Mental Health

ACT encourages people to embrace their thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or feeling guilty for them and is paired with mindfulness-based therapy. Medical conditions such as anxiety, depression, OCD, addictions, and substance abuse can all benefit from ACT and Mindfullness-Based Cognitive Therapy. ACT develops psychological flexibility and is a form of behavioral therapy that combines mindfulness skills with the practice of self-acceptance.

Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is an intervention for children aged 0-5 who have experienced at least one traumatic event and/or are experiencing mental health, attachment, and/or behavioral problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The treatment is based in attachment theory but also integrates psychodynamic, developmental, trauma, social learning, and cognitive behavioral theories. Therapeutic sessions include the child and parent or primary caregiver. The goal of CPP is to support and strengthen the relationship between a child and his/her caregiver as a vehicle for restoring the child’s cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning. Treatment also focuses on contextual factors that affect the caregiver/child relationship.

PCIT is a treatment for young children with behavioral problems and is conducted through coaching sessions during which the parent and child are in a playroom while the therapist is in an observation room watching the interaction through a one-way mirror and/or live video feed. The parent wears a bug-in-the-ear device through which the therapist provides in-the-moment coaching skills to help parents learn to manage their child’s behavior.

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is an approach shown to help children, adolescents, and their parents (or other caregivers) overcome trauma-related difficulties, including child maltreatment. TF-CBT helps children address distorted or upsetting beliefs and attributions and learn skills to help them cope with ordinary life stressors. It also helps parents who were not abusive to cope effectively with their own emotional distress and develop skills that support their children.

Assertive Community Treatment is a team treatment approach designed to provide comprehensive, community-based psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, and support to persons with serious mental illness. A team of professionals whose backgrounds and training include social work, rehabilitation, counseling, nursing, and psychiatry provide assertive community treatment services. Among the services ACT teams provide are case management, initial and ongoing assessments, psychiatric services, employment and housing assistance, family support and education, substance abuse services, and other services and supports that are critical to an individual’s ability to live successfully in the community. ACT services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. ACT services are provided in Boyd and Greenup counties.

Early Childhood Mental Health is a specialized program that works in cooperation with local childcare centers and other early childhood providers to improve the childhood experience of children ages birth to five by addressing their cognitive, emotional, social, and relational needs. The program creates a seamless system that incorporates birth-to-five-year-old children with social and/or emotional issues through early identification, education, and treatment in order to prevent delayed intervention. Services include assessment of behavioral needs, therapeutic treatment services, case management, family supports, collaboration with other state, local, and private agencies, fostering community awareness of the need for behavioral services, and providing outreach and instructional programs to caregivers and families. ECMH referrals can be made by parents, childcare providers, physicians, and early educators. Services are available Monday through Friday from 8:30am until 5:00pm. Early Childhood Mental Health services are available in all ten counties served by Pathways.

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves one or more therapists or peer support specialists working with several people at the same time and is often integrated into a consumer’s treatment plan coupled with individual or family therapy. Group therapy can be very effective, especially for individuals suffering from substance abuse, depression, and traumatic stress. Pathways employs a variety of evidence-based practices when working with individuals in a group setting, including dialectical behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, Matrix Model, and CORE. Common groups include Illness Management and Recovery, Anger Management, Parenting, Substance Abuse, and gender-specific groups. Pathways offers groups at all outpatient locations. Services are available in all ten counties served by Pathways.

Individual therapy is a form of therapy in which the consumer is treated in a one-on-one basis with a therapist. This treatment setting allows the therapist and consumer to focus on rapport building and working together to solve the presenting problem. Pathways utilizes evidenced-based models such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, reality therapy, rational-emotive therapy, acceptance commitment therapy, and brief therapy, among many others. Pathways offers individual treatment in all outpatient offices. Services are available in all ten counties served by Pathways.