Steps to Initiate Your Pathways Gathering Groups


Welcome to Pathways Connect Gathering Groups. Here are some suggestions to initiating a successful program in your community. We know, by hosting these Groups you will become your communities' leader for family wellness.


Initiating Club Excitement

Of course you want all of your existing patients to know about the Gathering Group, so post some of the camera ready fliers we provide on your office bulletin board.

Make additional copies of the fliers and give them to your key audience: young parents who are interested in learning more about family wellness, pregnant mothers, new parents, and all of your patients who expressly look forward to the quarterly arrival of Pathways in your office.

Engage local business places that cater to this clientele as well. Visit your local health food stores, libraries, yoga studios and ask to post a flier or leave a stack.

Visit your local practitioners who are like minded - homeopaths, acupuncturists, midwives, naturopaths - and make fliers available for their practices as well. Be sure to discuss the potential of Pathways Connect with these practitioners and invite them to be present at your upcoming Gathering Groups, particularly when a topic relevant to their specialty is covered in that issue of Pathways.

When your bulk issue for the quarter comes in, put out an e-mail to your patients letting them know they can come into your office for their copy, giving them time to read the issue before your Pathways Gathering Group date. Have a sign-in sheet available to help you get an idea of how many people may attend or an RSVP  on your e-mail.


Logistical Inclusions

As soon as you take out a subscription to Pathways bulk, you are considered part of Pathways Connect.
As a participating practice, you will receive:


Group Meeting Suggested Dates and Times

You will receive your digital Pathways, questions and flier links on the following dates:  March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15. Your bulk order of Pathways should arrive within 10 days of the 21st of that month.

To be safe, schedule your classes after the first of the following month. It may be wise to have Pathways available for handout in your practice for a week or so giving your patients the opportunity to read through the current issue. So scheduling your Pathways Gathering Group the second or third week of April, July, October and January should work well.

The best days for events like these seem to be Tuesday, Wednesday and even Saturdays.

Choosing a mid-day meeting (let’s say during your lunch hour) or an evening meeting (after office hours) will depend on your attendees and your office’s population.

Stay at home moms/ dads usually appreciate mid-day activities. Some of their children may be in school at that time. You also need to decide if you welcome young children who are not in school and those who are on holidays and during the summer months.  Although they may appear to be a distraction, some parents may not be able to attend w/out them.  (You might consider having kid-friendly space or activities to help keep kids busy).  Also, many young proud parents enjoy bringing their kids to meet with other young children. The atmosphere will be more informal; however that in itself has great appeal to many parents.

Working parents and pregnant moms will appreciate evening meeting times or even Saturday morning times for obvious reasons.

You may consider holding two meeting per month—one during the day and one in the evening.


Discussion and Meeting Logistics

Decide in advance what kind of style your discussion will have. Do you dislike interrupters so much that you want to bring along a talking stick, or are you ok with everyone jumping into the fray (and may the loudest one win)?  Should you choose only the articles that come with talking points or are you happy coming up with your own? And is it ok to talk about select articles for a little while and then move onto more personal subjects and story-telling about parenting experiences? Set expectations in advance.


Running the Meetings

Within a few issues, you will notice those participants most enthusiastic about the meetings. They are the ones whose anticipation for the meeting is greatest, they come most prepared and ready to talk and often are the ones inviting guests. These are your key participants and eventually, they can grow into your community outreach leaders, maybe even carrying the meeting itself. They will be most valuable to you if you do choose to offer various meeting times and multiple days.


Attendee Advocates/ Moderators

Your attendees will become advocates for your practice and for Pathways. Be sure to encourage them to offer friends and families the ability to subscribe to Pathways. We will be providing you with discount subscription opportunities.


Resources of Like-Minded Groups

You, or your group members, may want to connect with other groups in your area.  Below are national organizations with local groups around the country.  Check their directories to connect with their groups in your area. 

You might also want to connect up with groups that are completely local in nature.  Check with a local birth center to connect with breastfeeding support groups.  You might also look for homeschooling or education co-op groups, local farmer’s markets and CSAs (community supported agriculture). 


Ongoing-Support here at Pathways

We have a Pathways Connect Central Facebook page where you can ask questions and discuss your Pathways Connect experiences with other providers.

Find our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/PathwaysConnect

Also, you can always e-mail Kelli about account logistics and group questions: pathwaysconnect@icpa4kids.com

Thank you for joining Pathways Connect!

Be sure to keep your mailing and e-mail address current with us at all times for speedy delivery.


Existing Pathway Connect Gathering Groups