only means dollars, but also uniting agencies for that purpose, which is a process he has already begun.

The Western New York Fund just announced a connection to the United Way, and Bellack has asked for some specific assistance for food banks and soup kitchens, and the Ministry of Concern and Community Action for housing. This funding will come to Orleans County because of the United Way partnerships.

United Way of Orleans County is registered on the United Way Worldwide network and has the potential to get help from the federal bill which was just passed. The bill designates billions for charity, Bellack said.

Another source of funding which Bellack is pursuing on behalf of United Way of Orleans County is a grant from BlueCross BlueShield’s 2020 Blue Fund. The fund will consider grant requests that address at least one or more health focus areas, such as behavioral health, cardiovascular health, health-care workforce development and healthy children.

Each grant request will be between $100,000 and $300,000.

Bellack has met with the YMCA, Community Action, Ministry of Concern, Praising Kids Childcare, Iroquois Trail Council, The Arc, OCAL’s, and Cornell Cooperative Extension to invite them to join in applying for the funding. This is the first time these agencies have applied together under the United Way.

“Our community and our non-profits are uniting to change our impact,” Bellack said. “The agencies involved in this process are excited and are planning future collaborations going forward.”

“I believe that bringing these agencies together will give us a bigger impact on this and bring in more dollars to Orleans County,” Bellack said.

Bellack and the board want the community to know they are working very hard to remain visible, fulfill their commitments and provide assistance in the future.

The annual Day of Caring scheduled in May has been canceled, but will be rescheduled in the late summer or fall. As of now, the June 5 golf tournament is still a go, but may be rescheduled if necessary, as it is a major fundraiser for United Way.

Bellack’s final comment is, “United Way is neighbors helping neighbors. Please help your neighbor. Help them go to the store. Help them with a meal. Please be generous in what you can do. If you are able to donate, give where your heart leads you.”

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Press Release, Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman

ALBION – Take 5 for New York is a new county-wide campaign that is being launched to encourage Orleans County residents to take five minutes out of each day to call a friend, loved one, or acquaintance who may be alone and feeling isolated during this period of social distancing.

Lynne Johnson

It is part of a state-wide effort promoted by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC).

“Participating county officials are calling on their residents to take just five minutes of everyday to call on a loved one, friend, neighbor, acquaintance to say hi, check on them, see if they need anything, lift their spirits, and tell them they are not alone, “ said Stephen Acquario, NYSAC Executive Director. “It doesn’t matter what you talk about. You can talk about this crisis or the latest show you are watching. The point is connecting with people in our community who could use it the most.”

This statewide campaign is being launched with the hashtag #Take5ForNY.

The New York State Association of Counties is a bipartisan municipal association serving all the counties of New York State, including the City of New York.

Photo by Tom Rivers: The VFW Post is Medina is among the many places that serve food and alcohol that are currently closed to the public.

Orleans County could see a $1.7 million loss in sales tax revenue due the economic slowdown, according to a report from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

The comptroller said county governments will take a hit in their sales tax revenues as many businesses are scaled back or shut down in response to the coronavirus.

The sales tax is used to fund many programs and also helps offset some of the burden with local property taxes.

Orleans County receives about $17 million a year in sales tax and shares $1,366,671 with the 10 towns and four villages in the county.

The comptroller has released a sales tax impact report, offering two scenarios. In a mild recession, Orleans would see a 3.4 percent reduction in sales or about $559,585. In a prolonged recession, the county would take a 10.2 percent hit or $1,704,954, according to the comptroller’s report.

State-wide, counties could see an estimated $2 billion loss in local sales tax revenues due to economic slowdown.

“These revenue forecasts are very troubling for local governments and property taxpayers,” said John F. (Jack) Marren, chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors and president of the New York State Association of Counties. “Counties are on the front lines executing this public health state of emergency, while the state manages it and the federal government supports it financially. We’ve never seen anything like this, ever. Our personnel is exhausted, our resources are scarce, but our spirit to defeat this silent enemy remains strong.”

The report’s estimates do not account for the local workforce related revenue losses, and the costs associated with responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, NYSAC said.

