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County to consolidate mental hygiene, social services staff at Jamestown City Hall to coordinate mobile crisis, court navigation
Summary
Chautauqua County will lease third-floor space in Jamestown City Hall to co-locate mobile crisis teams, the new court navigator positions and other outreach staff; officials said the move is budget-neutral for 2025 and intended to improve coordination as state and federal policy changes are expected.
Chautauqua County officials told the Audit and Control Committee on Wednesday they will co-locate several mental health and social services programs on the third floor of Jamestown City Hall, a move county leaders say will improve coordination between mobile crisis teams, court navigators and care coordinators.
Trish MacLennan, deputy director of the Department of Mental Hygiene and Social Services, said the county will consolidate staff who currently operate at different sites into a single office space already under lease in Jamestown. The committee approved a resolution authorizing the lease with the City of Jamestown.
MacLennan said the consolidation is intended to improve operational efficiency and readiness for anticipated state and federal changes that could arrive in September. "We are choosing, as a county, to be proactive and reactive, not wait to be told what to do," she said, describing the move as a way to bring outreach, mobile crisis, homeless-unit and court-navigation staff together so they can respond jointly when a person in crisis is encountered in the community.
Committee members questioned whether the consolidation foreshadowed additional local spending. MacLennan and other staff emphasized the move will not increase local-share costs for 2025 or 2026: funding will be covered by existing revenue, billing and grant-supported administrative costs. She said some positions are billable — for example, outreach activities that will be reimbursed — and that Warwick lease savings and other internal reorganizations would offset Jamestown occupancy costs.
Committee discussion also addressed operational impacts. A legislator asked how the consolidation would affect hotel emergency housing and local shelters; MacLennan said the teams aim to reduce avoidable emergency housing needs by addressing crises and entitlements proactively, which in turn reduces downstream county costs. She said the county has already posted and begun interviewing for the court navigator positions funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health.
The measure passed by voice vote. Several committee members praised the proposal as an efficiency move and said they would support the co-location. MacLennan said staff will report back on occupancy, workload and budget details as they implement the move.
