00:00:00
Speaker 1: Welcome to today's episode of CEOs. You should know I'm Astra, and today we're welcoming Robert Stack, founder, president and CEO of Community Options, Inc. Thank you for joining us.
00:00:10
Speaker 2: Thank you very much.
00:00:11
Speaker 1: So we want to talk a little bit about your background and your journey. Now. You began your career within state systems before founding Community Options. What was the pivotal moment that convinced you that change needed to happen outside of government.
00:00:23
Speaker 2: I know that working in government that it's very hard to get things done, and that we were trying to help people with severe disabilities live in small houses in the community. And when I tried to turn to other people to try to do that, it seemed very difficult, and I thought the best way to do it would be to quit working for the state, incorporate my own nonprofit, and start my own way of doing it.
00:00:43
Speaker 1: Very smart. I like that, And at just thirty one years old, you launched Community Options from your home. Now, what were early experiences that most shaped your leadership, philosophy and resilience during that time?
00:00:54
Speaker 2: What was to not be well? You know, there's an old saying if you worry, don't worry, and if you don't worry. You should worry. And I worried a lot because I didn't have any money. I didn't have any way of making payroll, I didn't have any way of dealing with anything. So I worked really hard to do that and I was able to pull it together and turn it into what it is today.
00:01:15
Speaker 1: That's incredible. Now you've been a pioneer community based housing and employment models. What principles guided your approach to building a scalable person centered program.
00:01:25
Speaker 2: It was working in the community and working with others, And what I was able to do was say, if it worked one place, you could work another. So I started with three small houses in New Jersey and now we have seven hundred and fifty houses throughout the country in sixty cities throughout twelve states, and many here in Manhattan.
00:01:42
Speaker 1: That's remarkable. Congratulations. How do you actually foster innovation with a large, multi state nonprofit while staying deeply mission driven rather than operationally focused.
00:01:52
Speaker 2: Well, I look at you, and I hire people like you. I hire people that are smarter than me, younger than me, and have more energy than me, and.
00:01:59
Speaker 1: That could do social media.
00:02:00
Speaker 2: Exactly, which is another interesting thing I think to bring up about government. You know, as I go from state to state, I noticed that more state governor's offices have more people in social media than social policy. And that's a real interesting thing to look at.
00:02:18
Speaker 1: I will say, social media is taking over and that's the best way to reach out to people. Absolutely, you've challenged long standing policies and clinical practices. So what are some strategies that you found most effective in driving systemic change in resistant environments.
00:02:31
Speaker 2: One of the things I've seen happen is parents are afraid because they have a son or daughter with significant disabilities, So what are they going to do? And they don't understand that they have to start planning, And I tell them, quite frankly, you have to realize one thing, your son or daughter will outlive you by at least thirty five years, and you have to plan for that.
00:02:52
Speaker 1: Right now, That's actually very true. And now I want to just transition over to your vision and your strategy. Your work anticipated me milestones like the Americans with Disability Act and the Olmsted versus LC. What do you see as the next frontier for disability rights in the US.
00:03:09
Speaker 2: I still think we haven't achieved what we need to right now, and I think that with you look at the Americans with Disabilities Act or any of these things that still there's a lot of things going on that aren't correct. For example, in the state New York, you can pay people twenty five cents an hour if they have a disability and they have absolutely that's legal and it's allowed to happen. It's against it should be against the law, but it's not. There's a lot of things that are going on right now that need to be changed in order for people to live a better life and live more free and more independently.
00:03:37
Speaker 1: Now, looking ahead, how do you plan to scale community options impact while maintaining quality, dignity, and individualized support.
00:03:43
Speaker 2: I hate to be so trite, but I want to say I keep doing what I'm doing.
00:03:46
Speaker 1: I mean, you got to see what you got to say, It's true. I like that. Now, reflecting back on your career, what's been the most difficult barrier to advancing community based care and how did you navigate that.
