Guest:  Maura Kelley

Topic:  Peer Behavioral Health Liaison

Duration:  5:36

Published:  June 8, 2021

Host:  Welcome to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL). Our guest today is Maura Kelley, Peer Behavioral Health Liaison with WNYIL, and your host is yours truly Ernie Churchwell. Welcome to the program Maura.

Guest:  Thank you. It's nice to be here Ernie.

Host:  All right, and although you're fairly new to this particular position you've actually been connected with the agency for quite some time. Could you briefly sum up what your involvement has been?

Guest:  Basically, my whole career has been addressing the needs of behavioral health in our community. I have been the Mental Health PEER Connection (MHPC) Director for over 25 years and I've identified many problems in the community for behavioral health, people, including myself, and I decided it's time to take a change and address those needs on a systems wide level in Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Erie County, and through the state to improve the conditions and the quality of life for people with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Host:  As a matter of fact, you've been a part of anti-stigma efforts on multiple levels over the years. And I have to tip my hat for you continuing to work in this way so have you already pretty much summed up the needs that has caused you to take this position as behavioral health liaison?

Guest:  Yes, it just seems in the 1990s when they let people with behavioral health issues out of institutions, society hasn't really been able to deal with that. And so, there's more police involvement, more jail time, more poverty, more unemployment, so this has to be addressed and dealt with. And so, not individually but on a community wide, statewide, national level.

Host:  Would you say that people released from psychiatric facilities because new medications came online, and not given adequate preparation has contributed to homelessness in the area?

Guest:  Yes. Very well put Ernie. The community, people with behavioral health issues need help. And if they don't get the help, they get in trouble, when they get in trouble, they end up in the wrong places in our society, and we need to meet their needs and keep the community healthy and alive and thriving for all people in our community, including us, behavioral health recipients.

Host:  Now that you have this new position, would you say that will allow you to concentrate more on assisting individuals and on advocacy efforts in the community now that you don't have so many day to day administrative responsibilities with MHPC?

Guest:  Correct. People, less people would come and need our services if the community accepted us, and work with us more, there wouldn't be a need for MHPC, there would be but, there wouldn't be the need for such advocacy and such a fight for rights because we should have them just like every other American. So that's what I'm saying.

Host:  It's been said that people with disabilities often make more steadfast and dependable employees than the workforce at large, would you hold that to be the case?

Guest:  People with disabilities, myself included, find that work and employment is key to recovery, key to, I don't want to say the word stabilization but there's ebb and flow in behavioral health, but it's key to living in the community successfully with a quality of life and work gives stability, boundaries, communities, social life, work has all those components.

Host:  Maura I'm afraid our time has flown and I'm sure people have questions; how can they get ahold of you?

Guest:  You can get a hold of me by dialing 716-836-0822 extension 162 or you can email me at mkelley@wnyil.org, thank you.

Host:  Thanks for being with us. You've been listening to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of WNYIL. Our guest today was Maura Kelley, Peer Behavioral Health Liaison with WNYIL, and your host was yours truly, Ernie Churchwell.