Nonprofit helps those with severe disabilities become independent
By KEVIN D. THOMPSON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011
PALM BEACH GARDENS — Two years ago, when Eric Moore joined Pathways to Independence, he wasn't accustomed to making decisions on his own.
"He was used to the classroom setting where he was being told what to do," said Sue Buechele, founder and executive director of Pathways, a day camp for people with severe developmental disabilities.
But Pathways encourages participants to take an active role in their lives . For instance, they help decide who enters the program, who's hired and what kind of services are offered .
Moore, who has cerebral palsy, was a little overwhelmed by all the newfound responsibility. Not anymore.
"This program helped me grow," said Moore, 24, of Boynton Beach. "I used to fly off the handle at the drop of a hat about anything. I don't do it as much now."
While there are many programs in Palm Beach County for disabled persons, Buechele said Pathways, which she founded 11 years ago, is a bit unusual, tailoring its program to each person.
"You don't have to come in and fit into what we do," said Tina Bate, an occupational therapist at Pathways.
"When you come in, we ask, 'What do you want to get out of this experience? What are your personal goals?' We look at you as an individual."
Pathways' goal: to help participants live as independently as possible after they leave for the day and return home.
Pathways has 13 participants and eight staffers, including three physical therapists. The staffers play roles as diverse as matchmaker, entrepreneurial advisor, amateur psychiatrist and political activist.
Pathways helped one member start a balloon business. Another was given dating advice when he was considering a relationship with a woman he was living with at a group home. All participants are encouraged to be politically active.
"They have to have a voice," Buechele said. "You have your disability population, which is small compared with the population at large, then you have this segment of disability. We have to make their voices really loud."
Buechele said she got the idea to start Pathways while she was working as a program director at The Arc of Palm Beach County, an advocacy group for children and adults with severe developmental disabilities.
Over time, Buechele, who worked at The Arc for nine years, said people with severe physical disabilities were starting to feel neglected in the program. So several participants encouraged Buechele to start her own program, one that would deal specifically with disabilities such as autism and cerebral palsy.
"I was nervous," Buechele said . "I had to start from scratch and hope that people would come."
It helped that nine participants from The Arc joined her.
Running a nonprofit is fraught with challenges, especially during economic turmoil. At the top of the list: raising money.
Buechele said Pathways' goal this year is $450,000. So far, the group is about $100,000 short.
More bad news: Medicaid funding was cut 4 percent in April, with another cut expected in December. That's why Buechele, who isn't comfortable asking for money, has become more visible in trying to raise it.
"I always feel like I'm asking for a handout," Buechele said. "It's my worst skill."
But Caryn St. John, a board member, disagreed.
"She really is a good fundraiser," St. John said. "She just doesn't realize it."
Pathways was recently one of four recipient charities named in a golf tournament sponsored by Rooney's Golf Foundation. The group will also have a presence next month at an event for the Palm Beach County Justice Association, a countywide group of more than 450 trial attorneys and paralegals.
To attract more participants who don't depend on Medicaid, Buechele said Pathways will expand its therapy services so it is not catering only to people with severe disabilities.
"We can't afford to just limit ourselves to that population," Buechele said. "I was joking with a caseworker that we're going to start offering haircuts in here. We'll do whatever we have to do."
In mid-September, Pathways moved from its 2,220-square-foot office on Northlake Boulevard to a 4,000-square-foot space on North Military Trail.
"We've always operated quiet, small, little," Buechele said. "But now that our funds keep getting cut, we don't have the luxury of thinking just inside this little box anymore."
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