Pathstone

With the Province’s imposed State of Emergency in effect until at least mid-February, Pathstone Mental health is leaning on technology to keep Niagara’s kids connected to mental health support.

January to March is typically a time when kids and families need our support the most. This year, with the pandemic now 11 months old, we anticipate an even greater need. Tara Kelly, Clinical Manager – Pathstone Mental Health.

Thanks to the support of community and corporate donors, we were able to ramp up our video counselling platform, offering immediate face-to-face-connection when in-person visits are interrupted due to pandemic restrictions, inclement weather, or even lack of access to transportation. RBC was one of those donors, committing to a three- year gift totalling $90K, specifically supporting walk-in clinic services offered virtually or in-person.
Kim Rossi, Director of Philanthropy & PR at Pathstone

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated access to virtual and digital services across all areas of our lives, including how Canadians access healthcare. When we learned that Pathstone was taking steps to reimagine access to online therapy for youth, we knew we had to help. We’re proud to have a longstanding relationship with Pathstone and support their mission of helping young people and their families get access to the right mental health care when they need it most.
Steve Nixon, Regional Vice President – RBC

Through the State of Emergency, immediate access to mental health care is being offered at Pathstone in two main ways for children, youth and their families. *From birth to age 18 #1

Our Crisis & Support Line at 1-800-263-4944

This connects you to a Pathstone counsellor, 24/7, 365 days a year. #2 Our Walk-In Clinic, accessed through VIDEO ONLY, Monday-Friday. An appointment is required and can be made by calling 1-800-263-4944 (same day or advance appointments are available)

For existing clients, contact your Pathstone therapist/counsellor directly or, call our Main line, during regular business hours at 905-688-6850.

In an effort to measure the impact our front line services provide, we in partnership with RBC have created a survey that lives on the walk-in clinic landing page at pathstonementalhealth.ca.This survey allows kids and families using our front line services to feedback to us on how they felt after their session. Those who complete the survey also have the option to enter to win a $100 Visa Gift card. Kim Rossi, Director of Philanthropy & PR – Pathstone Foundation

Whether it is a video counselling session or call, there is no cost, referral or health card needed to connect one-on-one with a Pathstone therapist or counsellor.
Our goal always, is to be at the ready, to support Niagara’s kids and families.

St. Catharines, ON (January 21, 2021) – As Niagara moves into a province imposed State of Emergency in mere hours, life in 2021 will be further complicated for kids and families in Niagara.

Typically, January to March is a time of year when kids and families lean on Pathstone the most for mental health support. This year, we expect to see an even greater increase in need with all students now learning online and the added stress on families with additional restrictions being imposed. Kim Rossi,
Direct or of Philanthropy & PR at Pathstone

Through Ontario’s State of Emergency, the following Mental Health support for children, youth, and their families will be in place at Pathstone Mental Health. *From birth to age 18 #1 Our Crisis & Support Line at 1-800-263-4944 This connects you to a Pathstone counsellor, 24/7, 365 days a year. #2 Our Walk-In Clinic, accessed through VIDEO ONLY, Monday-Friday. An appointment is required and can be made by calling 1-800-263-4944 (same day or advance appointments are available) For existing clients, contact your Pathstone therapist/counsellor directly or, call our Main line, during regular business hours at 905-688-6850. For additional resources, click HERE to access Pathstone’s Covid-19 Mental Health Tool Kit.

Families appreciate the virtual and phone option for a number of reasons. It offers immediate mental health supports with very flexible times and services are extremely confidential as you can receive them without even leaving your home. This move to virtual and phone allows families to stay safe at home through the pandemic. Teens can make their own appointment without needing a ride and parents can get help without needing childcare. Tara Kelly, Clinical Manager Pathstone Mental Health

My team shared a few instances of how kids and families used our phone and video counselling platform.
1) A teen client wanted to book on her own online session and did so on her lunch break from school, as this is what worked best for her.
2) A mother had two young children at home and wanted a counsellor to meet with her oldest, virtual was a convenient options.
3) A teen has been struggling to leave their bedroom (This has escalated since the Covid-19 Pandemic) but was open to talking on the phone for daily suggestions / strategies / support and then open to a virtual appointment for further support.

