153 lines
8.6 KiB
Markdown
153 lines
8.6 KiB
Markdown
# Wheel of Wellness Resource Connector
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## A Proposal for HELPipedia / SpecialNeeds.help
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**Prepared by:** Kayla Newkirk, M.S.Ed., MHC-LP | Doctoral Candidate, Counselor Education & Supervision, Waynesburg University
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**Meeting with:** Phil Vetrano, MBA — President & Co-founder, HELPipedia
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**Date:** Week of June 16, 2026
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---
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## Executive Summary
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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.
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This builds on the existing Family Wheel of Life assessment (ScoreApp) and the Caregiver Wellness Wheel framework developed for the ADA 36th Anniversary Telethon.
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**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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---
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## 1. The Problem We Are Solving
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| Current Experience | Proposed Experience |
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|--------------------|---------------------|
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| Family arrives at SpecialNeeds.help | Family arrives at SpecialNeeds.help |
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| Browses categories or searches keywords | Takes a 5-minute wellness needs assessment |
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| Must already know what they need | Assessment identifies needs they may not have named |
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| Finds resources one at a time | Receives a personalized resource map across all relevant dimensions |
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| Leaves with a link | Leaves with a plan and a connection |
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**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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---
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## 2. What We Are Proposing
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### The Tool
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An interactive, web-based **Wheel of Wellness Assessment** that:
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1. Asks caregivers and individuals with disabilities targeted questions across six wellness dimensions
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2. Scores each dimension to identify strengths and areas of need
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3. Generates a personalized results page that maps their specific needs to resources in the SpecialNeeds.help directory
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4. Optionally connects them to a coach, mentor, or support group
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### The Six Dimensions
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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:
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| Dimension | Core Question | Example Resource Connections |
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|-----------|---------------|------------------------------|
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| **Physical** | Are basic health, rest, and movement needs being met? | Respite care, medical providers, adaptive recreation, sleep support |
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| **Emotional** | Is there space to name and cope with feelings? | Counseling referrals, caregiver support groups, crisis lines |
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| **Social** | Is there a community that understands? | Parent mentors, local support networks, community events, peer matching |
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| **Practical** | Are logistics, advocacy, and systems manageable? | IEP advocates, legal aid, financial assistance, benefits navigation, transition planning |
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| **Purpose** | Is there meaning and identity beyond caregiving? | Faith communities, disability-affirming organizations, storytelling platforms |
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| **Growth** | Is there room to learn, create, and become? | Training, conferences, podcasts, creative programs, continuing education |
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### How It Differs from the Existing Family Wheel of Life
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| Feature | Family Wheel of Life (Current) | Wheel of Wellness Connector (Proposed) |
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|---------|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
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| Focus | General family balance | Caregiver and disability-specific needs |
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| Dimensions | 4 (Health, Home, Connection, Joy) | 6 (Physical, Emotional, Social, Practical, Purpose, Growth) |
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| Output | Personalized report with general guidance | Personalized resource map linked to SpecialNeeds.help directory |
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| Action step | Self-reflection | Direct connection to services, providers, and support |
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| Audience | Broad families | Caregivers, parents of children with disabilities, individuals with disabilities |
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| Clinical grounding | Life coaching framework | Counseling wellness model (Myers, Sweeney, & Witmer, 1998) |
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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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---
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## 3. Why This Matters for HELPipedia
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### Strategic Alignment
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- **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.
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- **SpecialNeeds.help adoption:** A personalized entry point increases engagement, return visits, and directory utilization.
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- **Data and insight:** Aggregated (anonymous) assessment data reveals what the community needs most, informing content development, partnerships, and fundraising.
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- **Differentiator:** No other major disability resource directory offers a clinically grounded, personalized needs assessment with automatic resource matching.
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---
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## 4. Resource Requirements
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### What Kayla Provides
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- Clinical expertise in wellness models and counseling frameworks
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- Assessment design, question writing, and scoring methodology
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- Content for results pages (wellness guidance, psychoeducation, resource explanations)
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- User testing coordination with caregiver and disability community
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- Ongoing clinical review as tool evolves
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### What HELPipedia Provides
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- Platform access and technical implementation
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- Integration with SpecialNeeds.help directory
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- Marketing and community outreach (Chris Myers)
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- Analytics and data tracking
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- Board approval and strategic support
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---
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## 5. Success Metrics
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| Metric | Target (First 90 Days) |
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|--------|----------------------|
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| Assessment completions | 100+ |
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| Completion rate (started vs. finished) | 70%+ |
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| Resource link clicks from results page | 50%+ of completions |
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| Return visits to SpecialNeeds.help | 30%+ within 30 days |
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| Qualitative feedback | Positive sentiment from 80%+ of feedback respondents |
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| Community sharing | Assessment shared by 10+ caregivers to their networks |
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---
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## 6. Sample User Journey
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**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.
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1. Sarah lands on HELPipedia and sees: **"Not sure where to start? Take 5 minutes to find the resources that fit your family."**
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2. She clicks and begins the Wheel of Wellness assessment.
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3. She answers 20-25 short questions. Some are about her child. Some are about her.
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4. Her results page shows:
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- **Physical: Needs Attention** (she has not seen her own doctor in 18 months; her child needs a new cardiologist)
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- **Emotional: Moderate** (she has a friend she talks to but no formal support)
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- **Social: Needs Attention** (she moved recently and does not know anyone local)
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- **Practical: Strong** (she has an IEP advocate and understands the system)
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- **Purpose: Moderate** (she used to paint but stopped)
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- **Growth: Needs Attention** (she wants to learn more about transition planning)
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5. Under each dimension, she sees 2-3 specific resources from SpecialNeeds.help, with one-click links.
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6. At the bottom: **"Want to talk to someone? Connect with a parent mentor."** with a link to HELPipedia's community.
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7. Sarah bookmarks her results. She shares the assessment with her sister, who is also a caregiver.
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**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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---
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## 7. Background References
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- 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.
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- Newkirk, K. (2026). *Nourishing the Caregiver: The Wheel of Wellness for Special Needs Families.* Presentation for HELPipedia ADA 36th Anniversary Telethon.
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- HELPipedia Family Wheel of Life Assessment (ScoreApp). Retrieved from https://patrice-l7tf94gf.scoreapp.com/
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- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.
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---
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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.*
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*Prepared by Kayla Newkirk, M.S.Ed., MHC-LP*
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*Doctoral Candidate, Counselor Education & Supervision, Waynesburg University*
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*kcordone30@gmail.com*
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