By Peter Tesei
May is considered Mental Health Awareness Month. There will be a lot of messages about being kind to yourself, empathy, taking deep breaths and setting healthy boundaries – all of which are very important and require deserved attention for the mental state of all people.
One area that is critical to talk about is costs. The cost of quality care for low-income individuals with severe mental illness is at an all-time high.
Greenwich United Way Stats:
Pathway’s clients all fall under ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed). According to Greenwich United Way, the current annual survival budget for an individual in this region is a little more than $39,000. The ALICE Essentials Index, which measures change over time in the cost of household essentials, projects an 18.2% increase statewide in basic costs from 2021 to 2023 (before taxes). For households in the Greenwich United Way region (which is only Greenwich zip codes), depending on available tax credits, this could be as high as $46,400 for a single individual.
“When prices increase faster than wages and other sources of income, as we have seen in the last two years, purchasing power decreases and households struggle to make ends meet. This is especially challenging for ALICE households.” – Greenwich United Way
For Pathways clients, this annual survival budget does not include the time and costs for the extensive amount of medical attention and clinical care.
A Critical Need for Better Care:
Change is inevitable. Pathway’s original founder Renee Bigler, along with her trusted friends, created a much-needed organization in a time where the institutionalized were needing to find new homes. As Pathway’s has evolved, so have the clients and types of clients. Those who have been with Pathways are aging and need more specialized medical care. At the same time, new clients are of a younger generation; therefore, the type of care is different. There is more knowledge on how to provide quality care. There are more specialties and professionals who can provide more individualized attention. There are more solutions for different cases being tried, studied, and proven. The solutions are out there, but the costs for access and resources are high.
Costs to Maintain the Status Quo:
At Pathways, funding from the State and Federal government covers a little over 60 percent of our operating costs. This means that for us to continue the current trajectory, make no improvements and just cover the basic bare minimum of operational and maintenance costs, 40 percent must come from grants and private funding.
We need your help.
During this Mental Health Awareness Month, we are asking you to consider supporting Pathways so we can keep providing housing and services for this vulnerable group of deserving individuals.
We are nearing 40 percent of the necessary funding, but we are not there yet. As we are getting close to the end of our Fiscal Year (ending June 30, 2024), our goal is to raise $250,000, which would get us to that 40 percent.
“By donating to Pathways, you are investing in the mental well-being of vulnerable and deserving individuals in our community.” – Peter Tesei, Pathways Executive Director
Peter J. Tesei is the Executive Director of Pathways Inc. and previously served as Greenwich First Selectman for 12 years (2007-2019). His public service spans 32 years as a former Chairman of the Board of Estimate and Taxation and RTM District 9 Chairman. He presently volunteers his time as Chairman of the Board of the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra and served on several non-for-profit Boards.
Greatest Needs:
Food Costs – $4500 – Covers one month supply of food
Personnel Costs – $52,000 – Covers one client for one year with social worker and residential clinical care
Medical Care for those without supportive loved ones and our aging population with limited resources who have a substantial need for better clinical care
Board Members with the following specialties:
– Medical: Psychiatry, Behavioral Health, General Practice, Hospital Administration
– Strategic Planning
– Human Resources
Visit WWW.PWAYS.ORG/DONATE to learn how you can donate to Pathways.
Join us for a May activity for Mental Health Awareness:
May 8 – Gala Committee Kick-Off Party
Want to be a part of our Gala Committee? We are always looking for volunteers who can give their time and resources to help make our biggest fundraising event a success. This year’s event will be held on October 5, 2024. For more information on helping with this event, email Rachel Hanley at rhanley@pways.org.
May 9 – Just in time for Mother’s Day!
Shop at J.McLaughlin’s Greenwich Store, 55 East Putnam. Men and women buy for yourself or for Mother’s Day and 15% of all sales will directly go to Pathways.
May 19 – Stomp the Stigma, Bruce Park – Wood Road
Brunswick High School volunteers have partnered with Pathways for a walk to help break the stigma of mental illness. Join us for a family-friendly walk in the park.
May 30 – Member Appreciation Party + Open House
To show our clients how much we appreciate them, we are hosting a celebratory party with food and fun at our Day Program. All clients, staff, volunteers and members of the community are welcome!
For more details on our events, go to WWW.PWAYS.ORG.
To learn more about the regional ALICE stats, go to WWW.GREENWICHUNITEDWAY.ORG.
