Peer and Family Advisory Group

"One of the consumers' biggest frustrations has been the perception that every facet of their lives is related to their illness."
- Brian Phillips, former WNYCCP Peer and Family Coordinator

The Peer and Family Advisory Group is composed of two representatives from each county, meets monthly, advises the WNYCCP Steering Committee and selects the four voting members from its groups who will serve on the Steering Committee. The county representatives are:

• Chautauqua County: Peter Notaro and Mark Thorpe
• Erie County: Sharon Ward and Richard “Doc” D'Amato
• Genesee County: Sue Gagne and Janet Michel
• Monroe County: Robert Dempsey and Renate Melnyk (Adrien Turner - alternate)
• Onondaga County: Carole Hayes-Collier and Sharon Lathrop (Lisa Turkki - alternate)
• Wyoming County: Diane Woodworth and Karen Campbell

The four voting representatives who sit on the WNYCCP Steering Committee are Doc D'Amato, Carole Haye-Collier, Sharon Ward, Sue Gagne. Alternate voting members are Peter Notaro and Judy Lightoak.

There is a local peer and family advisory group in each county. These groups meet monthly to discuss county specific and program wide issues. They vary in size and allow peers and family members in the local communities to becoming more involved in the program at the county level. These groups and others form a network of peers and family members that provide input to and support the Steering Committee’s mission to bring about a fundamental change in mental health care practice toward recovery-oriented, person-centered care.