DOVER — Strafford County has signed a deal with the state to provide 16 beds at Riverside Rest Home for nursing home eligible citizens needing behavioral health care.

At their regular meeting on Aug. 3, Strafford County Commissioners signed a contract with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to make 16 behavioral health long-term care beds available in a secured unit at the county nursing home.

Riverside Rest Home in Dover is run by Strafford County.

County Commission Chair George Maglaras said having the contract with the state means the county will be paid by the state to operate the unit.

“It’s a secured unit,” said Maglaras. “We are working now on the internal structure we need and making sure key personnel are in place. We know there is a great need, and we want to make sure we can give options first to residents of Strafford County.”

Strafford County Administrator Ray Bower said he watched what was happening in the state in terms of mental health services and thought the county could help.

“I reached out to the state and said I think we can work together here,” said Bower. “The state and the county negotiated a contract ($340,000) to retool that closed unit and make it work for this need. It works for the county as well, because we get reimbursed at a higher level than for a normal Medicaid resident.”

Bower said the contract will go to the governor and Executive Council next for approval, and if they sign off, the county is ready to start, with beds opening up as soon as September.

Riverside already has a behavioral health unit (22 beds), one of only three nursing homes in the state to have this feature (Cheshire and Hillsborough being the other two). The new beds will be an extension of their current services.

Last year, the state announced it would not challenge a federal court order giving it until May 2024 to stop holding people having mental health crises in hospital emergency rooms for days, even weeks. Patients must now be given a hearing on their case within three days, Bower said.

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“We took four patients from the state last year when former DHHS commissioner Lori Shibinette was trying to place patients,” said Bower. “We have the infrastructure and licensed, skilled staff to work with them. In fact, three of the patients were able to be reintegrated into the nursing home population. Just because a person starts on that unit, does not mean they must remain there.”

Bower said 16 patients is a slightly fluid number. In a traditional setting at Riverside, there are two residents per room. The designated unit is a 20-bed one.

“Sometimes behavioral health residents do not do well with a roommate, so that’s where our estimate comes from,” he said. “Perhaps some of the patients will be fine in that setting but we are assuming at first, most will not. They have their own set of issues, mostly language, (there) can be some violence. We have staff who are skilled in handling behavioral health and maybe we can work with some of them and reintegrate them to a more traditional setting.”

The patients going to Riverside will not be young people. Bower said to take them at Riverside, they need to be nursing home eligible. Bower said that relies mainly on a person’s ability to handle their activities of daily living (ADL).

“That means their ability to care for themselves, cooking, bathing, but also being able to understand and manage their own medications,” said Bower. “It can depend on whether or not they have help, whether there is anyone for them to rely on.”

Meanwhile, the state is looking to build a dedicated behavioral health hospital. The Department of Health and Human Services is working on an agreement with SolutionHealth to support the construction of a new facility in Southern New Hampshire with 120 beds: 72 for adults, 24 for older individuals with geropsychiatric issues, and 24 for children and adolescents. Care provided by the facility will prioritize the needs of involuntary patients while serving voluntary patients as well, those with co-occurring issues, and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Strafford County nursing home and NH create 16-bed mental health unit

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A former counselor with Boulder’s Mental Health Partners accused of sexually abusing a patient was sentenced to probation with no jail time and sex offense specific treatment Friday.

Jose Alejandro Yepes, 49, pleaded guilty in February to a felony count of stalking and a misdemeanor count of harassment with a stipulated sexual factual basis..

The plea agreement included a stipulation to probation on the felony count and a deferred sentence on the misdemeanor. A deferred judgement means that if Yepes completes the terms of his probation and does not pick up any new criminal cases during the two-year term, he will be allowed to withdraw the guilty plea and the misdemeanor will be dropped.

Boulder District Judge Nancy Salomone sentenced Yepes to two years of probation to be served concurrent with a two-year deferred sentence.

