Project Opportunity provides services to adults with developmental disabilities in San Francisco, with an emphasis on community access and integrated employment.

COMMUNITY ACCESS: Project Opportunity focuses on helping program participants gain access as valued members of their home neighborhoods. Opportunities to meet people and learn skills are found at local gyms, stores, cafés, libraries, and other community resources that are available to everybody else. We make a special effort to find community resources that are culturally, linguistically, and socially accessible to each participant. With a maximum ratio of one staff to three participants, we try to assure that participants can become involved in community environments of their choosing without feeling part of a large "tour" or "special group." Our programs provide 100% community-based assistance and support. We do not have a "center" for providing instruction, since learning is most effective when it occurs in the environment in which it is to be used, and community inclusion cannot occur in environments that segregate people with disabilities. We base our services on the needs, interests, and dreams of each individual and work cooperatively with their family and friends to provide the support needed to meet those dreams.

INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT: Project Opportunity assists individuals in seeking jobs that match their skills and interests. We continually work with participants to seek new jobs that will provide entry and advancement in satisfying careers. Our staff consult with employers to help provide on-the-job training that best fits the needs of the people we place. Our aim is to find just the right job with each individual; no more than three people (and usually just one or two) are placed at a given job site. "Integrated" employment means that our staff works to maximize the inclusion of participants in the work environment, and everyone we place is hired and paid directly by employers.

REFERRAL: The integrated work services at UCP are vendorized by Golden Gate Regional Center and Regional Center of the East Bay as Adult Development Programs. We provide up to 30 hours of service per week-generally six hours per day, although hours often are adjusted to meet consumer interests and needs. All program participants are referred by regional center counselors. Although space is limited, and the type of openings available depend on our staffing resources at a given time, no prerequisite skills are needed to enter our program. We have a commitment to serve individuals with a wide range of needs.

For more information about Project Opportunity, please contact UCP at (510) 832-7430 or send an e-mail.