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Leading the Way
PATHWAYS
Pathways Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center is
celebrating a milestone: its 20th anniversary of service
in the community. An affiliate of AAMC, Pathways opened
in 1992 when it became clear that a large treatment gap
existed in regional services for chemically dependent
adolescents and young adults.
From left: Mark Sakraida; Rhonda
Allen, M.D.; Helen Reines; and
Ida Walsch. Both Sakraida and
Walsch have worked at Pathways
since it opened in 1992.
Your Road to
Recovery
for 20 Years
where anniversary celebrations are held
to mark years of recovery.
As times have changed, drugs of
choice have changed and so has the
patient population and approach to
care, according to Rhonda Allen, M.D.,
Pathways medical director.
“Until recently, many treatment centers
focused on the physical part of addiction,
yet nearly 60 percent of addicts also have
psychological issues,” she says. “Now
we serve the whole person, including
psychiatric needs like mood disorders,
providing faster triage and individualized
treatment plans that address biological,
psychological, social, and spiritual needs.
The scope goes beyond the 12-step
program. We have made significant
PAST AND PRESENT:
Experiential therapy has been part of the program since it
started in 1992.
“Prior to that, residents who needed
these services were being sent away for
treatment,” says Pathways President
Shirley Knelly. “The time, distance
and expense of the situation led many
families to drop out or never even
start treatment.”
Pathways serves as a primary addiction
resource regionally. The center has treated
thousands of teens and adults of all ages
struggling with addiction and has helped
rebuild lives and families.
Pathways provides medically supervised
detox, individual and group counseling
for patients and families, addiction
and recovery education, and group
problem solving. On Sundays, more
than 100 people attend alumni meetings