But attorneys did disagree over some of the conditions of the probation and deferred judgement. Defense attorney David R. Jones asked Salomone to only order boundaries treatment and classes, but Boulder County Deputy District Attorney M. Breck Roesch objected to Jones’ request, arguing that the parties had already agreed Yepes would do sex offender specific treatment.

Salomone imposed the agreed upon sentence, with the exception of the conditions concerning contact with minors or the use of a computer, which Salomone declined to impose.

Salomone said her determination was based on the allegations, admission as part of the plea, concern with a failed polygraph, and Yepes’ not being forthcoming about past employment as a mental health professional in which he was reminded that he wasn’t supposed to touch the clients.

“I am troubled by the relationship that as a long term therapist and therapeutic treatment provider, you would have, and I believe you did, know really well the vulnerability of folks who come to you for treatment,” Salomone said. “It is clear to me that you used that vulnerability that this patient and victim had to make sexual advances towards her.”

The prosecution argued that an offense specific treatment provider must have all of the conditions in place in order to provide treatment. While sometimes exceptions can be made, the prosecution said given the fact that the case involved a sexual factional basis, that exceptions weren’t likely to be granted and the prosecution would have to file a motion if all conditions were not imposed.

“I’m going to impose what I’m going to impose and if someone kicks something back to me I guess I’ll deal with it again,” Salomone said. “I can’t in good faith be told by both parties that it’s a giant package and you either take it all or you leave it all.”

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated that Salomone imposed the sentence and conditions that the victim wanted and his office believed were appropriate.

“It was our position that the defendant should go through sex offender specific treatment, so we insisted on that as part of this sentence,” Dougherty stated. “We want to acknowledge the victim’s courage and cooperation with the prosecution of the case. Because of her, we were able to secure the felony conviction and the right outcome.”

Salomone did give Yepes a chance to back out of the plea deal given the disagreement between the attorneys, but he elected to move forward with the sentencing hearing.

“Mr. Yepes has always fully admitted to crossing ethical boundaries with his patient by developing feelings for her and then confessing those feelings,” Jones said in a statement. “However, the evidence in this case strongly supports the fact Mr. Yepes never engaged in any of the sexual contact or exposure behaviors that were alleged. Mr. Yepes pled guilty to offenses that did not admit those more aggravated allegations. Two psychosexual experts, one hired by the defense and one enlisted by the prosecution, were both in agreement that Mr. Yepes should be required to engage in general mental health treatment and ethical boundaries classes, but specifically disagreed that he should do a more specific treatment designed to treat defendants who have engaged in nonconsensual sexual contact.

“The court ordered the more specific treatment over our objection (Friday). Mr. Yepes will do the best he can moving forward with the court’s sentence and understands that the conditions of his probation are within the sound discretion of the court to determine.”

Yepes was hired on Oct. 19, 2020 by Mental Health Partners as a “milieu counselor” at the Warner House facility, 2833 Broadway, and worked with people suffering from substance abuse issues, according to police records.

A woman reported to police that Yepes had repeatedly contacted her and “initiated contacts that were sexual in nature” over a one-month period starting in November.

Yepes was fired on Dec. 1, 2020 then arrested in January 2021.

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Harness the power of mind and body with think! and Bernstein over the next six weeks as a reminder that we are all “Stronger Than You think!”

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Aug. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Many Americans realize mental strength is essential to live a full life, but like any muscle, it needs to be worked and nourished. To support consumers on their journey to mental strength, think! – a leading snack brand and part of Glanbia Performance Nutrition – announced today, a six-week #thinkStrong challenge. In partnership with wellness expert and No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Gabby Bernstein (@gabbybernstein), think! is pulling back the curtain on the relationship between mind and body to empower individuals to harness the power of their thoughts by challenging them to be “Stronger Than You think!.”

