As of May 25, 2010, there have been 52 PATH workshops scheduled or completed by Peer Support Specialists in Michigan according to the MDCH (www.Mipath.org). In little over a year Michigan has trained over 100 workshop Leaders and 22 individuals who are eligible to become certified as Master Trainers by Stanford University, so that they can train even more leaders.
Personal Action Toward Health (PATH) is an integrated physical and behavioral health program, an evidenced-based practice created by Stanford University to assist people with chronic conditions to gain increased mastery over the symptoms of their illnesses and gain an improved quality of life for themselves and their families. The program consists of six weekly sessions that last for two and a half hours each with a scheduled break in the middle. This may seem like a long time, but with many activities built into each meeting, time flies and participants have fun working together. During group meetings participants (including peer leaders) identify health-related goals and develop weekly action plans to address these goals. Over time, simple changes in daily activities lead to increased confidence and successful progress toward achieving desired health outcomes.
Many community mental health agencies across the state are currently working out the details to offer more PATH groups to mental health consumers and their families. To find a PATH workshop near you or request information about forming a group, contact a Customer Service representative at your local community mental health provider.
Learn more about PATH at Mipath.org.