ABOUT OPTIONS

Helping men and women with disabilities

WHO WE ARE

OPTIONS is a local 501(c)3, non-profit agency established in 1973, by parents looking for community based services for their children with disabilities. Although we were founded in 1973, we evolve by responding to the current needs of the people we serve in our community. We have a variety of opportunities at OPTIONS to best serve the individual needs of each person with a disability.

Mission

OPTIONS helps people with disabilities live and work in the community.

Vision

OPTIONS will continue as the premier provider of opportunities, enabling people with disabilities to be valued, respected, integral members of the community.

Purpose

OPTIONS exists to provide people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, daily activities that help them to live and work in the community, build self-esteem and enjoy life.

Our Services

Our services focus on supporting people and provide opportunities

Day Programs

Day Programs promote community involvement, education, and health & wellness. Participants have the opportunity to engage in activities and make friends.

Employment

OPTIONS helps people with disabilities reach their Employment goals through community job placement and job opportunities within the agency.

Community Living

OPTIONS provides 24/7 support for many participants. We have 4 community homes in the Hammond area. OPTIONS also has a Supported Living program.

Transportation

Most of the people that we support do not have transportation. They are counting on OPTIONS to get where they need to go.

Frequently Asked Question’s

WHAT DOES OPTIONS DO?

OPTIONS helps people with disabilities live and work in the community. Through maximizing life skills, providing meaningful work and activities, being a part of an inclusive community and ensuring support beyond the family, OPTIONS goal is to provide the highest quality of life for people with disabilities.

OPTIONS provides services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

People with developmental disabilities share some common characteristics. They have difficulty in the acquisition of cognitive, language, motor, or social skills. This may involve a general delay, as in developmental disability or the delay may be in a specific area of skill acquisition. The term “developmental disability” refers to any mental and/or physical disability that starts before the age of 18. The term includes individuals with cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy as well as intellectual disabilities.

According to the DSM-5, intellectual disability involves impairments of general mental abilities that impact adaptive functioning in three domains, or areas. These domains determine how well an individual copes with everyday tasks:

  • The conceptual domain includes skills in language, reading, writing, math, reasoning, knowledge, and memory.
  • The social domain refers to empathy, social judgment, interpersonal communication skills, the ability to make and retain friendships, and similar capacities.
  • The practical domain centers on self-management in areas such as personal care, job responsibilities, money management, recreation, and organizing school and work tasks.

While intellectual disability does not have a specific age requirement, an individual’s symptoms must begin during the developmental period and are diagnosed based on the severity of deficits in adaptive functioning. The disorder is considered chronic and often co-occurs with other mental conditions.

Without OPTIONS, some people with disabilities would not have housing, access and transportation within their community, jobs and activities, medical advocacy and services, health and wellness activities, or opportunities to lead fulfilled lives.

OPTIONS primarily focuses on services for adults and children transitioning out of special education.

Eligibility requirements and funding sources vary. Call us today to discuss your needs 985-345-6269.

For answers to additional questions, please contact OPTIONS at (985) 345-6269 or info@Options4u.org

Download our employee handbook 2020