“We all possess the incredible strength within us to transform our lives, and it starts with our thoughts,” said Bernstein. “The think! Strong challenge is an invitation to tap into that power by nurturing our minds and bodies. Our goal is to help participants realize just how strong they can be – mind, body and spirit. Together with think!, individuals will embark on a journey of self-discovery and mental strength, fueling their bodies with a delicious and protein-rich snack, that makes it easy to support the journey towards mental strength.”

think! Strong and Snack Strong with the 6-week #thinkStrong Challenge

The #thinkStrong challenge is available at thinkproducts.com, encouraging individuals to engage with the program at their own pace. Led by Bernstein, participants can discover valuable tools to learn how to turn positive thoughts into positive action. Throughout the 6-week challenge, participants can customize their journey with a range of curated options, featuring daily mindfulness practices, affirmations and weekly blog posts to help track progress while discovering the benefits of a high-protein diet.

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Fans who join the 6-week #thinkStrong challenge will have access to a range of topics including:

“As a leading snack brand, think! believes that when consumers give their bodies – and minds – what it wants, it gives them back the strength to do the things that they love,” said Daniel Domzalski, Sr. Brand Manager for think!. “We’re excited to collaborate with Gabby Bernstein on the transformative #thinkStrong challenge to help consumers turn positive thoughts into positive action and tap into the true potential of their thoughts fueled by our delicious high-protein bars.”

think! High Protein Bars are a versatile and multi-purpose nutritional bar that seamlessly transitions from being a workout accompaniment to an energy-boosting snack or a quick lunch paired with fruit or yogurt. Delicious tasting with craveable flavors such as Brownie Crunch, Creamy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mint, each bar is packed with protein to help consumers think! strong and snack strong to power through their day and live the full life that they want. Made with wholesome ingredients, such as high-quality protein, all think! products are gluten free with no artificial flavors or colors.1

To learn more about the think! products portfolio, visit thinkproducts.com and follow @thinkproducts on Facebook and Instagram.

1 not a low-calorie food

About think!® Products 

Part of Glanbia Performance Nutrition, think!® Products is a high-protein nutrition brand, recognized for outstanding taste, premium ingredients and smart snacking offerings. Founded in 1999 by a single mom whose passion for good eating led her to create nutritious food products to help support overall wellness, think! was rebranded to think! Products in 2019 with expanded offerings. think! Products are packed with protein, gluten free and made with thoughtful ingredients. Products include high protein bars, high protein crisp bars, and plant-based and keto protein bars and can be found nationwide at natural product, specialty and mass retail stores, gyms and fitness centers and most online retailers. For more information, visit thinkproducts.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Glanbia Performance Nutrition 

Glanbia Performance Nutrition (GPN) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Glanbia (ISE/LSE: GLAPF), a better nutrition company headquartered in Ireland. As the world’s number one sports nutrition company, GPN’s mission is to inspire people everywhere to achieve their performance and healthy lifestyle goals. GPN’s leading sports and lifestyle nutrition brands include Optimum Nutrition®, think!®, Isopure®, Amazing Grass® SlimFast® and BSN®, among others. Net global revenues for GPN in 2022 were approximately $1.7 billion. Visit Glanbia.com to learn more. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Leading snack brand think! partners with wellness expert and No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Gabby Bernstein for the #thinkStrong challenge kicking off today on thinkproducts.com. With craveable flavors such as Creamy Peanut Butter, each bar is packed with protein to help consumers think! strong and snack strong to power through their day and live the full life that they want.

think!, a high-protein snack brand and part of Glanbia Performance Nutrition, announced today the launch of two new dessert-inspired flavors to their best-selling line of High Protein Bars – Boston Crème Pie and Chocolate Mint. (PRNewsfoto/Glanbia Performance Nutrition (NA), Inc.)

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SOURCE Glanbia Performance Nutrition (NA), Inc.

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NeighborGood Partners has rebranded and expanded its programs to include financial counseling and business development. | DBT PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS

DOVER  — After 47 years, NeighborGood Partners has rebranded and evolved its programming to financial counseling and business entrepreneurship. But its core goal continues to this day: working toward affordable housing in rural communities facing growth.

