Rotarian Margaret Brooks introduced this week’s guest speaker, Harry Merryman, CEO of Lakeview Health Services, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that provides housing and support services to individuals coping with chronic mental and physical health challenges in our area.
The speaker noted that the organization began in Naples, New York some 40 years ago and has since grown to its current size, offering more than 450 housing units in a six-county area covering Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Yates, Livingston and Tompkins counties.
With its headquarters in Geneva, Ontario County, Lakeview Health Services provides residential programs on three levels: Community Residences, which provide 24-hour support within a home setting; Supportive Apartment Programs that provide resources and assistance to help individuals reach personal goals and develop life management skills; and one SRO (Single Room Occupancy) facility in Tompkins County, aimed primarily at those with a mental illness who have not been successful in other living arrangements.
The most recent facility to join Lakeview’s residential programs is Woodland Commons, a 60-unit apartment complex located on Route 31 in Macedon, just east of the Village. Thirty apartments in this building will be dedicated to supportive housing for individuals recovering from mental illness, while the remainder are available to anyone in the community who qualifies for affordable housing. Currently, occupancy in this new facility stands at nearly 75 percent, Harry stated.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeview Health Services and the many programs and services it offers, you may visit their website at www.lakeviewhs.org.