Pathway to the Stars

Have you ever driven down West F Street and noticed the building on the north side of the street at 311 (next to Wood Family Funeral Service)? You may have noticed the name on the building – Mountain Pathways – or perhaps not. The building itself certainly is not an architectural wonder – just a plain building with a name across the front. Your writer has driven by this building more times than she can count and always wondered "what is Mountain Pathways?" Is it a tour guide service offering hiking treats into the local mountains or maybe somewhere even more exotic? Is it a place of meditation and mystical education? What do they do there?

Well, until this week, your writer had never pursued beyond the wondering for answers; she simply kept driving by... wondering.

Now, however, she has come to know what treasures are hidden behind the building façade and through the doors! She has discovered not only a great place but a great place full of even greater people – each one a star in his or her own way. And, she has learned that some of the folks who shine there make a daily journey up their own mountain pathway as they experience day-to-day living in a caring, loving environment.

What is Mountain Pathways, you ask? "It's the best kept secret in Tehachapi," shared Deborah Brown, Program Manager at Mountain Pathways. "We often joke about that," she said, "because it seems like very few people know what we're all about."

Mountain Pathways has been serving Tehachapi for many years as a daycare program assisting adults (18 and older) who have documented disabilities which were sustained before they reached 18 years of age. "If you were injured somehow and became disabled after you turned 18, we wouldn't be able to help you," she explained.

"When I came here almost nine years ago, we had a grand total of nine clients. It just seemed like no one knew we were here.

However, we currently are serving 32 clients and are licensed to serve 40. The 'best kept secret' seems to be getting out and we are becoming better known within our own community," she said with a smile.

Mountain Pathways serves not only the Tehachapi area, but California City, Mojave, Rosamond, Boron and North Edwards as well and offers door-to-door transportation for many of its clients. Its parent company, Community Support Options, Inc. is a private, nonprofit agency based in Wasco.

"We serve our clients by offering a real-life-learning environment," Deborah explained. "We offer community-based functional learning experiences in addition to traditional academic and self-help skills and training. We have a five-to-one client-to-staff ratio which facilitates personalized attention and support for our clients.

We also have one-to-one support services if those are needed for clients who are more severely involved with their particular disability. We also easily can accommodate clients who are wheel-chair bound. We are open year-round, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Of course there are certain holidays that we are closed."

The staff members at Mountain Pathways are highly trained individuals, Deborah went on to explain. "We do extensive background checks with the FBI and Department of Justice to ensure the quality of our staff. Our employees are drug-tested in addition to being highly trained in first aid and CPR. There is other state and federally mandated training they go through as well as safety and teaching techniques. We learn behavior consulting from a very positive angle," she added.

"We have been blessed with a very stable staff," Deborah went on to say. "Thus, we get to know our clients very well. Clients get a lot of TLC and personal interaction here at Mountain Pathways. We're like one big family," she said, smiling again. "Of course, like any family, someone will have an 'off' day, but they always want to be here."

Listening to client suggestions is part of what makes Mountain Pathways so successful, Deborah believes. "We listen and, where possible, integrate client suggestions into our day. Our schedule varies on any given day and if on a particular day a client wants to stay in and be on the computer, we can accommodate that. We do have a weekly schedule set up so the families know what will be going on during that week, but it's not the same schedule week after week and no two days are alike. I think that helps contribute to our very high attendance record."

"We have discovered that we have some very avid thrift shop lovers among us. They love to go shopping and we shop not only for personal needs but also for the little things that bring a smile. Often times they will bring back treasures they have found while enjoying their outing," she added. "We try not to spend any more time indoors than necessary."

"We also look for fun things to do. For example, not too long ago we had a robot-building contest. That put everyone on 'high alert,' as they were always on the look-out for things to add to their robots. Of course, some things were donated, but everyone was encouraged to add their own personal touch. We ended up with a heater, ventilation tubes from a breathing machine, a globe, hot rollers, pipe cleaners, a movie reel,Styrofoam bowls and even a lazy Susan, just to name a few of the parts that went into making our two robots."

In addition to teaching clients to be as independent as possible, academics and adaptive learning, they are taught community integration. "They understand support from the community, but we are teaching them that it's also nice to give back to the community," Deborah said. "We are involved in the community coat and warm clothing drive supported by some of the local churches. And we also put together several food baskets for the holidays."

Special visitors like the Gandy Dancers and the Fire Department often add to their daily activity schedule. They have learned about "stranger danger" from the Fire Department , which certainly is something everyone no matter your age needs to remember and think about.

The men-to-women ratio is pretty balanced, Deborah explained. "We teach social appropriateness and interpersonal skills as well. There are some subjects that simply aren't appropriate for discussion here in our setting," she said with a big smile. "We don't delve into sex education, but encourage them to talk to their family, their doctor or their priest or pastor. After all, they have the same feelings and urges that we do as non-disabled folks."

In addition to their daily activities, many clients at Mountain Pathways have become involved in singing. "We have sung at the Senior Center and the hospital here in Tehachapi and we have plans to sing at some of the nursing homes in Bakersfield in the future."

Almost everyone loves holiday parties, and Mountain Pathways is no exception, Deborah explained. "We have great holiday parties and even BBQs. And when it comes to BBQs, we don't just settle for hot dogs and hamburgers," she added. "After all, if we're going to the trouble to BBQ, then we're going to BBQ something really yummy like chicken!"

They have a garden in the backyard as well. "Last year we did flowers and this year we'll do vegetables again," Deborah explained. "We've even had a petting zoo in the back. We sure learned very quickly that goats poop a lot and will eat anything, including our garden," she said laughing.

A future project Deborah hopes to have happen is the renovation of the back yard. "We'd like to do some paving and have a grassy area that everyone can enjoy when weather permits. But that will take some big donations," she said. "We like to think of Mountain Pathways as a home away from home and stress that anything is possible."

"In the near future we're beginning a new program," Deborah shared eagerly. "We're really excited about it. Through the IEP process at Tehachapi High School, some of the senior students who are in the special education classes and who are deemed appropriate for our program, will be joining us. This will provide them with a wonderful way to transition into the adult daycare program. And, it will provide us with an influx of young adults," she explained further. "They will come into our program before graduation which makes for a smooth transition upon graduation. I expect some will stay with us and others will go back to school," Deborah added.

Mountain Pathways does receive State and Federal funding, but often does fund-raising of their own for special projects. They are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so any private donations are tax deductible.

"We been fund-raising for a while now for a special treat in April," she explained. "We are planning a trip to Disneyland. Everyone is so excited. It will cost $130 for each client and staff member and that includes an admission ticket, partial coverage of the cost of the coach transportation and even dinner away from the park. We'll be raising funds up until the day we leave, so if anyone is inspired to donate towards the trip, we'll be forever grateful," she added.

Deborah personally has been "in service" of others for 28 years now. "It's truly a great way to make a living," she said, smiling again. "It really makes a difference in your life and the lives of others."

If you'd like to know more about Mountain Pathways, or if you'd like to make a donation, please don't hesitate to contact Deborah at 661-823-7302. She'll be more than happy to visit with you and fill you in on what's happening there.