News from Pathway Homes, Inc.October 2016
Pathways Board Recognized for Excellence
 
In July The Center for Nonprofit Advancement named Pathway Homes Board of Directors first runner up in the 2016 CohnReznick Board Leadership Award.
Pictured L to R: Glen O' Gilvie, Chief Executive Officer, Center for Nonprofit Advancement; Ann Schrantz from CohnReznik; Dan Gray, Pathways Board Chair; Sylisa Lambert-Woodard, Pathways President and CEO; and Anna Smith, Pathways Director of Development.

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New Members Join Pathways' Board of Directors
  
  
We are excited to welcome two new members to the Board of Directors of Pathway Homes.  Meet Emily Chiang and Jon-Michael Rosch. 

Pathways Host Donor Recognition Reception
   
Nearly two dozen men and women gathered at the Pathways office on September 16th for a special Donor Recognition Reception. While enjoying some light hors d'oeuvres, attendees had the chance to meet other supporters, discuss their reasons for being involved in the cause, and celebrate together the successes they have made possible.



Cherry Blossoms
Fond Farewell:  James "Jim" Michael Mataya
  
We will greatly miss James "Jim" Mataya who passed away on June 1, 2016. Jim was a graduate of the Loyola University School of Law and worked in Chicago until moving to Alexandria, Virginia. He loved to travel, especially to New York City and San Francisco. He was an avid writer and photographer; he self-published many books via Amazon and enjoyed discussing topics relating to religion, politics, and history.
Artists Showcase Their Talents in 4th Annual Summer of the Arts Exhibition
 
Curtis Hunter poses with his artwork on exhibit.

The thrill for Curtis Hunter was obvious. Not too long ago Curtis could barely move his arm, let alone hold a paintbrush or control its movement. He says it was almost a miracle that he could even do a painting, let alone see his work hang in a gallery. But there he was, working the room like any other professional artist would. Curtis joined other talented artists who exhibited works of art in this year's Summer of the Arts Exhibition at the Reston Community Center.

Pathways Briefs: In Other News 

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"It is not by muscle, or speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character and judgment." -Marcus Tullius Cicero

Dear  

What's in a reflection? Reflection is said to show the effect, character, or existence of something else. The doors we opened this past year throughout our community to provide non-time limited housing and supports to more than 500 individuals is a reflection of Pathway Homes' mission in action. It is also an illustration of how we partner with each individual on his or her road to recovery, growth and resilience regardless of each person's pace.

Pathway Homes' mission remains clear: to provide a broad base of the highest quality homes and individualized services for all adults with serious mental illnesses and co- occurring disabilities in the Northern Virginia region, and in Central Florida. As such we continue to expand these highly flexible and tailored services through community collaboration, charitable support, an expanded role of residents and their families, and a network of influential board members and friends.

In the spring of last year our Continuum of Care (CoC) received $1.2 million in grant funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide permanent supportive housing to chronically homeless individuals in Fairfax County. This was the largest HUD funding ever awarded to any CoC in Virginia and it was used to move 55 men and women from emergency shelters and the streets to their very own homes. This spring Pathways received a grant from the Virginia Department of Behavioral and Developmental Health Services in the amount of $1,407,576, awarded over two years, to house an additional 31 individuals in permanent supportive housing in partnership with Fairfax, Prince William, and Alexandria City Community Services Boards. As a first-time nonprofit grant recipient in our region, we were able to make a significant investment in stabilizing the lives of unstably housed, high frequency users of emergency rooms and hospitals, and create diversion opportunities for many individuals with severe mental illnesses in our community who would otherwise end up in jails.

Also this past year, our education and advocacy efforts were reflected in a visit from Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds and the commission tasked with studying the provision and delivery of mental health services in the Commonwealth. The highly anticipated visit resulted in our ability to touch thousands and open even more doors. The visit, highlighting the consumer voice and Pathways' housing first, harm reduction and recovery-integrated model, was featured on the NBC 4 Changing Minds documentary and paved the way for Pathways to participate in the NBC 4 Health and Fitness Exposition a few months later.

As we look back on the past year, we recognize that reflection is important but future pathways must be navigated to sustain and address the significant unmet need of our region. We therefore strive to maintain our role as a best-practice, innovative and collaborative nonprofit partner in Virginia and beyond. The ability to continue development of permanent supportive housing will be an important part of the efforts to achieve that goal. Pathway Homes will continue to play a critical role, not only in these endeavors but, most importantly, in helping individuals with serious mental illnesses and other co-occurring disorders to live to their full potential.