From 24/7 Crisis & Support line, to in-person and video counselling for Niagara’s kids.

St. Catharines, ON- With the recent Grey-lock down issued across the province, Pathstone Mental Health has implemented measures to ensure Niagara’s children and families receive seamless support when they need it.

While Pathstone Mental Health will close in-person and video counselling walk-in clinic’s from Dec 24- Jan 3, their 24/7 Crisis and Support line will fill the need during that time.

We know how trying it has been for many through the pandemic. As we move into the holidays and another lock-down, we felt it crucial to have our front line staff ready to support the mental health pressures being felt in our community. As a result, our Crisis & Support team will be working through the holiday break to ensure those aged 18 and under who need mental health support can connect with us over the phone, in an instant, by calling 1-800-263-4944.

Shaun Baylis, CEO Pathstone Mental Health  

As an essential service, we will re-start our in-person walk-in clinics at four of our eight sites starting on January 4^th.  Due to the fact some of our community clinics are in buildings affected by the province-wide lock down, we have had to pivot our plan slightly until the lock down is lifted.

Below are details as to how our services will be maintained.

By Phone ONLY

From December 24 – January 3 

• Our Crisis & Support Line will operate as per usual, 24/7 at 1-800-263-4944

In-person Walk-In Clinics ( + Crisis & Support Line)

Starting January 4 until further notice,

• In-person Walk-In Clinic Counselling, by appointment ONLY, will be offered as follows:

EVERY Monday through Friday / St. Catharines

EVERY Monday / Thorold

EVERY Wednesday / Grimsby

EVERY Thursday / Beamsville

*By Appointment ONLY, which can be made by calling 1-800-263-4944

By Video (+ Crisis & Support Line) 

Starting January 4 until further notice,

• Video Counselling, by appointment ONLY, will be offered Monday – Friday.

*By Appointment ONLY, which can be made by calling 1-800-263-4944

To help with family mental wellness this holiday season, Pathstone Mental Health has provided the following tips that may help lessen the stress at home over the next few weeks.

1. Keep the lines of communication with your children and youth open. Make time to check in with how they are feeling and doing over the holiday period. A little one-on-one time whether it is a walk, activity or a conversation can make a big difference in helping them cope.
2. Make sure everyone is eating and sleeping, especially your younger children. Try not to vary too widely from meal times and sleeping routines. This may not be plausible all the time, but do your best. For teenagers, try to ensure they go to sleep and wake up at reasonable hours. While not a school day, sleeping until 2 pm and going to bed at 3 am isn’t recommended.
3. Create and manage realistic expectations. You may again need to make some adjustments to your plan due to the Grey-Lock down in order to support your kids. Do what is best for your family.
4. Be open to negotiate with your teens. Whether it’s an online debate about gaming, social, etc.
5. Maintain healthy boundaries for yourself. It is ok to say no without guilt. Say yes when you want to, not out of obligation or to please others. Take care of your own physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
6. Before and throughout the Holidays, know your local resources in case you or your youth need mental health support. Pathstone Mental Health – Crisis Services is available 24/7 by calling 1-800-263-4944.

Media Contact – for Questions / Interviews;

Kim Rossi – Director of Philanthropy & Public Relations
Pathstone Mental Health/ Pathstone Foundation
905.688.6850 x 167 c. 289.969.8342 e. krossi@pathstone.ca

About Pathstone Mental Health

Pathstone Mental Health is a community-based organization whose mission it is to provide innovative and effective treatment for all children in Niagara diagnosed with mental health issues. Thanks to support from our donors and volunteers, we are able to address and meet the needs of children and their families as the primary accredited provider of mental health services for children in Niagara. Crisis Services are offered 24/7 by calling 1-800-263-4944.

A number of agencies who provide child and youth mental health services across Niagara have made a joint commitment to put families at the table as they continue to enhance how services are offered.

Core Service Providers (CSP), which include Pathstone Mental Health, Niagara Health, Contact Niagara, and Centre de Santé together, have outlined how Niagara will co-plan services with families, and allow accountability to those commitments.  The aim is for a more fulsome children’s mental health system with families who are engaged in the process.

