Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined today by Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera, Commissioner of Mental Health Mark O’Brien, Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District Superintendent Sabatino Cimato, Superintendent of Erie 1 BOCES Michael Capuana, and Associate Director of Professional Development, Curriculum & Instruction at Erie 1 BOCES Jessie Karches today to introduce the new Erie Path app at Kenmore West High School. Erie Path is a free digital resource connecting parents and caregivers with mental health and behavioral resources for school-age children and families.

“Erie Path represents another example of county government at work, finding a community need and bringing together a lot of moving pieces to create an invaluable resource for families with school-age children, and all residents,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “I proposed creating this app in my State of the County address to give families the tools and supports they need to help themselves and  the children they love to grow and flourish. I thank our partners in this effort for joining us in this effort and collaborating to create a healthier, happier Erie County.”

The Erie County Department of Mental Health and Live Well Erie guided the development of the Erie Path app. County services like Mental Health First Aid training and the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs program are included alongside clinical treatment centers, substance use disorder counseling, community activities and more. Resources are searchable and organized by category, along with informational resources on thousands of topics.

“As an educator who worked closely with students and their families for decades, I am very excited to have the Erie Path app available,” said Deputy County Executive Lisa M. Chimera. “When you have a kid or teen who is facing a challenge, that can disrupt so many other parts of their lives – their education, their physical health, their development. This tool will give parents a way to get their child the care they need.”

“Mental health concerns among students have reached alarming levels in recent years. Our unification as a community to provide the resources necessary to assist students and families in navigating these challenges can be a game changer,” said Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District Superintendent Sabatino Cimato. “Erie Path will be a tremendous resource for our families, creating a network of professionals who are here to help.”

With nearly 700 local programs and services listed, and more than 1,300 informational resources, Erie Path covers a full spectrum of mental health and behavioral conditions. The content will be updated regularly.

“Erie County has a strong network of mental health services,” said Commissioner of Mental Health Mark O’Brien. “This app takes some of the stress and confusion out of finding those services and puts information about hundreds of programs at the fingertips of a parent or caregiver.” 

The app is available for Android and iPhone devices, and the content can be viewed in multiple languages.

This new platform also makes available resources for adult mental and behavioral health services, information for housing, employment, childcare, food pantries, medical care, social services and senior services that can benefit adults and caregivers.

For more information:

On Erie Path visit  www.erie.gov/eriepath

On the Erie County Department of Mental Health visit  www.erie.gov/mentalhealth

On Live Well Erie visit  www.erie.gov/livewellerie

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