PATH offers at-risk Valley residents with "a hand up" when needed
Created under the McKinney Act, Programs to Assist in the Transition from Homelessness or PATH is a grant program that offers support services to individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. PATH is a federal program that helps mental health consumers come out of homelessness. PATH case managers interact daily with the entire San Luis Valley Community, area agencies and the La Puente homeless shelter guests and staff.
PATH provides
- Case management, referrals for diagnostic treatment, rehabilitation services, mental health services & referrals for alcohol or drug treatment
- Linkage to health services, job training, educational or low income housing services
- A possibility one time rent to avoid eviction or a one time security deposit.
Michelle Moreno, (left) and Dan Romero, (below) both new PATH Case Managers at the San Luis Valley Mental Health Center, know first hand the power “a hand up” gives someone who is struggling through mental illness and possible homelessness.
“To qualify,” Moreno said, “a person must have a mental health diagnosis, or have had such a diagnosis in the past, or have been prescribed an anti-depressant, anti-psychotic medicine. It might have been ten years ago when that was or the person might be dealing with the condition right now. If a person qualifies, then PATH may be able to help.”
If we think about it, television often shows homelessness as an urban problem; however, homelessness exists even in the rural communities of our San Luis Valley, the case manager said. The case managers enjoy helping other people. Sometimes their help includes transporting consumers to doctor appointments and social services appointments or any place they need to go to help them get back on their feet;
This program also offers referrals to other agencies like La Puente, New Beginnings, LeGente, and Valley Wide Health Services.” Daniel also believes in the PATH program having just graduated from Adams State College with emphasis in criminology and welfare. Working his internship at SLV Mental Health Center prepared the way for him to follow the welfare side of his training. He says, “I felt like I could make more of a difference working with people in the mental health field than in criminology. After 2 months with the program, I know I feel more internal satisfaction for the work that I do here than I would otherwise.”
For more information about the Path program, please call Michelle Moreno or Dan Romero at 589-3671.
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