This is extremely exciting news for families and groundbreaking work being done in Niagara.  Providing an opportunity for families to be meaningful partners in system planning allows them to make an impact and influence child and youth mental health services now and in the future.

Sarah Cannon, Family Engagement Lead at Pathstone Mental Health

Steps are already in place, with the creation of a Regional Advisory. This team is made up of families who have already navigated the system. Their goal is to provide a voice, valued input and guidance to mental health providers.

Contact Niagara is thrilled to be a part of this formal commitment to family engagement, one that allocates resources and embeds family engagement in a clear and accountable way in all aspects of our work.

Nadine Wallace, Executive Director at Contact Niagara

 To find out more about the Regional Advisory and to get involved, visit https://pathstonementalhealth.ca/volunteer/regional-advisory/

Back in February, a unanimous council decision at the City of Thorold meant that children, youth and their families would soon have access to mental health services in the heart of their community.

As we were readying the opening of the ninth walk-in clinic, COVID-19 struck and we have been in a holding pattern ever since. Today, we are happy to announce the opening of Thorold’s walk-in clinic, hosted at Thorold Public Library and are proud to have our services more readily available to communities who need us. Kim Rossi, Director of Philanthropy & PR at Pathstone

The Thorold clinic will be open every Monday, from 9 am- 4:30 pm at Thorold Public Library, starting this Monday, July 20. Due to Covid-19, an appointment is needed to ensure we avoid overcrowding and proper PPE will be provided by Pathstone. As always, mental health support will be offered in-person by a Pathstone clinician with no referral, cost or health card needed.

I would like to thank Councillor Sentance for spearheading this initiative and Council for their unanimous support. Having a Hear & Now Walk-In Clinic in the City of Thorold will provide our residents with access to Mental Health Services, which are essential to every Community. Terry Ugulini, Mayor of the City of Thorold

We are very excited to enter into this partnership with Pathstone and their walk-in clinic program. This could not have happened without unanimous support from our council, staff and mayor. We want to help anyone who is in crisis or just needs to talk and I believe this is a great start. Ken Sentance, Thorold City Councillor

Over the past 12 months, we saw over 7,000 clients at Pathstone, of that nearly 1,400 came to us through our walk-in clinics. This program is serving the purpose we knew it would which is to reach children and youth right when they need us. Localized walk-in clinics also mean we are removing barriers to service.

With the commitment from the City of Thorold, they become the ninth walk-in clinic operating in Niagara. All sites are open to children and youth up to age 18 as well as parents / caregivers who want to talk to our clinicians about their children. We understand that sometimes kids do not want to come, but their parents can talk to us about their concerns and we can give them support and tools to help their child.  Tara Kelly, Clinical Manager at Pathstone

Thorold Public Library is a welcome, safe and accessible place. The Library strives to provide relevant resources and services for the community it serves in a confidential manner. Thorold Public Library is delighted to partner with Pathstone Mental Health and the City of Thorold to provide another needed Community resource and service.Chief Librarian at Thorold Public Library, Joanne DeQuadros

The following walk-in clinics have now re-opened for service across Niagara.

All clinics require an appointment to be made by calling Pathstone’s Crisis & Support line at: 1-800-263-4944

Locations:

NEW Satellite Hear & Now Walk-In Clinic – Thorold
Day / Time:  EVERY MONDAY – 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location:  Thorold Public Library – 14 Ormond Street North
*Beginning Monday, July 20th

Satellite Hear & Now Walk-In Clinic – Welland
Day / Time:  EVERY Monday– 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: John Howard Building, 225 East Main St.
*Beginning Monday, July 27th

Satellite Hear & Now Walk-In Clinic – Fort Erie
Day / Time:  EVERY Tuesday– 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Bridges Community Health Centre – 1485 Garrison Rd.
*Beginning Monday, July 28th

Satellite Hear & Now Walk-In Clinic – Port Colborne
Day / Time: EVERY Wednesday – 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Bridges Community Health Centre – 380 Elm St.
*Beginning Monday, July 29th

Satellite Hear & Now Walk-In Clinic – Niagara Falls
Day / Time:  EVERY Thursday – 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Location:  The Niagara Falls Community Health Centre; 4790 Victoria Ave.
*Beginning Monday, July 30th

 NOW OPEN Satellite Hear & Now Walk-In Clinic – Beamsville
Day / Time:  EVERY Thursday – 9 am – 4:30 pm
Location:  Fleming Centre, 5020 Serena Dr.

