Indian Rivers Mental Health Center, located on the East Coast of Florida, provides its clients with a holistic approach to treatment. This center is not focused on drugs, but rather on finding a way to overcome the emotional and physical difficulties many people face in their lives. A state of ALPATH, it is funded by the Federal Recovery Act and its mission is to offer assistance to individuals who are homeless. ALPATH stands for Agencies for Assistance in Transition to Housing. ALPATH projects are state-wide or community-based organizations that receive government PATH money to provide short-term services to those who are not necessarily affiliated with mainstream resources. The services offered here are often similar to a homeless shelter, but instead of a facility providing an assortment of services, they focus on one thing. These are individuals who have recently come to this facility because of a crisis.\n\n \n\nIt was founded by Dr. Mihir Kumar, a practicing psychiatrist and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Tampa. He was able to help several families, while working with their kids as a teacher. After he realized that the families were experiencing serious problems and that they were on the verge of being evicted from their homes, he took matters into his own hands and formed the center, which is open to those living on the streets or on the outskirts of society. He is dedicated to offering the same holistic approach to care that the homeless person would receive.\n\n \n\nTo begin treatment at Indian Rivers, the first step is receiving a referral from someone that has had experience with the mental health center. This is also the first step in the program. The second step is to schedule an appointment to meet with a therapist, a mental health counselor, or a social worker to discuss the situation that has led to the need for the program. These professionals work with the individual to identify what is causing the stress, and to work with the individual to overcome these issues. Finally, after the needs of the individual are assessed, they are given a plan of action to take care of their particular issue.
