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SMB Homes
Because of their passion for creating a new model for residential care, Steve and Marita Buehler founded SMB Homes in 2006. That new model for care focuses on adapting the environment to residents’ disabilities to maximize their strengths in an effort to not just maintain, but improve the abilities and personal growth of each resident.
As a trained occupational therapist, Steve personally completes an assessment of each new resident to fully understand his or her unique interests, abilities and needs. This information is used to develop an individualized plan, set goals, meet physical and social needs and restore balance by creating a customized living environment based on individual requirements.
Residents at each of SMB’s four homes have an individualized behavior plan that includes life skills such as personal hygiene, cleaning skills, assigned household chores and work experience. In addition, we work with other community agencies such as Ability Building Center to match residents with jobs as their abilities allow.
The live-in staff at each home schedules weekly group meetings, similar to a family council meeting, where residents are able to share their ideas, opinions and feelings about their experiences in the home. These meetings build a sense of community among the residents and provide time to plan the schedule for the house for the next week. This kind of planning is important in that it creates an element of predictability and routine for our residents.
Because recreation and social activities are an important part of a well-balanced program, each home plans group activities and outings. There are activities planned for evenings as well as an activity at each home every Saturday, such as a movie night or game night.
Our Staff
Steve and Marita Buehler are both highly trained professionals who are passionate about providing the highest quality care possible for adults with disabilities. They have a combined experience of over 25 years working in the field.
Steve received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Minnesota State University at Mankato in 1995 and earned his Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Minnesota in 2000. His life passion is working with people with disabilities.
He has had experience working with individuals who have experienced brain injury, developmental disabilities, mental health concerns, chemical dependency issues and has worked with individuals with physical disabilities such as spinal cord injury, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.
Steve’s passion for helping adults with disabilities extends to his community where he serves on the Adult Foster Care Advisory Committee for Olmsted County and volunteers as a mentor to new adult foster care providers. He also volunteers his time as a driver for meals on wheels.
Marita serves as a nursing consultant at SMB Homes, and worked as a registered nurse at Mayo Clinic for fifteen years and earned her Master’s degree at Mayo School of Health Related Sciences. Besides being the nursing consultant, Marita is also involved in other aspects of the daily lives of the residents at SMB Homes.
SMB Homes recruits the best people available to staff their resident homes. All employees must pass a rigorous background check and meet high standards of care and training, as well as share the values of compassion and love for people set by Steve and Marita Buehler. The staff receives monthly training as well as regular training required by Olmsted County.
We are fortunate to have a very low turnover rate among our staff. Our team approach to care and creating a family environment make SMB Homes a great place to work. A close, supportive environment, good communication and recognizing the value of each staff member are all important parts of taking care of SMB Homes’ most valuable resource – our people. Having such a low turnover rate of staff is also of great benefit to residents. It provides a more stable and consistent environment for the individuals they serve.
Coming Soon