Founded in 1976 as National Council on Agricultural Life and Labor Research Fund, but better known as NCALL, the organization was launched to advocate for farmworkers’ living and working conditions in a time when few developers focused in rural areas. But today, NeighborGood Partners Executive Director Karen Speakman said the need is still great.

“We’re in an affordable housing crisis, and this has been something we’ve been going on even before COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “We’re seeing [real estate investment trusts] going like crazy, and people are having a hard time finding a home they can afford. And frankly, it’s compounded by people moving from other states.”

The median home price in Delaware as of September 2022 was $359,000, a 10.2% year-over-year increase, according to the NeighborGood Partners annual report.

NeighborGood works with various nonprofits to develop affordable housing options, like Better Homes of Seaford and other organizations on the Delmarva Peninsula. The nonprofit consults in finding land, exploring available tax credits or even seeing a project to the finish line.

Last year, 38 apartment units were completed for Millsboro Housing for Progress, and NeighborGood has two projects in the pipeline: Villa Maria with the Ministry of Caring in Wilmington and a new project in Laurel supported by the Sussex County Housing Trust Fund.

NeighborGood also maintains a longstanding contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to run a regional self-help housing program, where families come together to secure low-interest loans and do more than half of the labor on homes. Statewide, the nonprofit also worked with the state government on the Delaware Housing Assistance Program, which provided funding for households that made 50% Area Median Income or less. But since that program ended in early July, Speakman worries it may be harder for renters who suddenly take an income hit.

“So money will be harder to find for folks who have lost a job, or maybe getting divorced with how to pay their rent,” she said. “But we’re going to keep doing stabilization programs — how do we work with people on their budget skills, their credit score, as well as housing counseling and foreclosure mediation.”

Looking to the future, NeighborGood plans on doubling down on a new vision for Downtown Dover that not only includes building new houses but creating a safe community. In partnership with Project Safe Neighborhoods, the nonprofit opened a community resource hub and launched a youth mentorship program. 

NeighborGood and West End Neighborhood House also started the Launcher program, a 12-week business education program offered twice a year. There have been 175 participants, with 65 businesses running to date.

But in the near future, Speakman said NeighborGood will focus on developing more affordable housing and focus on restoring central Dover. The Center, envisioned as a 6,000- square-foot building on West Division Street, will be key to that goal. Not only will it serve as headquarters for restoring central Dover staff, but it will include a small business incubator.

“We’re going to continue to look for where the gaps are and work to fill them. The housing crisis isn’t something the market can fix — and we’re open to other ideas as well,” Speakman said.

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The United Soccer League Championship Players Association has launched an initiative that focuses on mental health for players in the league, which includes the Phoenix Rising FC.

The association earlier this month announced a partnership with telehealth provider Onrise. May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

“Our hope is by partnering with Onrise is that we can support players as people,” said USLPA executive director Connor Tobin. “Let’s say a player moves from Phoenix Rising to San Diego Loyal, (the player) can have continuity of care.”

Tobin, who started his professional career in 2009 and still currently plays as a defender for the Vermont Green in USL League Two, says that if a player retires or takes a step away from the game, Onrise will be available to help the player through that period of transition.

The mental health needs of professional and college athletes has drawn inclreased attention in reacent years.

Data from the International Olympic Committee found that 5% to 35% of athletes experienced some sort of mental health disorder in a 12-month follow-up period.

Rising midfielder Jose Hernandez welcomed the new intiative.

“It’s a testament to teams and to players that we’re trying to grow the game the right way,” he said. “Not just with the product that is being portrayed on the field, but everything else that comes outside with it.”

Hernandez started his professional playing career in 2015 and has seen teammates go through mental health challenges, such as separation anxiety from family members. He’s seen teams he’s played for take steps to responde to the needs of players in this area.

“There’s been a progression within the league and clubs to help those players, if need be,” said Hernandez. “When guys do need some sort of help, the team has someone on hand, someone they can call, or even just the coaches stepping into that role and just being someone to support and to listen.”