00:04:00
Speaker 2: You know, people, when you open up a small house in a community, people are very afraid and they're very nervous about what happens, and people are looked at as an enemy. They're not an enemy. The real enemy is ignorance. And what I try to do is educate the public that people with disabilities are just like anybody else. They love like anybody else, they're your friends like anybody else, and if you treat them just like you want to be treated, then you're going to have a great, great life.
00:04:25
Speaker 1: Now let's talk about your book, Silent. No longer you call out systemic failures. What gives you optimism that meaningful reforms achievable?
00:04:33
Speaker 2: Again, I refer to you, or refer to the younger generation, that we have to pass the baton to you, and that you are going to show the leadership and the drive to change things that need to be done in order for people's disabilities to live a better life, to live freer, and to be able to achieve the kinds of equity and diversity that they should have.
00:04:52
Speaker 1: And speaking to the younger generation, what advice would you give to emerging leaders or social entrepreneurs who want to challenge, entrench systems and create lasting sol impacts.
00:05:00
Speaker 2: Don't give up, don't give up no matter what, just keep pushing, keep pushing. Don't be afraid because it's a challenge, but I think you'll overcome that challenge and things will get better.
00:05:10
Speaker 1: And don't take no for an answer.
00:05:12
Speaker 2: Right, absolutely, don't take no for an answer.
00:05:14
Speaker 1: Now, having worked on the front lines of deinstitutionalization in the nineteen eighties, how did those early challenges influence your long term commitment to disability rights.
00:05:22
Speaker 2: Well, it made me decide that I was going to devote my life to this, and that's what I did. I started when taking the first person I could out of an institution, and now there are people that in the institutions in New York. And now we've been trying to close institutions throughout the country and we're trying to get people disabilities to live in the community as much as they can, and that's what's been going on. I'm very excited about that.
00:05:44
Speaker 1: Now, as employment remains central to independence, how should organizations evolve to create meaningful workforce opportunities for people with disabilities in today's economy.
00:05:53
Speaker 2: You know, I realize now that there's a direct relationship between the severity of your disability and your level of loneliness. We all work, and we all work for money, but we also work to feel good about what we do. We feel, we want to feel appreciated, We want to feel that we make a difference. And what I'm trying to do with any person with any disability at all is to help them learn that they can make a difference and they can help things get better.
00:06:18
Speaker 1: I like that. Now, what's next for community Options inc Any exciting developments or maybe some expansions on the horizon.
00:06:24
Speaker 2: Well, the woman named Willo Bhaer, who's the Commissioner of New York, seems to like us a lot. And we like her, and we like Governor Hokel, and we like Governor Shapiro in Pennsylvania and uh and and we're working and we're trying to educate a Governor Abbott in Texas, and we're working very hard to try to develop more programs for them because we believe that everyone with disabilities can and should live in the community, and anyone who wants to work should and can work.
00:06:50
Speaker 1: That's very true. And if there's one thing that you want people to take away from your mission, what would that be?
00:06:55
Speaker 2: That they that anyone who wants to be involved to help people with this abilities do anything that they can. And I ask every person they kind of think about it for a second and say, how can I kind of help that other person. How can I make a difference, How can I do something a little bit out of my comfort zone to make that person with disability feel a little better.
00:07:14
Speaker 1: And lastly, is there a call to action that you'd like to share, like how people can engage with support or the work that you're doing.
00:07:21
Speaker 2: Yes, the answer is vote. The answer is vote. The answer is pay attention. Ask questions of those people who are running for whatever office it is, whether it's a small community leader, whether it's a mayor, whether it's somebody at its deputy mayor, ask them what their positions is are and ask them how they want to work with people with disabilities.
00:07:40
Speaker 1: And is there anything else you want to add?
00:07:42
Speaker 2: No that, I'm just delighted for Community Options. It's our over our thirty seventh year. We have seven thousand employees and we are always looking for more employees, and we're looking for student interns all over the country. We're in twelve states. Please look us up on our website and be more happy to of you. It's come UPCOMLP dot org.
00:08:00
Speaker 1: Well, thank you so much, Robert Stack, founder president and CEO of Community Options for joining us here on CEOs you should know.
