Cayuga County mental health services may finally get some lasting stability.

Katharine O'Connell, interim director of mental health, has indicated her interest to stay in the position after her six-month appointment runs out in March, she said.

Throughout the past four months, O'Connell has been asked to consider staying and she made the decision within the last two to three weeks.

“When you work in a place and there's good work and important work to be done ... You start to get attached to the clients and to a lot of the staff,” she said. “There are a lot of very good people and there are a lot of challenges, and also, simultaneously, a lot of opportunity in the community to provide really fine, quality services.”

The county community services board on Thursday voted in favor of reappointing O'Connell as director of community services, which is the second part of the position she has held since September.

Interim chairperson of the CSB Linda Albrecht said O'Connell is the best thing to happen to the county's department of mental health.

“We honestly think that this county is absolutely blessed with the fact that there was a series of circumstances that ended up with her landing here ... I don't think there is anybody who is more prepared than she is,” Albrecht said.

Ann Petrus, chairperson of the county's health and human services committee, echoed Albrecht's sentiments.

“It's a blessing to the mental health. We needed to have somebody with her experience, with her know-how and with her background of hard work,” she said.

Contract negotiations with the county are still pending and O'Connell will need the approval of the Legislature before her official title is finalized. Petrus is hopeful this can be done before the six-month period is over.

Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net