Siskiyou Opportunity Center Expands To Serve Shasta County Clients

Northern California is home to a vast network of support programs that enhance the lives of adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities by promoting financial independence, employment, community involvement and personal growth. The Shasta County Opportunity Center was one such place. This center was established in the 1960s through a collaborative effort involving nine northern counties, the State of California, local educational institutions and dedicated parents. Its mission was to forge new paths for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Seamless transition ensures stability for clients

In 2023, the program was deemed financially unsustainable and the Shasta County board of supervisors voted unanimously to close its doors. Had the Siskiyou Opportunity Center not intervened, the closure would have affected nearly 100 of the county’s most vulnerable residents. “There were some clients that were extremely depressed because they were fearful of losing their employment, which could result in losing their housing and food and they were facing a real crisis,” explains program director Kristina Jackson. Siskiyou Opportunity Center’s executive director, Dan Chianello, worked closely with Far Northern Regional Center and staff at the City of Redding to coordinate client referrals, staff recruitment and contract negotiations to create a seamless transition for their new clients. “We were able to just provide that hope and stability for them. Not a single client lost a day of work,” Kristina says.

Empowering clients through diverse vocational opportunities

The Siskiyou Opportunity Center has been in operation since 1970 and today serves around 120 clients, including former Shasta County clients, in its employment programs. The Supported Employment Program offers participants comprehensive community support, employment opportunities in specialized teams and training in both job-related and interpersonal skills.

Siskiyou Opportunity Center clients engage in diverse vocations, including recycling operations where participants operate equipment like bailers, crushers and conveyor belts and sort recyclables for the blue bag program serving the Weed and Dunsmuir communities. Those residing in Shasta County may work at the City of Redding Recycling Center. Additionally, some participants contribute through janitorial services in municiple facilities.

Clients also engage in craftsmanship and woodworking, creating picnic tables, custom-designed planter boxes and bundles of kindling. Many are involved in bulk mailing, secure document shredding and managing food pantry logistics—including shopping and delivery for the Yreka Community Resource Center, demonstrating a commitment to supporting local community needs.

Ryan Hogan, hard-working member of the janitorial crew at Siskiyou Opportunity Center, helps keep city municipal properties and rest stops along I5 clean and tidy. Photo by Stacey Leigh Mohr.

Enhancing lives through the Community Endeavors Program

In addition to job training services, the Siskiyou Opportunity Center offers the Community Endeavors program, which provides their more severely developmentally disabled clients opportunities such as cooking classes, arts and crafts and community outings. Within this program, clients can enhance their communication skills, reducing frustration and improving interactions. They also learn essential daily living tasks, including meal preparation, cooking and maintaining personal hygiene.

Referrals to the Siskiyou Opportunity Center primarily come from Far Northern Regional Center – one of California’s regional centers that provides services and support for individuals with developmental disabilities. To qualify for services, Kristina explains that clients must have a “documented disability before they turn 18.”

The Siskiyou Opportunity Center has locations in Mount. Shasta, Yreka and now Redding serving Shasta County clients. For more information, visit siskiyouoc.org.