# Wheel of Wellness Resource Connector
## A Proposal for HELPipedia / SpecialNeeds.help

**Prepared by:** Kayla Newkirk, M.S.Ed., MHC-LP | Doctoral Candidate, Counselor Education & Supervision, Waynesburg University
**Meeting with:** Phil Vetrano, MBA — President & Co-founder, HELPipedia
**Date:** Week of June 16, 2026

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## Executive Summary

HELPipedia already connects families to resources through SpecialNeeds.help. The next step is making that connection **proactive and personalized**. Instead of asking families to browse a directory, we meet them where they are with a Wheel of Wellness assessment that identifies their needs across six dimensions and automatically surfaces the most relevant resources.

This builds on the existing Family Wheel of Life assessment (ScoreApp) and the Caregiver Wellness Wheel framework developed for the ADA 36th Anniversary Telethon.

**The ask:** Approve a pilot project to design, build, and test an interactive Wheel of Wellness assessment tool integrated into the HELPipedia / SpecialNeeds.help ecosystem.

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## 1. The Problem We Are Solving

| Current Experience | Proposed Experience |
|--------------------|---------------------|
| Family arrives at SpecialNeeds.help | Family arrives at SpecialNeeds.help |
| Browses categories or searches keywords | Takes a 5-minute wellness needs assessment |
| Must already know what they need | Assessment identifies needs they may not have named |
| Finds resources one at a time | Receives a personalized resource map across all relevant dimensions |
| Leaves with a link | Leaves with a plan and a connection |

**The gap:** Families navigating disability and caregiving often do not know what they need until someone asks the right questions. A directory is powerful when you know what to search for. An assessment tool is powerful when you do not.

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## 2. What We Are Proposing

### The Tool

An interactive, web-based **Wheel of Wellness Assessment** that:

1. Asks caregivers and individuals with disabilities targeted questions across six wellness dimensions
2. Scores each dimension to identify strengths and areas of need
3. Generates a personalized results page that maps their specific needs to resources in the SpecialNeeds.help directory
4. Optionally connects them to a coach, mentor, or support group

### The Six Dimensions

These were adapted from the Myers, Sweeney, and Witmer (1998) Wheel of Wellness model and tailored for the caregiver and disability community during the Telethon presentation development:

| Dimension | Core Question | Example Resource Connections |
|-----------|---------------|------------------------------|
| **Physical** | Are basic health, rest, and movement needs being met? | Respite care, medical providers, adaptive recreation, sleep support |
| **Emotional** | Is there space to name and cope with feelings? | Counseling referrals, caregiver support groups, crisis lines |
| **Social** | Is there a community that understands? | Parent mentors, local support networks, community events, peer matching |
| **Practical** | Are logistics, advocacy, and systems manageable? | IEP advocates, legal aid, financial assistance, benefits navigation, transition planning |
| **Purpose** | Is there meaning and identity beyond caregiving? | Faith communities, disability-affirming organizations, storytelling platforms |
| **Growth** | Is there room to learn, create, and become? | Training, conferences, podcasts, creative programs, continuing education |

### How It Differs from the Existing Family Wheel of Life

| Feature | Family Wheel of Life (Current) | Wheel of Wellness Connector (Proposed) |
|---------|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Focus | General family balance | Caregiver and disability-specific needs |
| Dimensions | 4 (Health, Home, Connection, Joy) | 6 (Physical, Emotional, Social, Practical, Purpose, Growth) |
| Output | Personalized report with general guidance | Personalized resource map linked to SpecialNeeds.help directory |
| Action step | Self-reflection | Direct connection to services, providers, and support |
| Audience | Broad families | Caregivers, parents of children with disabilities, individuals with disabilities |
| Clinical grounding | Life coaching framework | Counseling wellness model (Myers, Sweeney, & Witmer, 1998) |

The two tools serve different audiences and can coexist. The Wheel of Wellness Connector targets the specific population HELPipedia and SpecialNeeds.help are built to serve.