NOW OPEN Hear & Now Walk-In Clinic – St. Catharines – OPEN 5 days per week
Days / Times:  EVERY Monday- Thursday– 9am – 7pm
EVERY Friday– 9am – 4pm
Location: The Branscombe Centre, 1338 Fourth Ave.

*Please note, parking at BMHC is $2.50 for the first hour, $5 MAX.

Offering Mental Health support through the pandemic and beyond.

With the re-opening of Pathstone Mental Health’s Walk-In Clinic, the Foundation is able to provide further enhancement to the mental health support services offered at Pathstone thanks to two grants. One made by TD and the other coming from the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) and Niagara Community Foundation. This funding is being directed to support Walk-In clinic and Video Counselling program through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

In a move to bring more innovative mental health treatment options to children, youth and families across Niagara, Pathstone approached TD and ECSF with a request to support a new video counselling platform.

We made this form of service a priority with COVID-19 but it will be a part of the fabric of Pathstone beyond the pandemic. Our goal has always been to reduce wait times for services and remove barriers whenever possible for children and youth across Niagara.

Video counselling allows this to happen more readily. Families who lack reliable transportation, don’t need to leave their home to meet one-on-one with a Pathstone therapist. Inclement weather won’t result in cancelled appointments and situations like COVID-19 will no longer get in the way of effective mental health therapy.

Once we resume “normal” operations clients and counsellors can together decide the best method to meet their mental health care needs.

Shaun Baylis, Pathstone CEO

We are proud to support Pathstone Mental Health with this donation, through the TD Ready Commitment, that will help to give children and families in St. Catharine’s better access to mental health support services. The past few months have been extremely challenging for many and we recognize the importance of organizations like Pathstone who deliver the services and support that our communities need to help overcome these challenges, today and into the future.

Yasmin Zalac, TD Bank District Vice President -Escarpment District

The Niagara Community Foundation is proud to partner with the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund to support the crucial and tireless work being done by Pathstone to provide mental health support for the youth across Niagara. “COVID-19 has unfortunately added to the challenges to deliver services to those who really need it in our community and these funds will go a long way in providing Pathstone the resources they need to connect with their clients and provide much needed support.”

Bryan Rose, Niagara Community Foundation Executive Director

As the Covid-19 outbreak continues to limit large gatherings a number of students will miss out on graduation and all that comes with it.

Pathstone Foundation in partnership with FirstOntario Credit Union and with support from Cogeco are celebrating friends, grads and their families with Neon Night, a virtual dance party that will stream at events.pathstonefoundation.ca on Friday, June 26^th at 8 PM. This event is FREE to view and will feature music, videos a few surprises and a slew of celebrities throwing props and advice to grads.

Whether you have great memories or not of prom and graduation, you still had memories. We wanted to acknowledge that yes this is a different world we are living in, but we can still celebrate all of the hard work students have put in at school.

Kim Rossi, Director of Philanthropy & PR at Pathstone

We put the word out to a number of “friends of the foundation” who just happen to be well-known and many were quick to say yes to submitting a short video. A few of them I can tell you about are, music superstars, NHLer’s, comedians and actors.  (Tim Hicks, Brett Kissel, J.P Saxe, Brett Wilson, Colin Mochrie & Niagara’s Christian Lalama..just to name a few.) We also have a friend in DJ. Mike Oz-E who is mixing some great music and these videos together.

This event is for EVERYONE and content is family friendly. While there is no cost to stream Neon Night, online donations in support of Pathstone will be gratefully accepted.

FirstOntario Credit Union presents

Neon Night > Virtual Dance Party

Featuring celeb shout-outs to 2020 Graduates

Friday, June 26^th @ 8:00PM (EST)

To view, visit events.pathstonefoundation.ca