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Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is Pathways?
A. Pathways, Inc. is a
private, nonprofit, community-based
outpatient facility dedicated to providing
quality mental health and emergency services
to adults 18+ in Lake County. Our goal is
to keep people mentally healthy,
independent, and in their homes.
Q: Do I have to live in Lake
County to receive Pathways’ services?
A: No, Pathways serves
individuals with Medicaid and Medicare who
live outside Lake County. However, in order
to be eligible for Pathways’ sliding scale
fee (in which the service fee is based on a
person’s income), one must be a Lake County
resident.
Q: Can anyone receive
services at Pathways?
A: Pathways serves adults age
18 and over who are coping with mental
illness. Pathways also has programming that
is specifically designed for senior citizens
as well as levels of care that are tailored
to meet each client’s specific needs.
Specifically, Pathways is
here to provide quality mental health
services to Lake County residents,
especially those who may have a limited
income and/or no health insurance. The
majority of individuals we serve either have
no insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare. Our
mission is to provide services to promote
mental wellness and to enhance the overall
quality of life.
Q: Can anyone go to Pathways
for help?
A: If you are a Lake County
resident age 18 and over in need of linkage
to mental health services, Pathways is here
to assist you. Pathways provides short-term
interventions (crisis mental health
situations) for Lake County residents as
well as ongoing mental health services for
individuals with no insurance, Medicaid,
and/or Medicare.
Q: What fees does Pathways
charge?
A: All Lake County residents
are eligible for our sliding fee scale in
which the fees that are charged are based on
an individual’s income. At the time an
individual has their initial intake at our
agency, he or she will meet with a financial
specialist who will review their financial
information and determine with the level of
payment, if any, that the client would be
responsible for.
Q: Can I just walk into
Pathways and receive services?
A: Yes, every Tuesday
between the hours of 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Pathways has walk-in intakes available on a
first-come, first-served basis. The walk-in
intake process allows any person interested
in coming to Pathways for services to come
in and receive an intake assessment that
same day. Because all walk-in intake
assessments are on a first-come, first
served basis, it is recommended that you
arrive as early as possible. You will need
to bring certain pieces of information with
you for our financial specialists. This
information includes:
-
A photo ID (driver’s license, state ID
w/photo, college photo ID, or passport)
-
Health insurance info, if you have any;
if not, our sliding scale will apply
-
Proof of
monthly household income (examples:
recent pay stub; most recent year’s W-2,
1099, or tax return; child support or
alimony order; pension; unemployment
statement; Social Security Income or
Social Security Disability Income award
letters; Ohio Works First; or recent
bank statement with direct deposit
shown)
If you are unable or unsure
of what to bring, please call us at
(440) 918.1000
and ask to speak with someone in the
Financial Verification office.
If you are already a client
of Pathways and feel you are not doing well,
you always have the option of calling or
coming in and a member of our staff will
assist in getting you linked to the
appropriate staff member to meet your
specific need.
Q: Will I receive services
as soon as I go to Pathways?
A: The process of becoming a
client at Pathways includes an intake
assessment and meeting with a financial
specialist. The intake assessment is
conducted by trained professionals who will
help identify and determine which services
are best suited for each individual’s
specific needs. Following the intake, the
intake specialist will refer the client’s
case immediately to one or more of our
programs. Depending on the service referred
to, it may take a couple of days to a few
weeks before the initial appointment.
Q: Am I paying for Pathways
in my taxes?
A: Pathways is primarily
funded by the Lake County ADAHMS Board
http://www.lakeadamhs.org/. The ADAMHS
board is responsible for funding many
services within Lake County that address
mental health and alcohol and drug treatment
and counseling needs. For the ADAMHS board
to be able to fund these vital services,
local levies are essential to provide the
community with these resources. As a
taxpayer, you are a valuable stakeholder to
Pathways.
Q: Will Pathways help me get
a job?
A: Yes. Pathways has staff
that are specially trained in linking
persons with mental illness who are seeking
employment to the appropriate community
resources. These staff will ensure that you
are linked to services which will help you
get a job, provide support in preparing for
a job, and will go over the many tools that
are essential in obtaining and keeping a
job.
Q: Will Pathways help me
find a place to live?
A: Pathways also has staff
who can assist individuals with mental
illness in finding and linking to the
various housing resources in Lake County.
Pathways also has a temporary transitional
residential home, Northcoast House. This
program is designed to assist those who have
severe housing needs. The program lasts two
months, during which time a person would be
working on a permanent housing options.
Q: What is case management?
