Welcome to Endless Options, Inc.

​So much to be grateful for.

The last year or so has been chock full of changes at Endless Options.  While our core mission of serving people with developmental disabilities has not changed one bit in the thirty-four plus years of serving Howard County, how we do it, and the words we use have.  We continue to maintain CARF accreditation and have been accredited since 1995.  This is something to be proud of and grateful for.  For the past few cycles all programs have been included in the accreditation process. 

Currently the Board of Directors is going through some difficult but necessary strategic planning.  We are looking to find our place in a future that includes all of us, and ways this community can become an inclusive one, for all the people who call this home.

The plan is likely not going to be complete for a couple more months, but a sneak peek shows that we are committed to providing employment options for people with intellectual /developmental disabilities, as well as other kinds of disabilities as they are found eligible for vocational rehabilitation services.  New federal rules are changing what this might look like in the future, but we are doing our best to keep up and offer employment services utilizing the current best practices.

In our area, this has been a bleak prospect, as jobs are hard to come by.  So, we rely on our subsidiary businesses, The Attic and EO Recycles to provide work experience training for local high school students, service learning projects with students from Central Methodist University and any other partnerships we can develop, as well as real employment for people with and without disabilities.   This year we are adding back in the vocational rehabilitation component and hope to serve a wider range of people in that capacity.  We will need the help of the business community to partner with us for training sites and hopefully, much needed community employment.

And speaking of our subsidiary businesses, if you haven’t see the progress on the new building for EO Recycles, be sure and check it out.  We have sure had a long journey to the reality of a building where we can work on important civic partnerships like recycling and jobs.  If you can, help us out with a donation.  No amount too small, and there are lots of ways to give, online, at The Attic or stop by our offices in Fayette.  Every penny counts as we head down the home stretch.  And, watch for a grand opening sometime in January, you will be able to see our facility and help us celebrate.  

The Attic is celebrating nineteen years in the resale market in Fayette, no easy feat.  We have also bounced around a bit location wise, but we have recently landed in a most wonderful space at 110 East Morrison, across from the courthouse.  We expect to be there for quite some time.  Stop by and see what we have for you.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

Our other services, supporting people to live in their own home in the community with the supports they need, and the work at the day program that strives to help people find their own meaningful day continue to grow and look to the future.  Growth and change are hard, but we keep working at it every day.

No update would be complete without an update on Service Coordination.  When we started out in 2010, our goal was to provide local based service coordination right here in Howard County.  Our partnership with Howard County Sheltered Services Board was not unique to Howard County. Changes have mandated that we no longer provide service coordination to the same people we provide other services to via the Home and Community Based Services waivers.  Our cooperative plan to come into compliance means we will be transitioning that service to the Howard County Sheltered Services Board starting in January and completed by June 30, 2017.  In that way, there will be no conflicts between the service coordination functions and the roles of any provider in Howard County.

So, as we head in to this holiday season my wish for you is to that you love and are loved back, and as always, be kind.  There are a million ways you can make a difference. Be grateful.

​Debra Miller
​Chief Executive Officer

2015 Letter From the CEO

In July 2015 Endless Options Inc. celebrated thirty three years of service provision to people who live in Howard County and have a developmental disability.  Many things have changed along the way.  Some things remain constant.  
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While there are many things that we use to measure our worth, the things that we hold most dear will probably never be known to us.  You can’t measure someone’s heart, or their capacity to love, or the care they put into the ordinary things we do every day.  We get to witness miracles big and small, and we do not take this lightly.

​We strive to make this organization one that matters to the people we serve, our employees and our community as a whole.  We try to keep on the path of an organization that is mission driven and person centered.  We strive to look at all sides of all services, and to provide the best services possible.  

​And, since you can't measure miracles, we measure where we can.  We pay attention to best practices and national trends.  We provide input to our provider networks, and we pay attention to what other agencies have achieved.  We dream, we reflect, and most importantly, we come together daily to make the services available.

​Debra Miller
​Chief Executive Officer