Pensacola Business Radio: Guests Capstone Learning and A loyal Vision

Assistant to the President/CEO, since 2002.  Member of an executive team with oversight and management of the organization’s programs and associated services for infants through adults with and without developmental disabilities.  Previously employed by United Way of Escambia County for nearly 12 years as Communications Manager before joining Capstone.  Also worked for Savan Advertising in St. Louis and TV stations in Cape Girardeau and Joplin, Missouri.  Current working on starting job training programs:  Capstone Pet Place (pet supply store) in Milton and the Barkery (bake pet treats) in Pensacola.

Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy Centers, Inc.

Mission:  Capstone is committed to advancing the independence for children and adults with a spectrum of abilities and disabilities.

Vision:  Capstone’s vision is to be the premier provider of services to a spectrum of children and adults with all types of abilities and disabilities in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

History of Organization

For 65 years Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy Centers (f/k/a United Cerebral Palsy of

Northwest Florida or UCP) has advocated for inclusion and opportunity for individuals of all ages, ethnicities, and gender, with developmental disabilities.  Since 1953, we have successfully developed and implemented cutting edge programs and services for children/students in our community who are primarily on Medicaid, low income, and have significant physical, medical, and cognitive disabilities.

Capstone planned, designed, and launched Capstone Academy Pensacola in 2004, the FIRST and ONLY inclusive charter school in Northwest Florida for infants to age five.  This program site hosts a public charter school, voluntary pre-kindergarten, early intervention therapies, and after school programs for children with and without developmental disabilities or delays.

Capstone opened another Capstone Academy in Milton in 2010.  Today, nearly 140 children are served at EACH campus (approximately 280 children annually).  During the past 14 years, over 2,600 infants and children have received services via both Capstone Academies.

In 2014/2015 Capstone announced to the community a new name – Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy Centers, Inc.  Our stakeholders have embraced Capstone’s name change.  For those served directly in Capstone programs, the new name no longer focuses on a disability, but on what one CAN do.  Due to growth and the expansion of Capstone services and programs the former name – UCP – no longer defined who we were nor those we served.

To better serve youth and adults in Santa Rosa County, we opened our sixth (6) group home and an adult day training program in Milton this year (2018).

Current Programs and Projects

In 2017 nearly 2,000 infants, children, youth, and adults with and without developmental disabilities (autism, autism spectrum, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, etc.) and their families were assisted in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties through Capstone’s many programs.

Services include:

We are excited to announce the opening of our new youth/adult program in Milton.  The Milton training program at 5326 Stewart Street is called Student Skills Training Program and Capstone Pet Place.  Thanks to a grant from Pensacola Bay Area Impact 100 and individual donors, Capstone students will learn all aspects of running a retail store.  Students will acquire job and interpersonal skills desired by area businesses.  In addition, we will partner with local animal rescue organizations and shelters to host pet adoptions days and provide spay/neuter information to pet owners.

Another new program is Capstone Pet Barkery in Pensacola.  This is also a training program (2600 Fairfield Drive) students with disabilities to learn hard (job) and soft (interpersonal) skills to become employed in the community by making, baking, selling, and marketing natural pet treats.  Treats will be sold at local farmers’ markets, businesses, and Capstone Pet Place.

Adult Day Programs (Pensacola – 2912 North E Street and 2600 West Fairfield Drive):  Over 70 individuals are served at our 100% accessible facilities at two locations.  Adult Day Programs are open Monday through Friday.

We provide specialized health care, therapies and nursing services; skills training; and personal care for youth and adults with severe developmental disabilities.  Mobility services, critical to our adult population, prevent regression in physical capabilities, lessen skin breakdown, and decrease short-term (ER visits) and long-term (nursing home) medical costs.  Some of the care offered at our day programs include medical oversight, feeding, toileting, community integration, mobility, and addressing quality of life issues, socialization, and health/safety.

Families rely on Capstone to provide a day program that engages their adult children (most are medically and physically complex wheelchair users) while they are at work.  Capstone helps keep some people from institutionalization (nursing homes), thus decreasing costs to taxpayers and increasing quality of life for clients and their families.

The High School-to-Work Transition Program at the Transition Center (2600 West Fairfield Drive) provides students ages 14-22 with opportunities to develop appropriate social skills while continuing their educational experience.  Curriculum prepares students for adult life after graduation in which they are able to secure a job or volunteer service, thus becoming as independent as possible.

Most students attending one of our day programs require transportation to and from their program.  We have a fleet of over 20 vehicles, most of which are wheelchair accessible vans/buses.

Capstone owns and operates six wheelchair accessible group homes for 30 youth and adults to be part of their community and to live safely, play, learn, and receive the nursing/personal care services they need.

Our Children’s Therapy Clinics provide a one-of-a-kind “complete” therapy clinic for our Escambia (4901 West Fairfield Drive, Pensacola) and Santa Rosa County (5308 Stewart Street, Milton) area children, birth to 22 years old.  Our clinics include speech language pathologist, occupational, behavioral, and physical therapists working as a team to increase the infants’ and children’s communication, fine motor, gross motor, behavioral, and feeding/swallowing skills.

Milton Child Care Center is located on the Milton High School campus (6656 Park Avenue, Milton).  We provide a quality child-centered and developmentally appropriate curriculum and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) for over 50 infants to five year olds primarily from low-income families.

Capstone developed and operates the only two charter schools in Northwest Florida – Capstone Academy – for children ages three to six years old primarily diagnosed with autism or autism spectrum and other developmental disabilities.  The campuses are located in Pensacola (4901 West Fairfield Drive) and Milton (5308 Stewart Street).   Many of the children also receive physical, occupational, and/or speech therapies and behavioral services as part of their individual education plan (IEP).  Our Time After School and Summer School Child Care is for school-aged children with special needs.  Approximately 280 children are served each year at Capstone Academies.

Nursing oversight and care is provided at all Capstone day programs, thus allowing medically complex children, youth, and adults (who require nursing care) to attend programs where they engage in meaningful day activities, therefore realizing an improved quality of life.  RN/LPNs ensure each student/child receives medical care such as breathing treatments, injections, tube feeding, suctioning, repositioning, medication administration and supervision, etc.  Due to our clientele, ALL Capstone programs have access to our full-time/on-staff nurses.  Nurses are on call 24/7.

Capstone enjoys hosting nursing students from Pensacola Christian College (PCC) for over 25 years; future physicians from Florida State University’s College of Medicine (9 years); and most recently students from Keiser University’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Bridge Program.

Capstone’s partnerships with medical schools further enhances our mission of advancing the independence for children and adults with a spectrum of abilities and disabilities.  This is accomplished by exposing future nurses and doctors to the unique conditions and circumstances of our students.