Opportunity Partners Inc

OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT ADVANCES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1,300 ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES EACH YEAR THROUGH EMPLOYMENT, RESIDENTIAL AND ENRICHMENT SERVICES DESIGNED TO HELP PEOPLE SUCCEED. OUR AWARD-WINNING, PERSON-CENTERED SERVICES HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY, ESTABLISH REWARDING CAREERS, EXPAND SOCIAL CONNECTIONS AND REACH GOALS OF GREATER INDEPENDENCE. WE KNOW THAT WHEN ALL PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO BE ACCEPTED AND INCLUDED, OUR WORLD IS BETTER. WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER!

VOCATIONAL/EMPLOYMENT SERVICES: FOUNDED IN 1953 BY VISIONARY PARENTS WHO WANTED A BETTER LIFE FOR THEIR TEENAGE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS HAS ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE ABILITIES OF PEOPLE. AT A TIME WHEN MANY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WERE INSTITUTIONALIZED, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD TO LEARN JOB SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE THE SENSE OF PRIDE THAT COMES FROM EARNING A PAYCHECK. IN 1959, OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS BECAME THE FIRST SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE TWIN CITIES TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO FIND JOBS WITH EMPLOYERS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN 2020, OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS SERVED ABOUT 1,300 PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AT HUNDREDS OF JOB SITES, RESIDENCES AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS THROUGHOUT THE 10-COUNTY TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA. OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS PROVIDES SUPPORT TO A WIDE RANGE OF INDIVIDUALS - FROM YOUNG ADULTS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY TO ADULTS RECOVERING FROM BRAIN INJURY DUE TO A STROKE TO SENIORS WITH DOWN SYNDROME. NO MATTER WHAT THE CHALLENGE, OUR SERVICES HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO LEAD MORE REWARDING AND MEANINGFUL LIVES. OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS PROVIDES ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PEOPLE ACQUIRE SKILLS FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION INCLUDING HOW TO MANAGE A BUDGET, SHOP FOR AND COOK HEALTHY MEALS, AND REGISTER TO VOTE. EMPLOYMENT SERVICES OFFER SPAN A FULL SPECTRUM OF SUPPORTS TO HELP PEOPLE EXPLORE THE WORLD OF WORK AND REACH THEIR EMPLOYMENT GOALS. PARTICIPANTS GAIN EXPERIENCE, EARN AN INCOME, AND HAVE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS VALUED AT OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS AND AT OTHER BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.2020 EMPLOYMENT MILESTONES:- PEOPLE UTILIZING EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT (JOB SEEKING) SUPPORTS: 76 - NEW COMPETITIVE JOB PLACEMENTS: 28- DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT MORE THAN 180 PEOPLE IN JOB RETENTION SERVICES, PROVIDING SUPPORT VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON DURING SOME OF THE MOST CRUCIAL TIMES OF THE PANDEMIC.- SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONED 54 PEOPLE FROM CCP, A PROVIDER THAT CLOSED, INTO OP EMPLOYMENT SERVICES DURING THIS TIME.- AVERAGE WAGE FOR PEOPLE WORKING COMPETITIVE JOBS: $14.54/HOUR- OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS IS ACCREDITED THROUGH CARF INTERNATIONAL, THE COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION OF REHABILITATION FACILITIES. DURING ITS LAST ACCREDITING PERIOD (2020), OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS WAS REACCREDITED FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS FOR ITS COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYMENT PLANNING SERVICES. THE LATEST ACCREDITATION WAS THE NINTH CONSECUTIVE THREE-YEAR ACCREDITATION THAT THE INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITING BODY HAS AWARDED TO OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS. THIS REPRESENTS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ACCREDITATION THAT CAN BE AWARDED TO AN ORGANIZATION AND SHOWS A SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE TO THE CARF STANDARDS. AN ORGANIZATION RECEIVING A THREE-YEAR ACCREDITATION HAS PUT ITSELF THROUGH A RIGOROUS PEER REVIEW PROCESS AND DEMONSTRATES TO A TEAM OF SURVEYORS DURING AN ON-SITE VISIT ITS COMMITMENT TO OFFERING