FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2023
Contact: Santino R. Thomas
(518) 949-4809 | [email protected]
Pathways to Health street outreach program recognized for its work in the Capital Region
EDITOR’S NOTE: Click link for high resolution images
ALBANY, N.Y. – This week, St. Catherine’s Center for Children’s street outreach program, Pathways to Health, was honored as an Empire Whole Health Hero at a ceremony in Troy, New York. This recognition is given to Capital Region individuals and businesses that have demonstrated innovation and leadership in building the community’s whole health.
St. Catherine’s Pathways to Health program was created to provide direct outreach and engagement in the community. With its “Care-A-Van” mobile unit, the Pathways team can set up on the street, in parking lots and anywhere necessary to meet with individuals and families in need. The team connects those in need with services and resources they may not otherwise seek out on their own. Pathways offers case management and additional services to address the social determinants of health.
“The point of Pathways to Health is to help individuals and families before situations become critical. The work of human and social services organizations can no longer be just reactionary,” said Frank Pindiak, executive director of St. Catherine’s Center for Children. “So, Pathways to Health is on the streets and wherever there is a need, working to aid members of our community and improve their situation before it escalates to a critical nature. St. Catherine’s is proud of the work accomplished by the Pathways team.”
In January of 2021, the Albany Police Department alerted program staff to an individual sleeping on a park bench, during sub-zero temperatures. The Pathways team placed the individual in a hotel for the weekend while they connected him with a primary care physician in order to resume needed medication. St. Catherine’s Project HOST program was then able to help the individual secure an apartment where he has remained permanently housed and is now thriving.
“Since January 2020, Pathways to Health has had a major impact in the Capital Region by serving our most vulnerable, disadvantaged and underserved individuals and families,” said Dave Healy, director of housing for Pathways to Health. “Pathways connects these individuals to community providers and resources they are in desperate need of. Our staff has a wealth of information on different healthcare providers, benefits navigation across multiple platforms, connections to housing and shelter and connections to relieve food insecurities. The positive impact of Pathways is felt not only by the clients we serve, but also by their providers who can see we are actively working to improve their overall quality of life.”
The Pathways to Health program is possible, in large part, because of a substantial grant St. Catherine’s was awarded by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation last November. This $350,000 grant is used to connect vulnerable populations with primary and behavioral healthcare service. This is the fourth year St. Catherine’s has received the grant, totaling more than $1.4 million over that time.###
The willingness of St. Catherine’s Center for Children to embrace change and develop new services is, and will remain, our guiding philosophy as we support human service needs, throughout the region, by providing a comprehensive range of services designed to offer hope, foster growth and improve the lives of the children, families and adults we serve
