In 1971, the “Crisis Center” was the first service organized and operated by the Newark Drug Forum and is often referred to as the “Crisis Center”, “211” or “988”. For the first two years, the hotline and walk-in center (coffee house) were staffed entirely by volunteers. It was their dedication and creativity and their commitment to the service and to each other that kept the Crisis Center open, even when it was not clear how the bills would be paid. The Crisis Center was in the basement of an old building at 112-114 Union St., provided rent-free by Virginia Weiss. Father Frank Schaefer (Blessed Sacrament Church) was a very active volunteer.

In the summer of 1975, the Newark Drug Forum received a grant from the Area Agency on Aging to provide information and referral services to senior citizens. In the following year information and referral services were expanded to serve the general population with United Way and Title XX funding.

In 1977, the addition of a telephone diverter allowed the Crisis Center to provide 24-hour access for the community.  In 1980, with the installation of a fourth line, the Crisis Center became available to the western Licking County population on a toll-free basis. In the mid-2000s, Pathways began providing Crisis/Hotline and Information Center services to Knox County.

In July 2022, Pathways became one of nineteen 988 centers serving Ohio. 988 is a simple, easy-to-remember number to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 988 funding allowed Pathways to increase the number of staff on the phones, add training and quality assurance staff and add first and second shift supervisors to the department.

Today, the 211/988 Crisis Hotline handles over 36,000 calls and nearly 700 text exchanges per year. Visits to online resource database total nearly 34,000 annually with nearly 15,000 unique visitors. The online resource database contains over 1000 agencies and is supported by two full-time staff.

All staff positions are paid, and new staff receives two weeks (80 hours) training before “going solo” on the phones. All staff pursue the Certified Information and Referral Specialist credential. Three to four staff members are on each shift 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year. Staff have access to the same comprehensive database that is constantly updated with local resources and is available online.

The 211/988 Crisis Hotline is certified by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health as a Behavioral Health Hotline and for Referral and Information. It is a participating center of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988). It is also nationally accredited by Inform USA.

Originally known as Capable Parents, the Parent Education Center began serving the community in 1990. It started with one part-time prevention specialist and offered one curriculum, “Parent to Parent” a parent education program targeted to parents of middle and high school youth. Capable Parents also provided information of the effects of ATOD use during pregnancy to clinics and doctors’ offices.

In response to community need, Pathways added a curriculum for the parents of young children and home-based parent education for those unable to attend a class.

The Licking County Children and Families First Council (LCCFC) awarded Pathways several grants. The Capable Parents program received two two-year grants, the first for a home-based child development program including education, mentoring and referrals, and the second for Parenting with Humor workshops. Staff expanded to 2.5 FTEs.

In collaboration with the Woodlands, the Capable Parents Program provided the Families and Schools Together Program (FAST) to Head Start parents and children. The FAST program then moved to Flying Colors Public Preschool.

In 2003 the Capable Parents Program began using the evidenced based “Parents as Teachers” for the home-based services. During this time, staff were also trained to work with the parents of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children.

Then, the Community Mental Health and Recovery Board of Licking and Knox Counties (now known as Mental Health and Recovery for Licking and Knox Counties) asked Pathways to consider providing the Incredible Years curriculum, in collaboration with Flying Colors Public Preschool and Moundbuilders Guidance Center (now known as Behavioral Healthcare Partners). The Incredible Years Program received a three-year grant from the Ohio Children Trust Fund to continue the program. The Community Mental Health and Recovery Board of Licking and Knox Counties (CMHRB) also provided funding for this program until 2015.

The Incredible Years Dina School program has been provided to Newark City Schools Kindergartens since 2015. Staff are in every kindergarten weekly through the school year. Family nights are also offered so parents can experience the program with their children.

In 1990, Pathways also began the Clean and Sober Parenting Program at Courage House, a residential program for women recovering from substance abuse. This program continues on a weekly basis.

The “Active Parenting Now” curriculum was added in 2014 to address the needs of parents with children 5 through 12 years of age. In 2020, the program moved online during the covid pandemic and removed barriers to attendance such as transportation and childcare. Today, the curriculum is known as Active Parenting and is offered to parents of children 0 to 17.

The Parent Education Center receives funding from Mental Health and Recovery for Licking and Knox Counties and the United Way of Licking County in addition to funding from Newark City Schools. The Parent Education Center is certified by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health as a Prevention program. All staff either hold or are in pursuit of prevention specialist or consultant credentials with the State of Ohio.