Pathways Trying to Redefine Itself

The central U.P.’s community mental health center is trying to define what it is and what it does a little more clearly.

Like other groups statewide, Pathways is re-working its mission statement.

It hasn’t been changed in nearly 10 years.

The state Department of Community Health is asking the groups to do it.

There haven’t been any changes at Pathways yet, but some residents are concerned about the discussions that have taken place so far.

Jim Gallant is a youth advocate for a group called Project Parenting Time.

He says he’s worried about what it means that Pathways isn’t going to include preventive services in the official description of what it does, just treatment.

Regardless of what changes are made, Pathways’ CEO Gail Hall says prevention of mental illness isn’t going to be included.

She says there are serious implications that go along with that, implications that families are somehow to blame for mental illness.

Pathways has public meetings the first Wednesday night of every month where anyone with concerns can come and talk with them about the changes.