You may never have heard of OPTIONS. However, if you have been served by certain employees of area businesses such as McDonald’s, Popeye’s, Wal-Mart, First Guaranty Bank or Lakeview Regional Medical Center, you may have benefited from its services.

The Tangipahoa-based non-profit organization supports people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities, providing work skills and a variety of employment options that help these individuals maximize their potential. OPTIONS’ staff works with each individual to find a job match based on an interest and skills inventory. The needs and wants of the individual and an OPTIONS business partner are matched to ensure the right fit. The employees you encounter who have been hired through the OPTIONS program are not only skilled at their specific tasks, but will greet you with a warm and friendly smile.

Robert Chandler, who works at Wolfe Lumber & Supply, Inc. in Ponchatoula, is such an employee. “The reward that we receive on a daily basis just working with Robert is hard to put into any number,” says company owner Jonathan Bachrack. “Robert generally sets a pace that a lot of guys have trouble keeping up with.”

According to the National Organization on Disability, Robert’s outstanding job performance is not unique. Their studies have shown that people with disabilities have equal or higher performance ratings, higher retention rates and lower absenteeism than other workers. They often motivate co-workers and increase productivity. In addition to these advantages, businesses are provided with skilled supervisors who train the new workers; there may also be tax benefits for companies that hire and accommodate disabled workers.

OPTIONS has found success using a person-centered approach to its services. Everything the organization does is based on the individual’s life wishes, with a fundamental belief in the self-worth of each person. “Each person is considered a valued, respected, integral member of the community,” says Sylvia Bush, OPTIONS executive director. “We are focusing on what support the people need to get what they want.”

OPTIONS’ services don’t end at vocational training and job placement. The organization supports community homes, where residents learn domestic, money-management and personal-care skills. OPTIONS also offers supervised independent living for disabled individuals who choose to live in their own home or apartment, but still wish to participate in active treatment and community activities. Crisis intervention is available for the disabled, assuring that they remain safe in the least restrictive environment that meets their needs.

One of OPTIONS’ most interesting programs is its horticulture training. Established in 2002, the service offers job opportunities for meaningful work at the organization’s Horticulture Training Center. Workers concentrate on propagating plants by cuttings and growing a selection to sell at OPTIONS’ bi-annual plant sale. The fall sale offered mums, pansies, snapdragons, petunias, dianthus and a selection of vegetables and herbs. “It was our most successful sale yet, with all of the proceeds going to support OPTIONS programs,” says Laurie Falcon, horticulture program specialist, who hopes to raise an even larger amount at the Spring Plant Sale scheduled for March 25.

At any one time, about 150 individuals and their families are directly benefiting from OPTIONS services. That number doesn’t represent the big picture, however. Hundreds of other members in our community are affected by the program every day, from the employers who have hired clients of OPTIONS to the organization’s volunteers and office staff who find tremendous value and reward in the work they do. Volunteers include professional businesspeople who lend their expertise to OPTIONS programs; community volunteers who spend leisure time with OPTIONS clients dining out, shopping and picnicking; and student volunteers who donate time under a service-learning program, where they learn more about people with disabilities while earning school credits.

OPTIONS is located at 19362 West Shelton Road in Hammond. To learn more about OPTIONS’ services and volunteer opportunities, or to find out how you can contribute financially to OPTIONS programs, call 345-6269 or visit www.options4u.org. For more information on the Spring Plant Sale scheduled for March 25, call Laurie at 345-6269, extension 129.