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## 3. Why This Matters for HELPipedia

### Strategic Alignment

- **Mission:** "Help parents and youth bridge the gap between knowledge and opportunity." The assessment literally bridges that gap by turning knowledge of needs into opportunity for connection.
- **SpecialNeeds.help adoption:** A personalized entry point increases engagement, return visits, and directory utilization.
- **Data and insight:** Aggregated (anonymous) assessment data reveals what the community needs most, informing content development, partnerships, and fundraising.
- **Differentiator:** No other major disability resource directory offers a clinically grounded, personalized needs assessment with automatic resource matching.

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## 4. Resource Requirements

### What Kayla Provides
- Clinical expertise in wellness models and counseling frameworks
- Assessment design, question writing, and scoring methodology
- Content for results pages (wellness guidance, psychoeducation, resource explanations)
- User testing coordination with caregiver and disability community
- Ongoing clinical review as tool evolves

### What HELPipedia Provides
- Platform access and technical implementation
- Integration with SpecialNeeds.help directory
- Marketing and community outreach (Chris Myers)
- Analytics and data tracking
- Board approval and strategic support



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## 5. Success Metrics

| Metric | Target (First 90 Days) |
|--------|----------------------|
| Assessment completions | 100+ |
| Completion rate (started vs. finished) | 70%+ |
| Resource link clicks from results page | 50%+ of completions |
| Return visits to SpecialNeeds.help | 30%+ within 30 days |
| Qualitative feedback | Positive sentiment from 80%+ of feedback respondents |
| Community sharing | Assessment shared by 10+ caregivers to their networks |

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## 6. Sample User Journey

**Meet Sarah.** She is a single mother of a 9-year-old with Down syndrome and a heart condition. She works full-time. She heard about SpecialNeeds.help from a friend.

1. Sarah lands on HELPipedia and sees: **"Not sure where to start? Take 5 minutes to find the resources that fit your family."**
2. She clicks and begins the Wheel of Wellness assessment.
3. She answers 20-25 short questions. Some are about her child. Some are about her.
4. Her results page shows:
   - **Physical: Needs Attention** (she has not seen her own doctor in 18 months; her child needs a new cardiologist)
   - **Emotional: Moderate** (she has a friend she talks to but no formal support)
   - **Social: Needs Attention** (she moved recently and does not know anyone local)
   - **Practical: Strong** (she has an IEP advocate and understands the system)
   - **Purpose: Moderate** (she used to paint but stopped)
   - **Growth: Needs Attention** (she wants to learn more about transition planning)
5. Under each dimension, she sees 2-3 specific resources from SpecialNeeds.help, with one-click links.
6. At the bottom: **"Want to talk to someone? Connect with a parent mentor."** with a link to HELPipedia's community.
7. Sarah bookmarks her results. She shares the assessment with her sister, who is also a caregiver.

**What happened:** Sarah did not have to know what to search for. The right questions led her to the right resources. That is the difference between a directory and a connector.

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## 7. Background References

- Myers, J. E., Sweeney, T. J., & Witmer, J. M. (1998). *The Wheel of Wellness: A holistic model for treatment planning.* Journal of Counseling & Development, 76(3), 251-263.
- Newkirk, K. (2026). *Nourishing the Caregiver: The Wheel of Wellness for Special Needs Families.* Presentation for HELPipedia ADA 36th Anniversary Telethon.
- HELPipedia Family Wheel of Life Assessment (ScoreApp). Retrieved from https://patrice-l7tf94gf.scoreapp.com/
- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.

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*This proposal connects clinical wellness frameworks with practical resource delivery, giving HELPipedia a unique tool that no other disability resource directory currently offers. The infrastructure already exists. The expertise is available. The community needs it.*

*Prepared by Kayla Newkirk, M.S.Ed., MHC-LP*
*Doctoral Candidate, Counselor Education & Supervision, Waynesburg University*
*kcordone30@gmail.com*
