NEWS RELEASE
NEW PATH YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES
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Thanks to capital funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) New Path Youth and Family Services (New Path) is building new classrooms at its residential treatment centre in Cookstown.
Construction is currently underway and the new classrooms are set to open in early November.
“We are very thankful to OTF and MCYS for their support of this project. We’re moving from portables that are at least 30 years old and showing signs of age to brand new classrooms,” says Gord Bain, residential program manager at New Path. “This much needed renovation will ensure that our most vulnerable youth have a comfortable place to learn and grow.”
The new classrooms will have an area to accommodate group work and a quiet space for students needing some time alone. The classrooms will also allow for greater capacity for technology including the addition of three whiteboards and computer upgrades.
Better access to technology allows New Path to better meet students’ needs, Individual Education Plan (IEP) requirements and prepare students for their eventual return to mainstream schools following discharge
“I’m looking forward to a new environment,” says a 14-year-old New Path residential client. “I am starting my high-school experience in the new classroom, so I would like to get the full experience.”
New Path’s Residential Program is located on 25 acres in Cookstown and is home to youth, between the ages of 12 and 17, who are experiencing significant social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and who require an intensive 24-hour therapeutic setting. A typical residential placement ranges from six to 12 months. Over the past five years, New Path has consistently surpassed occupancy rates set by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
“The comprehensive mental health services provided to adolescents at the Cookstown site have been widely acclaimed over the years by the youth served, their families and caregivers, and the professional community at large”, says Glen Newby, New Path Youth and Family Services CEO.
“New Path is the Lead Agency for Moving on Mental Health and I am particularly pleased to have both the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services support an improved educational environment for some of Simcoe County’s most vulnerable youth.”
To learn more about New Path Youth and Family Services, to donate, or get involved please visit www.newpath.ca, follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter: @NewPathYFS or sign up for our quarterly TrailSigns Newsletter
About New Path Youth and Family Services of Simcoe County
New Path Youth and Family Services of Simcoe County is a government supported, registered not for profit charitable organization. We are an accredited children’s mental health agency providing a range of innovative and accessible services for children, youth and their families throughout Simcoe County.
We are the Lead Agency in Simcoe County for Moving on Mental Health (MOMH) committed to leading system change in the County. As Lead Agency, New Path seeks to enhance the experience and outcomes of children, youth and their families seeking assistance with mental health and wellness.
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