While there remains a stigma regarding athletes talking about their mental health, several high-profile professional athletes have come forward to broach the topic in recent years.

Michael Phelps, who set an all-time with a record 23 Olympic swimming gold medals, revealed in 2018 he battled depression and contemplated suicide during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

More:Michael Phelps: A chance to save a life is better than winning gold

In that same year, Kevin Love, an NBA player who currently plays with the Miami Heat, revealed that he suffered a panic attack during a game in the 2017 season when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers and had to deal with anxiety and depression.

More:Cavaliers’ Kevin Love on November panic attack: ‘I really felt like I was going to die’

And U.S.s Olympian Simone Biles also drew attention to the issue when she spoke about her battle with depression even as she was dominating the gymnastics field.

More:Simone Biles is a role model for prioritizing her own mental health over an Olympic medal

The USLPA’s partnership with Onrise is a step toward encouragine players to come forward if they are facing a mental health challenge.

“Players should expect anonymously they can access (Onrise’s) system and the levels of care that Onrise provides,” said Tobin. “They are completely independent as players to access the system, that’s anonymous to the PA, anonymous to the clubs, it’s all about (the players).”

Tobin said Onrise will provide players with various services, such as getting touch with a player care specialist or a doctor if needed.

“There’s a saying that 80% of (playing sports) is mental,” said Hernandez. “It’s definitely one of the biggest aspects in professional sports, whether people want to admit it or not.

“It’s important that everyone stays true to who they are and understand that no wrong that comes with (having mental health issues),” Hernandez added. “It’s about everyone helping each other out and having each other backs, especially when it comes to mental health because it’s a big part of the game.”

Help is available

In Arizona, there is a statewide mental health crisis line available at 844-534-HOPE (4673). In addition the statewide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched last year and can be reached 24/7 by dialing 988.

More:Need help finding mental health services in Arizona? Here are some resources

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After 32 years at Starbucks, Leslie Wolford thinks a lot about the word heritage. She’s had a career that started as a barista near the downtown Seattle public library, a career during which she’s helped develop some of the brand’s most iconic coffees, including Pike Place Roast® and Veranda Blend®.  

“When a lot of people think about heritage, we talk about 1982 when Howard Schultz started, the past, dark roasts, black coffee, all those things,” says Wolford, a lead on the Starbucks coffee development team.  

“That’s why Green Apron Blend is a milestone because it creates a new heritage. It creates a stepping stone to the next generation of partners (employees) about what heritage looks like.”  

Green Apron Blend is Starbucks newest coffee, launching in stores May 9, and is unique because it was created by Starbucks store partners (employees). Nearly 24,000 idea submissions from store partners shaped its flavor and roast profiles, as well as which regions the coffee was sourced from, and the look and feel of the packaging.  

As part of Starbucks ongoing commitment to partners, $5 per each one-pound whole-bean bag of Green Apron Blend and, for a limited time, 10 cents per each brewed cup will go to the Starbucks Caring Unites Partners (CUP) Fund, an emergency resource started 25 years ago by partners for partners to help in times of need, such as a family emergency or after a natural disaster. 

“At the end of the day, the partners in the stores are the ones selling the coffee, so we should recognize that they have a lot of opportunity to lean in,” Wolford says. “How great is that when we can build something together?” 

For Wolford, this project was an opportunity to think about coffee in a different way. She acknowledges how times and tastes have changed. A whole new generation of baristas and customers have grown up around iced beverages, refreshers and cold brews, Wolford says, and don’t think about coffee heritage the same way she does.  

Last year, Starbucks reported that cold beverages accounted for almost 75 percent of its drink sales. 

“Green Apron Blend has to fire on a lot of different levels and not just live on the shelf as a packaged coffee, so how can we reinvent it in different ways and bring it to life?” Wolford says.  

“When you experiment with this coffee, whether brewing it as hot in the Bunn brewer, Clover Vertica or in a coffee press, you really get more of the citrus notes from the African origins and the toasty graham cracker notes from the Latin American components. Then when you introduce it in a cold style such as iced or cold brew, that’s going to be more sweet-forward. It’s super refreshing and it has an energy which I think is really going to be exciting over ice.” 

