Rosecrance’s PATH program, staff receive recognition

A federal program administered in part by Rosecrance that helps people with mental illness who struggle with homelessness recently received special state and local recognition.

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness, known more commonly by its acronym PATH, provides outreach and therapeutic services to hundreds of people each year. It’s funded by federal grant dollars and focused on helping people who are currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless who have serious mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and addiction disorders.

Illinois State Rep. John Cabello, who represents the 68^th District, which includes areas of Rockford, Machesney Park, Roscoe, Loves Park and Cherry Valley, led an effort to recognize PATH and its team of six staff members: a combination of outreach workers, case managers and a coordinator.

Cabello presented the team with certificates of recognition on April 26 at the Rosecrance Ware Center, the program’s home base. Staff members who were recognized are: Kathy Grossen, coordinator of homeless services; outreach workers Michael Holstein and James Lane; and case managers Charles Strominger, Christina Samulevich and Mary Earle.

PATH staffers regularly spent time in the community trying to identify people who could benefit from services. Cabello was emotional when he spoke about the team’s work.

“A lot of folks in the community do not know what you do. Once they hear – because they will – they will have so much gratitude toward you and what you do,” he said. “Words cannot express our thanks. Words cannot express the lives that we know you have changed.”

Cabello also surprised Mary Ann Abate, Rosecrance’s vice president of public policy, with a certificate of recognition for her more than four decades of work in the community mental health field.

The PATH program was also featured May 29 on the cover of the Sunday Rockford Register Star, in a special Transform Rockford report about mental health.