About this Sacred Place
J Kent McNew and the connected Pathways facilities provide addiction and mental health treatment for adults. While Pathways has been around for 30 years, J Kent McNew Family Medical Center opened in April of 2020 in the height of the pandemic. The 16 in-patient bed facility provides a variety of therapeutic and mental health treatment approaches, many of which use nature as a main component. This is a satellite campus of Anne Arundel Medical Center, home of the Healing Garden at AAMC.
The Sacred Place here is located within a central courtyard that is overlooked by both the McNew resident rooms, as well as the Pathway’s building, Anne Arundel Medical Center’s addiction treatment center. The bench sits in a central location adjacent to picnic tables and planting beds, many of which are tended to by residents at the facility. McNew’s model of treatment integrates nature through a variety of experiences. The onsite climbing wall and agility course is frequently used for trust and team building exercises, and to encouraging individuals to step out of their comfort zones. The staff and patients at McNew deeply value the healing power of nature, and the Sacred Place here not only provides this necessary element to those receiving treatment, but also allows staff and visitors to reap the benefits of spending time outdoors.