We are grateful to our dedicated board, staff, and volunteers who provide countless hours to those we serve. Thank you for continuing to support and uplift the lives of the most vulnerable individuals in our community. We thank those we serve, especially those who share their personal stories to give meaning to what we do. We could not have achieved this success without you, and we know that the strength and longevity of our agency is because of you! We welcome our new Giving Society members who have made multi-year pledges to support Pathways, now and in the future, and we thank all who are committed to supporting our mission. We look forward to working with you all, in opening doors, changing lives and enhancing our community!

Sincerely,
Sylisa's Signature
Sylisa Lambert-Woodard, EdD, LCSW, LSATP, MAC
President and CEO
In His Own Words: Evolution from Scientist to Artist 
 
By Mitch Kato

Mitch Kato is a multi-year exhibitor in Pathways' Summer of the Arts program.
Writing and art. Writing is an art. And I read and write a lot. Recently I've been reading the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol. I read two short stories from him. One was called "the diary of a madman". In the course of this story the main character begins to believe that he is the king of Spain. I was so impressed because it is the type of situation I imagined when I was delusional. The character keeps rationalizing why people are not treating him as the king of Spain. He thinks, even to the end: the world is wrong and I am the king of Spain.

Join Us as We Walk to End Homelessness
   




The 2016 Help the Homeless Walk, hosted by Pathway Homes, is scheduled for Saturday, October 22nd in Fairfax. Since 1999 Pathway Homes has encouraged people of all ages to come together for one day in the fall to make a lasting impact on the lives of others. Participating in the walk is one fun and easy way to give back to the community. Pathways has hosted this fall event for 16 years, raising more than $375,000 in that time to directly fund the critical housing needs of people with mental illnesses.

This year the Help the Homeless 5K Walk will commence at the Veterans Amphitheater on the grounds of the Fairfax City Hall located at 10455 Armstrong Street, Fairfax, VA 22030. Check-in and registration tables will open at 9:00 a.m. and the program and walk will begin at 10:00 a.m. You can choose to walk the entire 5K through the neighborhoods of central Fairfax City, or a shorter 1.5 mile course.

The registration fee for adults (18 and over) is $32.00, and the fee for youth (17 and under) is $20.00. All registered walkers will receive an official event T-shirt and gift bag.
  
A Closer Look at Mental Illness and Stigma

By: 
Eleanor Vincent, EdD, LPC, CSAC
 
Research over the years has shown that mental illnesses are biologically-based disorders that can be treated successfully like a disorder of any other part of the body.

When someone develops diabetes, high blood pressure, or other physical conditions we don't look at them differently. We don't judge them or make assumptions about the kind of person they are, or whether we can trust their judgment. We generally accept that this is a disease that can be managed with education about the condition, lifestyle change, medication, or whatever else the doctor orders. Unfortunately, despite years of advocacy and education, the stigma surrounding mental illnesses continues to be real, and a factor in why some people do not seek treatment. 
  
Our Pathways to Stamping Out Homelessness 

Last year, Pathway Homes was fortunate to receive, through the Fairfax County Continuum of Care (CoC) 2014 grant competition, a $1.2 million award from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This unprecedented award was used to house 55 chronically homeless individuals who had been living in the woods, on the streets, and in emergency homeless shelters. These individuals were assessed to be at increased risk of dying on the streets due to a combination of untreated chronic, sometimes terminal, medical conditions, mental and/or physical disabilities, and other psychosocial challenges. This past quarter the many hours of locating and furnishing appropriate units, matching individuals to units, and getting all the paperwork needed to help these individuals establish eligibility for this HUD-funded housing wrapped up. The result is that these men and women, the majority of whom had been homeless for many years, are now living in their very own homes and can focus on addressing medical and other conditions - a few have already obtained employment and 94% have maintained permanent stable housing.

Upcoming Dates to Note

October 21:  Pathways to Wellness Conference, Ernst Community Cultural Center at Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Campus (8:30 am to 2:30 p.m.)
October 22:   Help the Homeless Walk 2016, Fairfax City Hall, Fairfax (9 a.m.-12 noon) 
November 6:  Daylight Saving Time ends
November 8:  Election Day
November 11:  
Veterans Day
November 16:  Family Group Meeting "Effective Advocacy in Richmond and Beyond" at Pathways' administrative office (6-7:30 p.m.)
November 24-25:
 Pathways' administrative offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday
December 8:  Resident Holiday Party, Church of the Good Shepard, Burke VA (6-9 p.m.)
December 15: Steps to Pathways information session at Pathway's administrative office (10-11 a.m.)
December 24:  Hanukkah begins at sundown
December 26:
  Pathways' administrative offices will be closed for Christmas
January 2:  Pathways' administrative offices will be closed for New Year's Day