The input gathering process was meaningful for Wolford as well. Store partners were coming off the isolation and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Green Apron Blend project launched, and while themes emerged about the direction of the coffee itself, partners also responded deeply and emotionally to the open-ended questions, Wolford says.  

“We offered up a bunch of questions: What’s your favorite coffee? How do you celebrate coffee? How do you like to drink coffee? What’s your favorite origin? Really coffee-related,” Wolford says. “But threaded through were all these narratives about self-care, being a group that supported each other, not being left behind, diversity and inclusion.” 

“My takeaway is when we are sharing this coffee and celebrating it, everyone can feel proud. We really wanted to make sure that our partners voices were heard.”  

The Roaster and the coffee 

Long before he was promoted to the role of master roaster at the Starbucks Augusta Roasting Plant in Georgia, Ryan Kirkland worked as a chemical operator, helping build an organic compound used for synthetic fibers.  

“Never in a million years,” he says, could he have imagined himself not only appreciating new coffees, but searching for subtle tasting notes of honeybell orange and graham cracker.  

“At that point in time, it was, coffee tastes like coffee. I couldn’t taste the difference in any of it,” Kirkland says. “But now going through sensory (experience training) and really focusing in on these different attributes… My wife calls me a coffee snob.”  

At Augusta, Kirkland oversees the production of the Green Apron Blend, a 50/50 blend of coffees sourced from Latin America and Africa that – after it’s roasted light and fast – give it the aforementioned flavors. The overall profile is sweet, citrusy, fruity and nutty.   

“The roast profile we chose to run this coffee on is extremely fast,” Kirkland says. “It’s much lighter than what we would normally run most Starbucks coffees to. Because of how we roasted it, we didn’t generate quite as much acidity as we would have with other coffees. 

“By having something that’s really well-rounded, it makes it really easy to brew, no matter what brewing method you choose.” 

Augusta, which opened in 2012, is Starbucks newest roasting plant. It produces almost all the Frappuccino powder that’s used at Starbucks around the world and much of the Starbucks Blonde Espresso sent to stores. It roasted the initial batches of Green Apron Blend that were first tasted by partners, last October during the District Manager Leadership Experience and with in-store partner tastings across the United States and Canada.  

As a master roaster, Kirkland makes sure his plant’s systems are set up to be reliable and consistent, so each particular coffee tastes the same today as it will five years from now and tastes the same as what’s made at other Starbucks roasting plants around the world.   

“Having a bag of coffee and having the plant partners taste it and pick up on the attributes, that is rewarding because we’re actually doing the coffee justice,” Kirkland says. “We’re taking the time to not only roast the coffee, but pick up on the attributes that could have gotten lost had somebody else gotten a hold of that coffee.” 

Behind the new bag design

Once the recipe and the roast were perfected, Bridget Shilling in the Starbucks Creative Studio was tasked with the design for the packaging. A bag of Starbucks coffee is like a blank canvas for designers to tell the story of the coffee inside.

For her composition, Shilling was drawn to the stories of Wolford, Kirkland and the thousands of partners who submitted their ideas, as well as the distinctive flavor notes of Starbucks® Blonde Roast coffee. 

“Celebrating green apron partners is the heart of this design and some of my favorite details are the apron strings that flow about the composition,” Shilling say. “They shine through in a silver foil and celebrate our partners tying on the green apron, weaving in and out of each other behind the bar, crafting beverages, passing cups, knowing exactly where to be around one another. There’s also the perspective of synergy in how the coffee was created from our partners in the roasting plants, our coffee buyers and the farmers who grew the coffee trees.”

The design of Green Apron Blend celebrates the contributions of partners in the journey of coffee with symbols representing the care that goes into each step from bean to cup: 

Aprons: The green apron is the symbol of Starbucks and represents the 400,000 partners who connect with customers every day. The design features aprons in motion with apron strings that weave through the design to represent the synergy of partners working together.