00:08:07
Speaker 2: Thank you
Speaker 1: Welcome to today's episode of CEOs. You should know I'm Astra, and today we're welcoming Robert Stack, founder, president and CEO of Community Options, Inc. Thank you for joining us.
00:00:10
Speaker 2: Thank you very much.
00:00:11
Speaker 1: So we want to talk a little bit about your background and your journey. Now. You began your career within state systems before founding Community Options. What was the pivotal moment that convinced you that change needed to happen outside of government.
00:00:23
Speaker 2: I know that working in government that it's very hard to get things done, and that we were trying to help people with severe disabilities live in small houses in the community. And when I tried to turn to other people to try to do that, it seemed very difficult, and I thought the best way to do it would be to quit working for the state, incorporate my own nonprofit, and start my own way of doing it.
00:00:43
Speaker 1: Very smart. I like that, And at just thirty one years old, you launched Community Options from your home. Now, what were early experiences that most shaped your leadership, philosophy and resilience during that time?
00:00:54
Speaker 2: What was to not be well? You know, there's an old saying if you worry, don't worry, and if you don't worry. You should worry. And I worried a lot because I didn't have any money. I didn't have any way of making payroll, I didn't have any way of dealing with anything. So I worked really hard to do that and I was able to pull it together and turn it into what it is today.
00:01:15
Speaker 1: That's incredible. Now you've been a pioneer community based housing and employment models. What principles guided your approach to building a scalable person centered program.
00:01:25
Speaker 2: It was working in the community and working with others, And what I was able to do was say, if it worked one place, you could work another. So I started with three small houses in New Jersey and now we have seven hundred and fifty houses throughout the country in sixty cities throughout twelve states, and many here in Manhattan.
00:01:42
Speaker 1: That's remarkable. Congratulations. How do you actually foster innovation with a large, multi state nonprofit while staying deeply mission driven rather than operationally focused.
00:01:52
Speaker 2: Well, I look at you, and I hire people like you. I hire people that are smarter than me, younger than me, and have more energy than me, and.
00:01:59
Speaker 1: That could do social media.
00:02:00
Speaker 2: Exactly, which is another interesting thing I think to bring up about government. You know, as I go from state to state, I noticed that more state governor's offices have more people in social media than social policy. And that's a real interesting thing to look at.
00:02:18
Speaker 1: I will say, social media is taking over and that's the best way to reach out to people. Absolutely, you've challenged long standing policies and clinical practices. So what are some strategies that you found most effective in driving systemic change in resistant environments.
00:02:31
Speaker 2: One of the things I've seen happen is parents are afraid because they have a son or daughter with significant disabilities, So what are they going to do? And they don't understand that they have to start planning, And I tell them, quite frankly, you have to realize one thing, your son or daughter will outlive you by at least thirty five years, and you have to plan for that.
00:02:52
Speaker 1: Right now, That's actually very true. And now I want to just transition over to your vision and your strategy. Your work anticipated me milestones like the Americans with Disability Act and the Olmsted versus LC. What do you see as the next frontier for disability rights in the US.
00:03:09
Speaker 2: I still think we haven't achieved what we need to right now, and I think that with you look at the Americans with Disabilities Act or any of these things that still there's a lot of things going on that aren't correct. For example, in the state New York, you can pay people twenty five cents an hour if they have a disability and they have absolutely that's legal and it's allowed to happen. It's against it should be against the law, but it's not. There's a lot of things that are going on right now that need to be changed in order for people to live a better life and live more free and more independently.
00:03:37
Speaker 1: Now, looking ahead, how do you plan to scale community options impact while maintaining quality, dignity, and individualized support.
00:03:43
Speaker 2: I hate to be so trite, but I want to say I keep doing what I'm doing.
00:03:46
Speaker 1: I mean, you got to see what you got to say, It's true. I like that. Now, reflecting back on your career, what's been the most difficult barrier to advancing community based care and how did you navigate that.
