UNITED WAY'S PATH PROGRAM

United Way’s PATH (Providing Access to Healing) for students is a school-based program designed to improve access to mental health services for children and youth who are unable to obtain care elsewhere in the community.  The program started as a pilot program in 2008 at the Menasha Joint School District, offering services to elementary, middle and high school students experiencing barriers to care.  In 2011, PATH was expanded to nine other school districts.  That included Appleton, Freedom, Hortonville, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Little Chute, Neenah, Seymour and Shiocton school districts.  The therapy is provided by licensed therapist from Catalpa Health, Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin and Lutheran Services of Wisconsin.  Since the beginning of the program in 2008 through August of 2014, PATH has served 830 students and found these results.  72% experienced reduced symptoms, 71% experienced increased functioning, 63% improved academic performance, 61% improved school behaviors, 75% reported progress toward treatment goals and 96% said they would return to therapy if needed.  Many of these students are either uninsured or under-insured and were on waiting lists elsewhere in the community.  Some students had been waiting for a year and a half.  The students experienced barriers to care elsewhere in the community such as: limited financial resources, parent work schedules, lack of reliable transportation, language barriers and lack of parental support.  For students the benefits include avoided medical costs, increased productivity and lifetime earnings, decreased risk of suicide and increased quality of life.  School districts experience decreased truancy and behavioral and counseling expenditures.  For the community there are avoided costs to the criminal justice system.