Alternative Opportunities Inc. Is on the Job

Although it’s easy to complain about incompetent bosses or annoying projects, having a job is one of the things that gives us identity and a place in society. We may yearn for the weekend, but it can only really be enjoyed after a week's worth of hard work.

Helping others achieve satisfying employment is the mission of Alternative Opportunities Inc., a nonprofit organization with offices in Affton that provides employment services to people with disabilities, among other programs.

Alternative Opportunities (AO) is in the process of completing a merger with Shrewsbury-based organization Jobs and Employment Support Services (JESS). The move not only expands the services the two organizations offer to St. Louis residents, but also puts the formerly struggling JESS on firmer financial ground, said AO Regional Director Hillary McAulay.

AO is a primarily state-funded organization that offers three main services: job placement help and coaching for individuals with disabilities, a transitional living program for foster youth as they age out of the system and an individualized supported living program for those with disabilities.

McAulay said the employment services aspect has the largest impact, with 340 people helped through AO and JESS. The disabilities their clients struggle with can range from mental illness to physical disability to past drug addiction, she said.

“Our only qualifier is that the person has to have an open case with the department of vocational rehabilitation,” McAulay said. “We not only help people find jobs. In some cases, we do an assessment to determine what type of job will best suit the individual. We also provide job coaching to people who need extra help when they start a job.”

For those who have spent many years inside the foster care system, leaving it behind when required at age 21 can be difficult. Helping these young men and women gain independence is another part of AO’s mission.

“We teach them independent living skills, so by the time they are 21 they are ready to live on their own,” McAulay said.

AO also helps cover rent and utilities while their young clients begin entering the workforce or going to college.

The organization’s third main program is focused on giving around-the-clock help to two clients who are deaf and have developmental disabilities. AO’s assistance allows them to live in their own apartments and have as much independence as possible.

“It’s helping them clean, go the grocery store and budget their money. The hope is that they will be able to work eventually,” McAulay said.

The group also seeks out grants when possible, such as one from the federal Department of Labor’s Pathways Out of Poverty program that AO received in 2010. McAulay said it has helped fund a training program that teaches people how to build homes efficiently using solar materials.

The idea, she said, is to provide individuals with a set of skills they can use to secure a well-paying, full-time job.