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Court‑referral Pathways to Hope program reports 31 referrals and 15 people housed since May 2025
Summary
Pathways to Hope, a municipal‑court diversion program run with CHC, has taken 31 referrals since May 2025 and helped house 15 participants; the program uses a four‑phase case plan and aims to address underlying needs that lead to repeated low‑level charges.
Sarah Elnicki of CHC updated the commission on Pathways to Hope, a court‑linked program that began in September 2023 to divert people with pending nonviolent municipal charges into a four‑phase case‑management program focusing on housing, ID recovery, benefits and transportation.
Elnicki said that since May 2025 the program has received 31 referrals; 24 had housing issues, Tessa (the program worker) is actively working with nine clients, and 15 participants have been housed — with 14 remaining housed: “Tessa's working with 9 of them currently, and she's housed 15, and only 1…so 14 of the 15, she's housed successfully,” she said. Participants are usually engaged for about 90 to 120 days and the prosecutor can dismiss charges for those who complete the program phases.
Commissioners asked about referral criteria and whether repeat participation is common; staff said the rubric was broadened from housing instability and nonviolent charges to include applicants with limited community or family support and victims of domestic violence, and that repeat participation has been rare (two or three cases noted). The program coordinates with local partners including Crawford County Mental Health and housing authorities.
No action was required; the commission received the update and thanked staff for the program’s early results.