A: Case managers, also known
as Community Psychiatric Supportive
Treatment (CPST) workers, assist clients in
living independently in the community and
avoiding hospitalization by meeting their
community needs. Case Managers assist
individuals with linkage to benefits such as
Medicaid, food stamps, Social Security
benefits, etc. In addition, they can also
provide linkage to services that include
finding employment; securing permanent
housing; helping to coordinate multiple
medical appointments; and visiting
individuals in their homes to provide
support with daily living needs. Case
Managers can work with an individual and
assist him or her with a wide range of
services specifically tailored to meet the
unique needs of each client.
Q: My sister wants to live
by herself. She has been diagnosed with a
mental disorder, and I am very afraid for
her to live alone. What can I do?
A: There are a couple of
options you can utilize to assist your
sister. First of all, talk to her and see
if she is open to receiving treatment. If
you feel that your sister is at risk of
harming herself or others and may need an
emergency intervention, you can always call
Pathways (440-918-1000) or the Lake County
Crisis Hotline at 440-953-TALK (8255). A
trained crisis hotline worker can discuss the situation with you and direct
you to appropriate resources for
assistance. Pathways provides many
of these services, along with other agencies
and organizations in Lake County.
Q: We received emergency
services from Pathways for my son. He was
out of control. Why wouldn’t the Pathways
person put him in the hospital?
A: Pathways’ staff are
highly trained and equipped to handle a
variety of situations including crisis
intervention. The goal is to provide an
intervention which will assist the
individual and allow him or her to be
effectively treated in the least
restrictive setting possible. Pathways’
staff work with individuals who are in
crisis by utilizing a number of techniques
and treatment options; the goal is always to
help calm and stabilize the individual, and,
if safely possible, to treat and maintain
them in the community. While at times it
does become necessary to hospitalize some
individuals, hospitalization is not our
default plan, and is typically the last
resort when there is grave and imminent risk
of harm to self or others by the individual.
Q: How can I get treatment
for a family member who has a mental
illness, but is refusing treatment?
A: There are times in which
a loved one does not feel he or she needs
assistance and is unwilling to get help. At
Pathways, we recognize and respect that an
individual has the choice to choose or
refuse services. There are situations,
however, which may indicate that the family
member’s decision to refuse treatment is
putting that person at risk of harm to self
or others. In these situations, Pathways
staff are available to assess and determine
the most appropriate course of action to
assist the person in need.
Q: Who do I call on the
weekend if I am having difficulties? Will
they arrest me or force me to go into the
hospital or jail?
A: The Lake County Hotline is
available to 24-hours a day, 7 days a week
for individuals and their family members in
need of direction or assistance. If the
difficulties that you are experiencing are
too great for you to handle, and you are not
sure whether you are able to keep yourself
safe, please call 911 immediately. Every
step is taken to ensure that you are treated
with the utmost dignity and respect during
your crisis, and you will not be arrested or
forced to go to the hospital for the simple
reason that you asked for help.
Q: Why was Pathways started?
A: To help people live a
better life and remain independent in the
community. Pathways was founded in 1986 as
a stand-alone case management agency. Over
the years, Pathways has expanded and grown
into an agency dedicated to ensuring
continuity of care by providing a full
continuum of services that provide quality
mental health and emergency services to
adults age 18 and older in Lake County.
Whether our clients need emergency support,
psychiatry/medication services, counseling,
or continuing community support, Pathways is
here to help them live a better life.
Q: How can I access mental
health treatments and services?
A: You have several options,
which include:
1.
Call us at
(440) 918.1000
or (888) 854.0516
to schedule an intake appointment.
2.
Walk-in to Pathways during
our intake walk-in day every Tuesday, or
stop by to schedule an appointment. We are
located at 7350 Palisades Parkway, Mentor,
Ohio 44060.
3.
The Lake County Crisis
Hotline is always available to you 24-hours
a day, 7 days a week by calling 440.953.TALK
(8255) or 1-800-411-0103
Q: Where can I find
information about mental health disorders?
A: Here is a list of some
resources which can help you obtain
information on mental health disorders:
1.
The ADAHMS Board web site at
www.helpthatworks.us
2.
The Ohio Department of Mental
health:
a)
Phone number: 1-877-275-6364
b)
Web site:
http://www.mh.state.oh.us/
3.
National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI) 440-639-1200
a)
Phone number: 1-800-950-NAMI
(6264)
b)
Web site:
http://www.nami.org/
4.
Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) –
National Mental Health Information Center
a)
Phone number: 1-800-789-2647
b)
Web site:
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
In addition to the
organizations listed above, your local
library or bookstore has many additional
resources available to learn more about
mental health disorders.
Pathways is your first stop
in receiving treatment for mental illness
for you or your loved ones. We are here to
help. Please call us: (440) 918.1000
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