Parent Peer Mentor Michelle Morales Honored by NY Office of Mental Health
By Patrick Broadwater
Friday, October 23, 2020
Michelle Morales was honored by the New York State Office of Mental Health in October for her work mentoring parents of children with eating disorders.
Morales is a parent peer mentor for the Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders, one of three legislatively mandated comprehensive care center for eating disorders funded by the New York State Department of Health. In her role, she teaches parents and parents how to offer support to their loved ones in recovery.
She was selected to be the Family/Caregiver honoree at the What’s Great in Our State event, a forum to celebrate children’s mental health awareness, and recognized at the awards ceremony on Oct. 15.
The Western New York Comprehensive Care Center, a partnership between the UR School of Nursing and Golisano Children’s Hospital, is directed by Professor of Clinical Nursing Mary Tantillo, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, FAED, CGP, out of the UR School of Nursing. It serves as a hub for eating disorder services in the 30-county Western New York Region, which has an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 individuals with an eating disorder.