Cups: The iconic Starbucks cup is a vessel, and an inviting and familiar part of the daily routine. The orange tones call to mind the honeybell orange notes of the coffee while shimmering golden hues recall the roast. (Honeybell orange, by the way, is a honey-sweet hybrid of tangerine and grapefruit.)



Coffee: Golden coffee are playfully sprinkled throughout the design to signify the roast chosen by partners while swirls of steam evoke the warm energy of Starbucks stores.



Craft: In the background, the marbled texture represents the care that goes into blending, roasting, brewing and hand-crafting beverages.

Andy Brawner, lead copywriter on the project, wants partners to see their contributions reflected in the design when they pick up a bag of Green Apron Blend. 

“I hope partners see themselves in it; that it feels like the story they would want to tell,” Brawner says. “This paying tribute to our green apron partners, and I hope they feel pride and that it resonates with them.” 

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As part of the “Join the Porsche Ride” initiative, Porsche and Procap are advancing one of their projects to enable universal access to hiking in Switzerland, namely further developing a trekking wheelchair. Intended for group hikes, the Protrek all-terrain wheelchair was originally designed at the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts in northwestern Switzerland. With the aim of improving it further, a project group visited the Porsche Vocational Training Center in early March. The Alber company from Albstadt-Tailfingen, which leads the world in mobility aids for wheelchair users, contributed valuable technical expertise.

Protrek’s single-wheel design enables access to extreme terrain. Trekking companions are needed to operate it. The auxiliary electric drive draws power from a battery mounted under the seat.

The Protrek lets people with limited mobility enjoy outdoor excursions on rough terrain, for example in forests or on mountain trails. On such excursions, four to six co-hikers generally push, pull, and/or carry the wheelchair with the person sitting in it. Teams of up to eight members can take part on tours lasting several hours. Despite the Protrek’s auxiliary electric drive, excursions require considerable strength and endurance on the part of co-hikers. Thanks to an attachable snowboard, the Protrek can also be used in winter. The trekking wheelchair weighs 33 kilograms. It is foldable and can fit into a medium-sized station wagon.

The Protrek is used on trekking tours organized by the Procap Reisen & Sport company. Two-day group hikes are offered under the heading “Der Berg ruft” (“the mountain calls”). They take place four times a year, with the assistance of regular volunteers such as the experienced alpinist Heinrich Hofer. “The Protrek is a wonderful device,” he says. “I’m a machinist, and I generally rebuild most of the machinery I work with until I’m satisfied with it. That wasn’t the case with the Protrek. It worked superbly right from the start. The electrified version, however, has a few things that could be improved. For example, the electric drive would benefit from a torsional basis. It also overheats on us sometimes.”

Heinrich “Heiru” Hofer, an experienced alpinist and Procap trek leader, explains the idea behind Protrek hikes. He is practiced in using the wheelchair and has detailed knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses. A machinist with further training in electrical engineering, he is also a source of technical expertise.

The Protrek is not a mass-produced item. It is a small series of around 15 units — with or without an electric drive. This special wheelchair was designed back in 2005 in a joint project with Procap and the FHNW. Stefan Kobler, a research associate at the university, has been involved with the project from the start. “Over the years we’ve been developing the Protrek further with our students, and we added the e-drive in 2022. The design is very well conceived, and has proved itself over the years. However, our funding is limited, which is due in part to the very small market for commercialization. With Porsche offering to help, the project now has a fresh impetus. Improvements that we couldn’t have made on our own are now possible, for instance in connection with the weight or the electric drive.”

Stefan Kobler, a research associate at the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts in northwestern Switzerland, designed the original Protrek. He and his students have also developed subsequent versions.

Christoph Frey (left) and Timo Fischer are the students who electrified the Protrek. As part of their thesis project, they adapted a wheelbarrow drive for the Protrek in a single semester.