00:04:00
Speaker 2: You know, people, when you open up a small house in a community, people are very afraid and they're very nervous about what happens, and people are looked at as an enemy. They're not an enemy. The real enemy is ignorance. And what I try to do is educate the public that people with disabilities are just like anybody else. They love like anybody else, they're your friends like anybody else, and if you treat them just like you want to be treated, then you're going to have a great, great life.
00:04:25
Speaker 1: Now let's talk about your book, Silent. No longer you call out systemic failures. What gives you optimism that meaningful reforms achievable?
00:04:33
Speaker 2: Again, I refer to you, or refer to the younger generation, that we have to pass the baton to you, and that you are going to show the leadership and the drive to change things that need to be done in order for people's disabilities to live a better life, to live freer, and to be able to achieve the kinds of equity and diversity that they should have.
00:04:52
Speaker 1: And speaking to the younger generation, what advice would you give to emerging leaders or social entrepreneurs who want to challenge, entrench systems and create lasting sol impacts.
00:05:00
Speaker 2: Don't give up, don't give up no matter what, just keep pushing, keep pushing. Don't be afraid because it's a challenge, but I think you'll overcome that challenge and things will get better.
00:05:10
Speaker 1: And don't take no for an answer.
00:05:12
Speaker 2: Right, absolutely, don't take no for an answer.
00:05:14
Speaker 1: Now, having worked on the front lines of deinstitutionalization in the nineteen eighties, how did those early challenges influence your long term commitment to disability rights.
00:05:22
Speaker 2: Well, it made me decide that I was going to devote my life to this, and that's what I did. I started when taking the first person I could out of an institution, and now there are people that in the institutions in New York. And now we've been trying to close institutions throughout the country and we're trying to get people disabilities to live in the community as much as they can, and that's what's been going on. I'm very excited about that.
00:05:44
Speaker 1: Now, as employment remains central to independence, how should organizations evolve to create meaningful workforce opportunities for people with disabilities in today's economy.
00:05:53
Speaker 2: You know, I realize now that there's a direct relationship between the severity of your disability and your level of loneliness. We all work, and we all work for money, but we also work to feel good about what we do. We feel, we want to feel appreciated, We want to feel that we make a difference. And what I'm trying to do with any person with any disability at all is to help them learn that they can make a difference and they can help things get better.
00:06:18
Speaker 1: I like that. Now, what's next for community Options inc Any exciting developments or maybe some expansions on the horizon.
00:06:24
Speaker 2: Well, the woman named Willo Bhaer, who's the Commissioner of New York, seems to like us a lot. And we like her, and we like Governor Hokel, and we like Governor Shapiro in Pennsylvania and uh and and we're working and we're trying to educate a Governor Abbott in Texas, and we're working very hard to try to develop more programs for them because we believe that everyone with disabilities can and should live in the community, and anyone who wants to work should and can work.
00:06:50
Speaker 1: That's very true. And if there's one thing that you want people to take away from your mission, what would that be?
00:06:55
Speaker 2: That they that anyone who wants to be involved to help people with this abilities do anything that they can. And I ask every person they kind of think about it for a second and say, how can I kind of help that other person. How can I make a difference, How can I do something a little bit out of my comfort zone to make that person with disability feel a little better.
00:07:14
Speaker 1: And lastly, is there a call to action that you'd like to share, like how people can engage with support or the work that you're doing.
00:07:21
Speaker 2: Yes, the answer is vote. The answer is vote. The answer is pay attention. Ask questions of those people who are running for whatever office it is, whether it's a small community leader, whether it's a mayor, whether it's somebody at its deputy mayor, ask them what their positions is are and ask them how they want to work with people with disabilities.
00:07:40
Speaker 1: And is there anything else you want to add?
00:07:42
Speaker 2: No that, I'm just delighted for Community Options. It's our over our thirty seventh year. We have seven thousand employees and we are always looking for more employees, and we're looking for student interns all over the country. We're in twelve states. Please look us up on our website and be more happy to of you. It's come UPCOMLP dot org.
00:08:00
Speaker 1: Well, thank you so much, Robert Stack, founder president and CEO of Community Options for joining us here on CEOs you should know.
00:08:07
Speaker 2: Thank you
