Residential Options

Some 35 years ago, Residential Options, Inc. (ROI) became a mission of First Presbyterian Church. This innovative service was designed to meet the need of adults with developmental disabilities, who were at the time still living at home with aging parents. For the first time, this program offered the opportunity for adults with developmental disabilities to live in the community, in a group home (but non-institutional) setting.

Several adult members of our church and their families took advantage of this opportunity. A group home serving ten residents was established. Many years later, a second home was purchased and the original ten residents were able to live in the two homes, providing each resident with a private bedroom for the first time.

Over the years ROI evolved in response to many changes in the field of serving adults with developmental disabilities, including changes in state and federal rules and regulations, funding, care standards for residents, and even direct service management companies. The one constant, however, over more than three decades of service to the community and our church, has been the direct involvement of members of First Presbyterian Church.

The volunteer board of ROI has remained at seven members, with the Session of our church always appointing a majority of its members (four) from our congregation. The remaining three members of the ROI board have been elected by the ROI board from members of the community at large.

In this ever-changing environment, the ROI board has recently undertaken a review of its original mission, which was to provide a community-based group home to members of our church and others in the community. As a result, the ROI board determined that the original mission has long ago been accomplished and it is time to look at a new mission.

Any such mission, however, would still be in support of adults with developmental disabilities, specifically of the ten residents of our two homes.