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History of PathwaysBeginning in the early 1980s, it became clear to the community that adolescent and young adult chemically-dependent residents of Anne Arundel County were being sent out of the County for treatment. The time, distance and expense of family involvement prohibited optimal treatment outcomes as families either dropped out early or never began treatment. Comprehensive surveys of the community revealed a gap in these services. The County Executive's Drug Advisory Council published a position paper describing the need for these services and treatment elements that would be required. With this, the "Choices Chemical Dependency Project" began. A partnership between the County, the State of Maryland and Anne Arundel Medical Center resulted in a Certificate of Need being filed to build the Pathways facility. The Certificate of Need was approved in July 1990. Architectural planning began in September, culminating with competitive construction bidding in June 1991. Construction officially began on Aug. 17, 1991, and the program accepted its first patients in November 1992. Alternate names were investigated for the project. The Pathways name was chosen to imply a journey of individualized treatment, as no journey to recovery is the same. Individual steps evolve over time and mirror the internal journey to serenity and healthy lifestyles. To emphasize the Pathways meaning, natural paths on the site were developed to create a trail, as well as a ropes/challenge course with more than 20 separate high and low initiatives. This was built to provide physical, social and emotional growth-oriented experiences. The facility design, combined with site development, presents a comprehensive continuum to support the journey into recovery. |