SERVICES THAT ARE MEASURABLE, ACCOUNTABLE, AND OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY. - 2020 AWARDS: OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS EARNED A COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT AWARD FROM THE MINNESOTA ORGANIZATION FOR HABILITATION & REHABILITATION (MOHR) FOR ITS ENGAGE WITH MY COMMUNITY SERVICE THAT SUPPORTS SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES OF THEIR CHOOSING. ALSO, COMMUNITY PARTNER LUNDS & BYERLY'S EARNED AN OUTSTANDING DISABILITY EMPLOYER AWARD FOR ITS COLLABORATION WITH OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS IN HIRING AND PROMOTING INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES:OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS BEGAN OFFERING RESIDENTIAL SERVICES TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE EARLY 1970S, ASSISTING PEOPLE TO LIVE AS INDEPENDENTLY AS POSSIBLE WHILE PROVIDING STAFF SUPPORT AS NEEDED. TODAY, OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS OFFERS A CONTINUUM OF RESIDENTIAL SERVICES, RANGING FROM GROUP HOMES (WHICH PROVIDE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SUPPORT) TO COMMUNITY LIVING (WHICH SUPPORT PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN HOMES). SATISFACTION SURVEYS AND LICENSING REVIEWS PROMOTE OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS' ATTENTION TO QUALITY IN SERVICES AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. IN 2020, THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED RESIDENTIAL SERVICES TO 274 PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 170 WERE PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN HOMES, 26 IN OUR SUPPORTED APARTMENT PROGRAM (HOMEBASE) AND ANOTHER 78 PEOPLE RECEIVED 24-HOUR STAFF SUPPORT IN ONE OF OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS' 20 GROUP HOMES. THE SUPPORTED APARTMENT PROGRAM, HOMEBASE, WAS LAUNCHED AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND INPUT FROM INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND REFERRAL SOURCES. HOMEBASE PROVIDES SEMI-INDEPENDENT LIVING IN COMFORTABLE, CONVENIENT APARTMENT SETTINGS. THE PROGRAM PROMOTES THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE OF EACH PERSON BY OFFERING APARTMENT LIVING WITH ACCESS TO NEARBY SUPPORT STAFF. OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS OPENED HOMEBASE IN HOPKINS IN 2011, EXPANDED THE PROGRAM TO COON RAPIDS IN 2012, AND OPENED IN MINNETONKA IN 2020.SATISFACTION SURVEYS:519 PEOPLE SERVED IN RESIDENTIAL AND/OR DAY SERVICES RESPONDED TO THE DECEMBER 2020 SURVEY.OP IMPROVES MY QUALITY OF LIFE.90% ANSWERED YESOP STAFF TREAT ME WITH RESPECT.95.6% ANSWERED YESI AM RECEIVING THE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS I NEED AT THIS TIME.92.6% ANSWERED YESOP AND OTHER IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN MY LIFE WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM.93% ANSWERED YESOP PROVIDES ME COVID COMMUNICATIONS AND UPDATES AS IT PERTAINS TO MY AREA.86.9% ANSWERED YESCOVID-19 IMPACT:AS A RESULT OF COVID-19, ON MARCH 18, 2020, OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS STOPPED PROVIDING DAY SERVICES AT ITS FIVE FACILITIES, RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN REVENUES AS WELL AS STAFF FURLOUGHS. THE PANDEMIC ALSO RESULTED IN ADDITIONAL STAFFING REQUIREMENTS AT OUR RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES TO SUPPORT THE SAY AT HOME REQUIREMENTS. THE OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL IMPACT CONTINUED WITH DAY SERVICES REOPENING LATER IN THE YEAR, BUT AT VERY LIMITED CAPACITY TO SUPPORT SOCIAL DISTANCING AND FACE MASK PROTOCOLS. SOME VIRTUAL SERVICES WERE OFFERED.WE GATHERED PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND OTHER MATERIALS TO KEEP PERSONS SERVED AND STAFF SAFE DURING THE PANDEMIC: MASKS, FACE SHIELDS, GOWNS, CLEANING SUPPLIES AND THERMOMETERS, INCLUDING NEARLY 6,000 FACE MASKS DONATED FROM OUR CARING COMMUNITY.IN MARCH 2020, THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF AND ECONOMICS SECURITY (CARES) ACT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW TO COMBAT THE FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF COVID-19. THE CARES ACT CREATED A PROVIDER RELIEF FUND TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. OP RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY $1,439,000 OF THIS FUNDING IN 2020. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, OP COULD APPLY THE FUNDING AGAINST LOST REVENUES AND ELIGIBLE EXPENSES.