Opportunities Unlimited

Opportunities Unlimited is a residential and rehabilitation facility that has been serving individuals with disabilities in Siouxland for more than 25 years.

Founded by a few Sioux City families who had children that experienced a life-changing brain injury, Opportunities Unlimited was formed to provide a place in the community where people with brain injuries or other special needs could go to receive services for their disability.

Opportunities Unlimited provides residential rehabilitation programs, home and community-based services and employment development in the community.

Opportunities Unlimited offers residential services to adults with a brain injury, spinal cord injury, or other physical or mental disability. The individuals served live in one of nine homes that line Glen Oaks Boulevard in Sioux City.

Each home has been designed with the purpose, comfort and dignity of the persons served in mind. Each person served has his or her own bedroom and private half bath. The community areas in each home include an accessible kitchen, full bathroom and living room. Eight of the homes have four residents and one home houses six residents.

Individuals served are encouraged to participate, to the best of their ability, in all areas of residential living and therapies. With the assistance of 24-hour residential staff, persons served take part in meal preparation and help with household tasks.

Depending on an individual's needs and goals, OU provides a full team of rehabilitative staff that may include Physical Therapists, Speech and Language Pathologists, Psychological Services, Nursing Services, Vocational Training by Certified Job Coaches, Exercise Therapy, along with a range of classes and community integration - all based on helping the individual gain or relearn skills and independence.

Opportunities Unlimited also supports other organizations in the area by providing outpatient therapy services.

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) (formerly called Waiver services) are offered as a Medicaid Program through the Department of Human Services. Home and Community Based Services are offered to individuals with special needs who need support. Each individual on the Waiver must be eligible for Medicaid and must also meet the requirements for their specific Waiver. The state of Iowa currently has seven HCBS Waivers.

Opportunities Unlimited also teaches persons served to be employed in the community and continues to grow employment services.

Jennifer McCabe, president and CEO of Opportunities Unlimited, said the non-profit serves about 200 individuals with brain injuries and special needs in the Sioux City community, including some veterans.

"It's one of the things we're proud of, serving our military veterans who have sustained a brain injury while serving our country," she said.

Opportunities Unlimited is particularly proud of its facility and the skill-set that their compassionate staff brings to the community of people with disabilities. It sets them apart from other facilities in the area and around the world.

"Our brain-injury program is well-regarded throughout the state of Iowa, the Midwest and beyond. We put our employees through a rigorous training program that is nationally accredited," she said.

To provide the best possible care for its residents and clients, nearly 20 percent of Opportunities Unlimited's workforce is voluntarily certified through the Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists (ACBIS) national certification program.

Putting that into perspective, OU is one of only 14 ACBIS certified sites in the world, and a high percentage of their staff has completed the certification program.

OU is very mission-driven, McCabe said. Their mission is "Maximizing Personal Potential through Dignified and Purposeful Living."

Because Opportunities Unlimited is supported financially by individuals and other organizations, it's important to them to give back to the community.

"If you ask our employees, they will be able to tell our mission to you," she said. "We love our Siouxland community and believe in supporting it. Just because we are funded by others doesn't mean we can't be a contributor. Our persons served help out in several ways."

Persons served have a job coach and are trained on site in a variety of occupations, so they can go out and work in the community.

"They work through the skill development process," said Susan Vondrak, executive operations manager at Opportunities Unlimited. "We have the kitchen set up as an industrial kitchen. We teach them how to use the equipment that's there."

Opportunities Unlimited also has a laundry area set up where the clients learn how to do laundry with professional equipment, Vondrak said. They launder linens for the June E. Nylen Cancer Center and local doctor's offices in the community.

In another area, clients learn how to sort through thrift store items and make sure they are clean and functional to sell.

Out in the community, OU clients clean stables for The Special Troopers Adaptive Riding School (STARS), dip apples in caramel and chocolate for the Siouxland Humane Society, pick up trash at ArtSplash, go to local parks to keep them clean, and they also do Meals on Wheels, among many other jobs.

"We believe we can impact the community and make it better for others. We plan to help an assisted living facility with their leisure activities," she said. "We're very community focused."

"We don't just want to take, we want to give," Vondrak said. "We strive for a positive culture where we support professional growth. We offer training and different activities to show staff appreciation."

People who work at OU enjoy their career because they impact others. Kela said: "You're all here to make a difference in someone's life...and it's nice that you can come into a facility and get services from people who care for individuals as much as they would for their own family members."

The employees also form relationships with the clients. Vishal said: "Most days I don't feel like I am working. I'm just hanging out with my friends and helping them with their daily activities. I play soccer with one of my clients. You know kicking the ball around, playing basketball. They treat me as one of the family members." E had this to say about his experience at OU: "The individuals here, it's like they're mentoring me to better my life...And the biggest thing is don't take life for granted, which I don't; I live every day to the fullest."

The staff shows their appreciation for the community by volunteering for OU events, such as Family Day and their golf tournament at the Sioux City Country Club.

They also go out into the community to spread awareness of brain injuries through their "Gotta Brain, Getta Helmet" program, which gives away helmets to second-graders in Sioux City during the month of March or April. The program, now in its 10th year," educates children about brain injuries and the importance of wearing a helmet to protect their brain.

Every year in the United States, 1.7 million people suffer a brain injury. That includes nearly a half million children. It can happen to anyone.

"No one plans for a brain injury or think it will happen to themselves or a family member. Many times people are going through life in a pretty typical fashion when all of a sudden some significant event will forever change their lives. In Sioux City, we're fortunate to have a facility like ours to serve people with disabilities," said McCabe.