In recognition of October’s Behavioral and Mental Health Awareness Month, Pathway Homes wants to thank HIMSS NCA for their contribution and support of individuals in our communities with mental illnesses and appreciate the member’s willingness to help these individuals embrace recovery. 

In April 2015, HIMSS NCA Charity Program awarded $3,000 to Pathway Homes for the purchase of mobile medical monitoring equipment. This grant enhanced Pathways clients’ comfort level while increasing the quality of care they receive. The in-home nursing assessment and monitoring tool greatly reduced the need for residents to travel to medical facilities to receive routine monitoring. The nursing staff can now take routine vital signs right in the client’s home. As most clients require transportation from case managers, this mobile capacity also decreased case management time spent on travel and increased time spent on direct mental health recovery goals. 

Pathway Homes embodies the spirit of recovery: embracing an attitude of hope, self-determination and partnering with each individual on their personal journey toward achieving self-fulfillment and realizing their dreams. They fulfill their mission by making available to individuals with mental illness and co-occurring disabilities a variety of non-time-limited housing and services to enable them to realize their individual potential. 

Founded in 1980, Pathway Homes provides permanent supportive housing to nearly five hundred adults with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders in two hundred homes throughout Northern Virginia. The majority of the individuals they serve have a history of homelessness and all have incomes at or below thirty percent of the area median income and qualify for Medicaid. 

Pathway Homes’ residents are aging and many have co-morbid medical conditions and chronic health problems. Over 55 percent of Pathway Homes residents are over 50-years old and 35 percent are between 41 and 50 years old and the majority of those in this age range suffer from Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic Syndrome is a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Risk factors include medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. The World Health Organization reports that 32 percent of persons with schizophrenia meet the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome. As a result, most consumers require more daily medical attention and are less mobile than individuals without mental illnesses of the same age. Pathways residents experience a great deal of fear and anxiety when being transported to and from medical facilities to tend to health issues. Also, transportation consumes a great deal of staff time that is better spent on other aspects of the individual’s journey to embrace wellness and recovery. 

About Pathway Homes

Established in 1980.  Pathway Homes was founded by a coalition of family members seeking better support for their loved ones with mental illness and mental health professionals who believed safe and decent housing plus tailored support were powerful tools for recovery. Pathway Homes, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (PDF) providing non-time-limited housing and supportive services to adults living with serious mental illness in Northern Virginia.