“Every level of government is going to feel the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and local governments are bracing for that loss of revenue,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. “But we are also urging a partnership with the state as we confront the public health threat. We represent the same taxpayer at the local level and we have limited revenues. As the state enacts its operating budget, we ask for flexibility so that we can manage the fiscal impact locally. All units of government need a financial lifeline, and we will work with the state to rebuild the economy.”

The state also will take a huge hit with what could be a $10 billion to $15 billion revenue loss, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

As the state struggles fiscally, it is anticipated that significant state aid reimbursement cuts to counties and local government will follow, and those cuts could be significant, according to NYSAC.

Counties face a quadruple threat of declining local revenues, especially sales tax, but also mortgage recording taxes and hotel occupancy taxes; higher spending necessary to respond to the health emergency; the loss of state reimbursement; and the potential of significant losses for small businesses on main streets that could threaten jobs and the property tax base over the short to mid-term, NYSAC said in a report today.

“We cannot stress enough how uncertain any forecast is,” Acquario said. “The potential spread, severity, and duration of the virus are poorly understood, and expert knowledge is evolving.

“The extent and duration of lockdowns, travel restrictions, and other responses that protect public health but damage short-term economic growth have been increasing as policy makers and public health officials learn more. The stock market has been swinging wildly. Economic forecasters have been rushing to release unscheduled forecast revisions in an effort to keep up with events.”

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The U.S. Census Bureau’s latest population estimates show Orleans County has one of the largest population declines, by percentage, among the 62 counties in the state.

Orleans County had a population of 42,883 in the 2010 Census. The 2019 population estimate puts the county’s population at 40,352. That’s a drop of 2,531 people. The 5.90 percent reduction ranks 56 out of 62 counties.

Counties with a larger percentage decrease than Orleans include: 57th, Chautauqua, (-5.93%); 58th, Chemung, -6.05%); 59th, Essex, (-6.31%); 60th, Chenango, (-6.48%); 61st, Delaware, (-8.01%); and 62nd, Hamilton, (-8.68%).

The population changes for other nearby counties include:

• Genesee, 4.66 percent drop, from 60,079 to 57,280;

• Niagara, 3.32 percent drop, from 216,469 to 209,281;

• Monroe, 0.35 percent decrease, from 744,344 to 741,770;

• Erie, 0.04 percent decline, from 919,040 to 918,702;

• Livingston, 3.79 percent drop, from 65,393 to 62,914;

• Wyoming, 5.45 percent decline, from 42,155 to 39,859;

State-wide, New York’s population grew by 0.39 percent or 75,459, from 19,378,102 in 2010 to 19,453,561 to 2019.

Upstate declined by 2.00 percent or by 126,830 people, from 6,339,276 to 6,212,446. Downstate grew by 1.55 percent or 202,289 people, from 13,038,826 to 13,241,115.

The data shows that 45 of 50 upstate counties lost population since the 2010 Census. Only three downstate counties had population declines.

The Census Bureau does a population estimate every year. The latest numbers reflect a 12-month period ending last July 1.

The data shows that 50 counties in upstate New York lost 20,846 residents, a decrease of 0.33 percent, while the downstate region lost a combined total of 55,944 people, or 0.42 percent. New York City has lost population the past three years, after a long period of growth, according to analysis by the Empire Center.

International Migration

The Census Bureau also looks at international migration and domestic migration for the counties.

Orleans County added 194 people through international migration for a 0.45 percent growth rate, which ranked 42nd out of 62 counties.

Among the other GLOW counties, Genesee ranked 50th, adding 222 people at 0.37 percent rate; Wyoming was 58th, adding 82 for a 0.19 percent growth rate; and Livingston was 25th, adding 752 people for 1.15 percent rate.

Domestic Migration

Orleans had 2,654 move out, or 6.19 percent of population, the 50th highest rate among the 62 counties.

Among the GLOW counties, Genesee had 2,564 people move out, or 4.27 percent of its population which was 24th highest of the counties. Livingston had 2,841 people migrate away from the county or 4.34 percent, the 26th highest rate. Wyoming ranked 44th with a 5.75 percent migration rate with 2,424 people moving out of the county since 2010.

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