Path Inc. (A Positive Approach to Teen Health)

Program Overview and Background

PATH is a 501c3 that serves to equip, empower, and encourage students to make healthy choices through life skills, relationship and character building education. Life Lanes is one of PATH’s programs provided by the OJJDP for Mentoring Youth Affected by the Opioid and Drug Crisis. Aligned with PATH’s mission, Life Lanes serves middle school students grades 6-8th for the prevention of and recovery support for students directly using or affected by substance abuse using the four-prong approach.

Program Services

Life Lanes program will be utilizing a four-prong approach for prevention and recovery support of substance abuse over a 3-year period.

Prong 1: Life Lanes is partnering with 3 school districts to provide in-school sessions of the evidence-based curriculum, Life Skills Training written by tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse prevention expert Gilbert J. Botvin.

Prong 2: We will partner with after school programs in the targeted communities bringing the LivTrue mentoring program for higher risk students grades 5th-8th to discuss issues such as healthy decision making, future goals, avoiding risky behaviors, peer pressure, etc.

Prong 3: Path is partnering with Crown Counseling to provide a support group for students directly using or affected by substance abuse.

Prong 4: Life Lanes programming will provide programming using the Botvin Life Skills Training curriculum to adjudicated youth at the Lake County Juvenile Detention Center.

Target Population

The target population we are serving for this program are middle school 6th-8th grade students, whose ages range from 11-15. We are targeting youth most at risk for substance use in nearby communities.