Elk County- Doug Gaffey, St. Marys Area United Way President presented a $3,500 grant award to Lindie Gnan, Program Supervisor and Natasha Bowley, Teacher’s Aide for Dickinson Center, Inc. Dickinson applied for this grant to purchase treatment materials and groceries and kitchen supplies for their Crossroads Program located on the Penn Highlands Elk campus in St. Marys.

Dickinson Center provides a comprehensive spectrum of behavioral health, intellectual disability, and prevention services. Dickinson Center is an affiliate of the Journey Health System and provides programs and services in several Northwestern Pennsylvania counties. Crossroads is one of the many clinical services Dickinson offers to support children in Elk County.

Crossroads is a day treatment program for adolescents ages 11-18 struggling with the symptoms associated with a mental health diagnosis. While at Crossroads, children have the opportunity to receive individual, group, and family therapy in addition to medication management.  Crossroads also includes an academic component, which allows youth to remain in their home school district. A teacher is available to provide instruction while a mental health worker is present in the academic milieu to provide therapeutic interventions.

Crossroads overall goal is to help adolescents be successful at home, in school, and their community. The program supports youth from Elk, Cameron, McKean, and Jefferson counties.

Over the next couple of weeks, the United Way will continue to notify the public of all the grant recipients and award amounts. The grant funding disseminated in 2023 is as a result of the funding raised during the St. Marys Area United Way 2022 campaign. Funding raised in 2023 will be available for organizations to seek grant funding in 2024.

The St. Marys Area United Way relies on the contributions from companies and local individuals. If you would like to become one of these individuals or corporate donors, please call 781-6000 or mail your check to the St. Marys Area United Way, 44 So. St. Marys Street, St. Marys, PA 15857