The October Family and Community Liaison Workshop, NAMI Ending the Silence, is a FREE, evidence-based, presentation offered by NAMI Fingerlakes for adults with middle or high school aged youth in their lives. You will learn to recognize the warning signs of mental health conditions and what steps to take if a youth in your life begins showing symptoms. This workshop is appropriate for parents, teachers, and other supportive adults. NOT limited to Homer School District.

5:00-5:30pm Free Family Meal

5:30-7:00pm Workshop

Homer HTEC, 80 S. West Rd., Homer

Thank you to the Cortland County Suicide Prevention Coalitions, SPEAK UP Cortland, for sponsoring this workshop.

For more information or to register click the button below or to download a shareable flyer, click HERE.

This session will provide families and caregivers with practical, research-based strategies to help protect youth with autism from the risks of cyberbullying. Participants will learn how to recognize warning signs, support social and communication skill development, and foster positive relationships at home, in school, and online. Emphasis will be placed on tools that families can use immediately to build resilience, promote digital safety, and strengthen supportive connections for their children.

SUNY Binghamton University and Tompkins Cortland Community College are partnering to bring you a virtual opportunity, "Empowering the Transition: Helping Students with Disabilities Prepare for College", to learn about supporting high school students with disabilities through the college transition process.

When: Please join us on October 16th at 6PM.  

Who should attend: Students, parents, advocates, school counselors, CSE Chairs, transition counselors, etc.  

Why Attend? The laws and services for students with disabilities in college are significantly different from high school. This session will provide a crucial overview of many important topics to address these differences.

Puzzle Solvers, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 2009. The organization was started by a small group of professional women who wanted to help improve the quality of life for families in the Cortland community, impacted by autism spectrum disorder.

The next Connecting Caregivers Support Group will be held:

Seven Valleys Health Coalition is partnering with Guthrie to host the Maternity Oasis Mobile (MOM) Unit on Wednesday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Seven Valleys Food Rescue Hub (174 Homer Ave, Cortland). This is an opportunity for women to access quality, affordable care in a convenient location. Services include pre-natal care, post-partum guidance, limited gynecological services such as annual exams, STD testing and menstrual disorder treatment. While walk-ins are welcome, you can also schedule an appointment by calling 866-488-4743. 

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to mental health and substance use challenges among adults.

This free training will be offered Friday, October 17th, 8:30AM-4:00PM at the Cortlandville Fire Department. Located at 999 NY-13, Cortland, NY 13045. There will be a 30 minute lunch on your own.

First observed in October 1981 as a national “Day of Unity,” Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is held each October as a way to unite advocates across the nation in their efforts to end domestic violence.

Unity Day, started by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in October 2011, is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. This is a day when we can come together to send a visible message of building commUNITY through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. The call to action is simple: wear and share the color orange. This vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, showing support for students who have been bullied and for bullying prevention.

Every year, the YWCA Cortland holds the, Chefs Take a Stand Against Domestic Violence event to benefit Cortland County’s ONLY comprehensive domestic violence program, Aid to Victims of Violence (AVV). In 2024, this event alone grossed over $30,000 to assist AVV in offering both off-site emergency housing as well as permanent supportive housing at Grace Brown House, where women victims of domestic violence and their children reside while they re-establish their lives. The Grace Brown House is located in Homer Central School District, and every year since its inception, our District has had representation in the event. Family & Community Liaisons Susan Williams and Lisa Matijas were both involved in 2025 - with Susan serving on the Event Planning Committee and Lisa participating as a "Home Chef". For the 2nd year in a row, Lisa, partnering with her sister who is a SUNY Cortland University Police Department officer, took home First Prize in the Best Home Chef Dessert Category! A fun and delicious event that supports an incredibly important program for our community.

If you are someone you know needs help with a Domestic Violence Situation you call call the AVV

NAMI-FLNY offers a Family Support Group, a Spouse/Partner Support Group and a Psychosis Support Group. These groups are for people 18 and over. Each support group is led by trained facilitators who have lived experience with mental health issues. In NAMI support groups we share concerns, coping skills, and compassion in a supportive atmosphere.

NAMI-FLNY support groups meet on Zoom. Click here to register or

Email support@namifingerlakes.org or

Call 607-288-2460

Please include your name, preferred phone number, email and the meeting you wish to attend.

If you need support now, please call the NAMI Finger Lakes Help Line at 607-273-2462. Our Help Line is answered by local NAMI family members who have experience with loved ones living with mental illness.

This is a place where Cortland County families can find local resources to support their children's mental and behavioral health and where members of the mental health workforce can find professional resources. Visit https://www.cortlandcares.org/ for more information.

The family application for Toys for Tots 2025 for Cortland County is now open! Please only submit one request per child and remember to add things your child(ren) likes. To sign up your child or for information on where to donate toys please visit:

Look for details on other holiday supports in the November newsletter or contact the liaison in your child's building if you need assistance.