From left, Code Blue Manager Victor Flores and Recovery Options Made Easy CEO Shannon Higbee stand outside the new Code Blue Shelter at 917 Washington St., Jamestown. PJ photo by Michael Zabrodsky

Recovery Options Made Easy has a new Code Blue shelter in Chautauqua County.

It is located at 917 Washington St., Jamestown and will be open on designated Code Blue nights beginning Friday through April 30, 2025.

Recovery Options CEO Shannon Higbee said Recovery Options has more than 30 years of experience providing housing, respite and support services in Western New York.

Higbee said the shelter is different from a Code Blue hotel in that a shelter functions as a warming center.

Code Blue shelter, Higbee said, is provided to single men and women who do not qualify for temporary housing assistance in Chautauqua County and to homeless people when the temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

“So when it’s 32 degrees or below with a wind chill and it’s called Code Blue, people will come here first when we’re full, then we’ll refer directly to the Code Blue hotels to make sure that once what we are full of, them. then they can fill in those blanks as well,” Higbee said.

When guests come to the shelter, they come to be in a warm and safe space. There are cots, mats and blankets to make guests comfortable. Once there, guests receive hot drinks, hot food and snacks, as well as a breakfast bar. Guests also have the option of receiving support services, Higbee said.

Higbee added that there will be two people on duty each night as well as security personnel.

“We have two shifts,” noted Higbee. “We open from 5:30 pm and then close at 7:30 am. So we run two exchanges,” Higbee said.

At midnight, there is a shift change.

“So each night, four separate people cover the site, which gives people (guests) the opportunity to meet a number of people they can connect with, and we can engage and develop relationships with them . to help encourage them to take advantage of services in the community,” Higbee said.

Recovery Options Made Easy is a peer-led, non-profit organization, Higbee said, that provides multiple recovery supports in 10 Western New York counties and the Finger Lakes regions to people experiencing mental health issues. Services include supportive housing, community-based recovery services, and crisis response programs, including crisis respite and hotlines. Recognizing the complexities involved in addressing mental health issues, Recovery Options applies trauma-informed strategies focused on an individual’s needs, with the goals of reducing a mental health crisis as well as aiding lifelong recovery.

“Our team looks forward to welcoming people in need of a safe and supportive environment where they can warm up, grab something to eat, interact with our well-trained staff and sleep on each designated night during the Code season Blue,” Higbee noted. .

For more information, visit recoveroptionsny.org.