Updates + Notices
Read below for updates on the agency, our projects, and our data, as well as timely public health notices or statements
September Is Suicide Prevention Month: Make Prevention Practical
September is Suicide Prevention Month. Learn the signs, start the conversation, and build skills with RHI. Youth Mental Health First Aid (9/23, 8:30 a.m.) helps adults support teens. safeTALK offers clear, step-by-step suicide-alertness skills on 9/27 at 11:00 a.m. and 9/29 at 12:30 p.m. Join SPEAK UP Cortland activities: One Too Many NY 5K in Homer (9/20, 10:00 a.m.) and Chalk the Walk all month to spread messages of hope. Together we can notice concerns sooner, respond with care, and connect help faster. Need help now? Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
National Recovery Month: SMART Recovery in Cortland
As we mark National Recovery Month this September, SMART Recovery meetings are now available in Cortland every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 PM at Access to Independence (26 N Main St). This science-based, non-religious program uses CBT and motivational tools to build motivation, cope with urges, and live a balanced life. Open to anyone; no registration required. For questions, email hsebastian@nyrhi.org.
Overdose Awareness in Cortland County: Local and National Trends
On International Overdose Awareness Day, Cortland County has reason to reflect with hope. Overdose deaths have dropped 88% locally since 2021, mirroring the national decline. This progress is not accidental—it reflects years of harm reduction work by the Rural Health Institute of New York, including naloxone distribution, fentanyl test strip access, and compassionate community outreach. With overdose deaths at their lowest levels in years, sustaining this momentum requires continued investment in harm reduction and prevention strategies that save lives.
New Report: Piloting the Grace Space, a Data-Driven, Low-Threshold Daytime Resource Center
From November 2024 to April 2025, RHI and other community partners operated a low-threshold daytime resource center for people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness. This center--the Grace Space--was housed at Grace and Holy Spirit Church in downtown Cortland. This report details the work that went into planning, opening, and operating the space; it gives an overview and analysis of the data we collected through operating the space; and it lays out recommendations for Cortland County's next steps as well as for other communities that want to learn from this pilot project.
Turning Walls into Windows for Learning: RHI’s “Read · Talk · Sing · Play Every Day” banners popping up across Cortland County
From Marathon to CAPCO to Seven Valleys, bright purple “Read · Talk · Sing · Play” banners are appearing across Cortland County. They’re part of RHI’s Learning Moments campaign, a countywide effort to help parents and caregivers turn errands, mealtimes, and play into simple, no-cost learning opportunities. Each banner highlights everyday interactions—walking to the library, reading together, chatting at dinner—that build language, focus, and social skills. Explore the “Learning Moment of the Day” and practical activities at HelloCortland.fun, created with the Cortland County Literacy Coalition.
Redesigned 2023 Youth Survey Report is Now Available
The 2023 Cortland Youth Survey report is now available. It highlights current trends and emerging needs, makes recommendations for meeting those needs, and highlights the important work already happening. This is the first report that we have fully designed with data literacy in mind.
New Youth Survey Allows Us to See Disparities
Every year since 2002, RHI has surveyed 7th-12th grade students in Cortland County about substance use behaviors and risk and protective factors that predict adolescent problem behaviors. Starting in 2023, we began using a new survey that goes beyond prevention to collect data about general health behaviors, like sleep, nutrition, mental health, and disability.