Community Options, Inc.

Community Options, Inc. operates a regional office at 1 Progress Street, Suite 100, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, serving Schuylkill County and the surrounding communities of the state's anthracite region. The organization is a national nonprofit that develops housing and employment supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rather than operating a single facility that people travel to, Community Options builds its services around the places where the people it supports already live and work, coordinating staff, transportation, training, and clinical oversight from local offices like the one in Pottsville.

The Pottsville location functions primarily as an administrative and coordination hub. Case managers, program directors, quality assurance staff, and recruiting personnel work from this office, while direct support professionals are deployed to homes, apartments, job sites, and community settings throughout the service area. Families, referral sources, county officials, and prospective employees generally interact with the organization at this address or by phone at +1 484-662-3603.

Background and Mission

Community Options was founded in 1989 in Princeton, New Jersey, during a period when many states were moving away from large institutional settings and toward community based support models. The organization's stated purpose is to help people with disabilities live and work in the general community rather than in segregated environments. Over the following decades it expanded into a multi state provider with offices in a number of regions across the country, including several in Pennsylvania.

The philosophical basis of the organization's work is the idea that a person with a significant disability can hold a job, rent or own a home, choose roommates, participate in neighborhood life, and make decisions about daily routines when the right supports are in place. This orientation shapes how services are structured: small residential settings instead of large congregate facilities, individualized employment placements instead of sheltered work, and person centered planning that begins with the individual's stated preferences and goals.

Residential Supports

A substantial share of the organization's work involves helping adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities maintain a home in the community. Depending on the level of need and the funding available, this can take several forms:

• Community homes shared by a small number of residents, with staff present on a schedule that matches the residents' support needs, sometimes around the clock.
• Supported living arrangements in which a person lives in their own apartment or house and receives staff assistance for a set number of hours each week.
• Support with daily living skills such as meal preparation, budgeting, medication management, personal care, housekeeping, and scheduling medical appointments.
• Assistance with transportation to work, medical care, recreation, religious services, and family visits.
• Coordination with physicians, behavioral health clinicians, therapists, and other providers involved in a person's care.

Direct support professionals are the backbone of these programs. They receive training in areas such as medication administration, crisis prevention, first aid, documentation, and the rights of people receiving services. Program supervisors and directors based out of the Pottsville office oversee staffing patterns, incident reporting, and compliance with Pennsylvania licensing requirements.

Employment and Day Services

Alongside housing, employment is the organization's other principal focus. Community Options has long advocated for competitive integrated employment, meaning jobs in ordinary workplaces at prevailing wages alongside coworkers who do not have disabilities. Employment services typically include career discovery and interest assessment, resume preparation, interview practice, job development with area employers, on site job coaching during the training period, and ongoing follow along support once a person is established in a position.

Job placements in a county like Schuylkill often involve retail, food service, hospitality, warehousing, light manufacturing, office support, custodial work, and grounds maintenance, reflecting the local economy. Job coaches work with both the employee and the employer, helping to break down tasks, establish routines, adapt training methods, and troubleshoot problems that arise during the first weeks on the job. The goal in most cases is for natural supports from supervisors and coworkers to gradually replace paid coaching.

For individuals who are not currently working or who want structured activity outside of a job, day and community participation programs offer skill building, volunteer opportunities, recreation, health and wellness activities, and instruction in areas such as communication, safety, technology use, and self advocacy. These programs emphasize time spent in community settings rather than only in a building.

Funding and Eligibility

In Pennsylvania, most services of this type are funded through Medicaid home and community based waivers administered by the Office of Developmental Programs, along with county mental health and intellectual disability offices and, for employment services, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Individuals and families typically begin the process by contacting their county administrative entity to establish eligibility, after which a supports coordinator helps select a qualified provider. Community Options staff at the Pottsville office can explain how the referral process works and what information is needed, though eligibility determinations themselves are made by the county and state agencies.

Location and Accessibility

The office sits on Progress Street in Pottsville, the seat of Schuylkill County, within a commercial area that is reachable from the Route 61 and Route 209 corridors. The site has a wheelchair accessible entrance and a wheelchair accessible parking lot, which matters for an organization whose visitors include people who use mobility devices. On site parking is available for individuals, family members, job applicants, and partner agency staff attending meetings.

Because services are delivered where people live and work, the practical service area extends well beyond Pottsville itself into surrounding boroughs and townships. Prospective clients should confirm coverage for their specific municipality when making an initial inquiry.

Employment Opportunities

Like most providers in the disability services field, Community Options recruits direct support professionals on an ongoing basis. Positions generally include full time, part time, and awake overnight shifts, and many roles do not require prior experience in the field because training is provided. The work typically involves personal care assistance, community outings, documentation, transportation, and supporting people in daily routines. Job seekers interested in human services, social work, nursing, education, or behavioral health often use these roles as an entry point into the profession.

Practical Information

• Address: 1 Progress St, Suite 100, Pottsville, Pennsylvania 17901
• Telephone: +1 484-662-3603
• Organization type: nonprofit provider of disability housing, employment, and community support services
• Accessibility: wheelchair accessible entrance and wheelchair accessible parking lot

Families exploring residential or employment supports, county and school district staff making referrals, employers interested in hiring, and community members seeking information about volunteering or donations can contact the office directly by phone.