PATH Crisis Center has relocated from Grove Street to Jefferson Street, across from the McLean County Museum of History. CEO Adam Carter said the more central — and visible — location should help the nonprofit better serve the community.
Carter added that PATH and other downtown businesses share the goal of helping unsheltered community members, and the nonprofit’s renewed presence makes that easier.
“What we're able to do here is to be closer to individuals who are looking for services, and being more in a connective place, so that we can help with that scaffolding to their next housing opportunity,” he said.
The new location within the Heritage Building at 115 W. Jefferson St., which PATH started to occupy last month, is large enough to co-locate all of PATH’s services, including its homeless division and its call center. PATH will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 19 so people can see the new space for themselves.
Carter said the building's main function remains similar the same: to provide walk-in services for those in immediate need.
“We provide [our] services in real-time, because crises do not have a schedule,” he said. “We're able to say, ‘Here are the opportunities that are available to help the concern you have. Let's work together to see which ones best meet your need.’”
There’s a food storage area, with snacks and beverages for people, and for winter, PATH has started collecting coats.
Still operating 988 services
A less public-facing portion of the building will hold PATH's call center for 211 referral services and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. PATH operated Illinois’ primary 988 call center until June of this year. Despite the nonprofit losing the statewide call center contract through the Illinois Department of Human Services — which funded around 92 staff and a building to house the call center — Carter said PATH maintains a local 988 crisis center answering to nine counties. It also has the 24-hour 211 hotline catering to more than 50 Illinois counties.
Carter said the organization has had to shuffle following the loss of state funding, including staffing 988 part-time during only the 4 p.m. to midnight hours as a start. He said PATH is “working on reestablishing funding models” to expand 988 services, but there’s been a silver lining.
Since all of PATH’s services are now co-located, Carter said PATH has tripled the size of its paid staff for 211 services from five to roughly 15. Many of those staff were former helpline specialists with PATH’s 988 statewide call center.
“Which we actually see as a huge honor, that individuals who are working with us before still would like to partner with us to help us with our mission,” Carter said.
He said PATH’s total staff is just under 40, but he hopes it can grow as services continue to expand.