Porsche and wheelchairs

Wheelchairs have played a role in Porsche’s recent past. The Porsche Engineering Group has gathered experience from two key projects. A Porsche subsidiary headquartered at the Porsche Development Center in Weissach, it designed the fully sprung suspension of the Alber Adventure A10 electric wheelchair produced from 2003 to 2014. Its other main development was a prototype called the P’GASUS. Also an electric mobility aid, this device works similarly to a Segway. Its standing function offers a number of benefits, such as enabling disabled users and their companions to communicate at eye level. From a medical perspective, its advantages include better circulation and a reduction in leg spasms. The prototype has thus far not been serially produced, due to a lack of sales and development partners.

Alber GmbH is the world leader in mobility aids for wheelchair users. Its most popular products include the “e-motion,” an electric wheel-hub motor that provides additional thrust.

Development head Matthias Bitzer and training manager Peter Klink from Alber GmbH present the Alber Adventure A10 electric wheelchair they developed together with Porsche Engineering.

Maic Grabert, a development engineer at Porsche Engineering Services GmbH and himself a wheelchair user, had the following to say: “The P’GASUS is a project close to my heart. I was fully involved in its development. It lets wheelchair users suddenly do completely obvious things like look their companions in the eye — or hold hands with them. I view the Protrek in a similar light. It lets you get out to places in nature that are otherwise hard to access — and gives you marvelous experiences.”

Maic Grabert, a development engineer at Porsche Engineering Services GmbH

The P’GASUS not only has sophisticated technology. Its elegant design is from Studio F. A. Porsche.

Project group assesses options

A project group is now evaluating a number of different options in order to develop the Protrek further. Its members include the Porsche Vocational Training Center, the Procap Reisen & Sport company including some of its disabled clients, and the FHNW. Students at the FHNW and Porsche trainees are expected to play major roles in the development project. The aim is for the next generation of employees to learn together and to increase their exposure to the topic of limited mobility.

Norbert Göggerle, Manager Technical Vocational Training at Porsche AG (second from left)

Members of the Protrek project group at the Porsche Vocational Training Center in Stuttgart

The Protrek at the Porsche Vocational Training Center

According to Norbert Göggerle, who heads the technical training program at Porsche AG, “The Protrek is a great opportunity for our trainees, with a lot of room for creativity. It’s more than just an exercise. We can help people, and that’s a wonderful way to enhance our everyday work. The first step consists of listening very carefully in order to correctly identify the wheelchair’s strengths and weaknesses. We then want to develop it further in targeted ways, given that it has already received high praise from hikers.”

David Perren, Procap Reisen & Sport.

“The visit to Alber GmbH and to the Porsche Vocational Training Center was an exciting day for everyone involved,” says David Perren from Procap Reisen & Sport. “I’m impressed at how intensively we exchanged views and ideas. Our trekking tours are very popular — not only for wheelchair users but also for everyone who accompanies them. I’d be pleased to see a few of today’s friendly acquaintances at one of our next hikes. Everyone is warmly invited to join us!”

Porsche Newsroom will continue to report on this project.

The Protrek in use on Mount Rigi

Porsche and Procap: Enhancing mobility together

As is fitting for a mobility company, Porsche also seeks to improve mobility opportunities for people with disabilities. In 2022 the sports-car maker launched a development partnership with the Olten office of Procap Schweiz, the largest Swiss self-help organization by and for people with disabilities. The shared aim is to achieve inclusion via mobility and thereby strengthen social ties. The focus is on hiking with universal access. The partnership is intended to make hiking in Switzerland more accessible to people with disabilities. In addition to expanding the network of universally accessible hiking trails, Porsche and Procap are working on other projects with an emphasis on communication and education.

Join the Porsche Ride

In keeping with its own sustainability goals, Porsche’s initiative “Join the Porsche Ride” launches and supports projects that foster social cohesion and quality of life. Its educational and empowerment actions take place in different parts of the world. They all are closely aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The Swiss project by Porsche and Procap is part of this initiative.

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