Staff

Compos Mentis's small staff of paid employees supervise activities with the assistance of numerous volunteers. Family and friends of Compos Mentis apprentices are encouraged to become volunteers at the farm, to the extent that it is possible. Compos Mentis Program Coordinator Shannon Haskins oversees all aspects of day-to-day activities, with the help of an assistant program coordinator. To discuss the program with Shannon or make an appointment to visit, please call 607-229-6392.

Volunteers

To volunteer your time and talents to Compos Mentis please contact Shannon Haskins, Program Coordinator, 607-229-6392, ProgramCoordinator@composmentisithaca.org for further information.

Volunteers are needed both at the farm and off-site, during the growing season and during the off-season. At the farm, volunteers assist staff members with construction projects, work day tasks, weekend chores, and more. Some volunteers work with apprentices, either side-by-side in mentoring relationships, by sharing their love of gardens and the outdoors, or by leading other activities.

These core volunteers are trained by the staff and commit to working at least one day a week. Other volunteers are needed for a variety of activities and to lead work groups on Open Fridays.

To download a volunteer form, please click here.

Executive Committee

Chair Howard M. Feinstein, M.D., Ph.D. is a Psychiatrist who has practiced in Ithaca for over forty years with a special interest in psychopharmacology. An historian and writer, he has taught courses at Cornell about the history of psychiatry.

Vice-chair Abby Eller has been Director of Cornell University Summer College since 1990. Her son, who has bipolar disorder, was treated at Gould Farm in Western Massachusetts, which was an inspiration to her in co-founding Compos Mentis.

Secretary J. Tyson Merrill, Psy.D. is a Clinical Psychologist employed by Counseling and Psychological Services at Cornell University. She has practiced psychology for more than 30 years. One of her particular interests is in working with people living with mental illnesses.

Other Board Members