OPPO
“Everyone in this field is here for the right reasons. We just love what we do.” Hailey Lindberg’s path to Executive Director at OPPO, an organization that provides services for individuals with disabilities, feels less like a straight line and more like a steady pull toward people. She grew up in Davis County, Utah, with deep family roots in West Point, where her father’s family helped establish the town.
In high school, Hailey was involved in sports, and at Utah State University she served as a student ambassador, recruiting for the school and discovering how much she loved connecting with others. That interest led her into a social work program and, soon after college, into her first professional roles supporting people with disabilities.
Hailey’s career began at RISE Services, alongside friends from college, where she worked with children and adults with disabilities and foster care placements. It was there that she found her footing in a field that felt both challenging and meaningful. Shortly after the birth of her first son, she and her husband moved to Houston, Texas where he attended nursing school. Hailey continued similar work at Pathway Services, again supporting individuals with disabilities and foster families. Those years deepened what she already knew about herself. She loved the work, and she loved the people.
In 2018, after the sudden loss of her father-in-law in a car accident, Hailey and her growing family returned to Utah to be closer to relatives. Back home, she took on a new perspective as a support coordinator, essentially a case manager, working with the Division of Services for People with Disabilities. For five years, she worked on the funding and coordination side, getting to know providers across the state. It was during this time that she first encountered OPPO. From the outside, she was struck by the quality of services and the care behind them. Before long, OPPO recruited her.
Today, Hailey oversees operations for an organization that has quietly built a reputation for doing things with intention and heart. Based in Midvale, with offices in Provo, Cedar City, St. George, and Denver, OPPO serves individuals across Utah and Colorado. The name itself is short for “opportunity,” a simple word that captures the company’s purpose. OPPO supports children, teens, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, ranging in age from seven to seventy plus. Some individuals need higher levels of support, others less, but the philosophy is still the same. If something is important to the individual, it is important to OPPO.
The services are wide-ranging. OPPO supports people in their homes with daily living skills, helps individuals find and keep jobs, and operates host homes - adult foster care settings for people with disabilities. One of the programs OPPO is best known for is its summer program, which provides structure, community, and fun when school is out and families need additional support. Groups head to water parks, movies, and community outings, making sure clients are not just cared for, but actively engaged in life.
On a typical weekday, OPPO’s Midvale space on Main Street is full of motion. Trained staff, known as Direct Support Professionals, work with small groups or one-on-one, depending on individual needs. Some activities happen in the office, in bright activity rooms filled with board games, craft stations, karaoke machines, and planning areas where clients help choose upcoming outings. There is also a quiet room designed for those who need calm and space when overstimulated. Much of the work, however, happens beyond the building’s walls. OPPO prides itself on being community-based. Clients are picked up from their homes and spend their days at libraries, parks, museums, the zoo, Tracy Aviary, or learning new skills through cooking lessons and tours around the city.
OPPO also offers after-school programs for children and teens, social skills groups in the evenings, and vocational rehabilitation services for individuals seeking employment. Staff often stay with the same clients for years, building relationships that go far beyond a schedule. According to Hailey, when staff are asked what they love most about their jobs, the answer is nearly always the same. It is the people they serve.
Behind the scenes, OPPO’s roots stretch back to an earlier company called Reliant Services. In 2018, the founder and CEO, originally from Atlanta, acquired Reliant and transformed it into OPPO. His background in intellectual and developmental disability services runs deep. His mother worked in the field, and together they once operated group homes. He remains the owner today, described by Hailey as something of a “man behind the curtain,” deeply knowledgeable and invested, even as he lets his leadership team run day-to-day operations.
OPPO is a medium-sized provider in a small, specialized field. Nearly all services are funded through Medicaid waivers, with a small number of private-pay families who are waiting for state funding. The system is complex, but the goal is simple - to match individuals with the right supports, at the right level, in a setting where they can thrive. Hailey is candid about current challenges, including concerns around potential budget cuts, but her focus remains on maintaining quality, integrity, and care.
When asked what she wishes people better understood about OPPO, Hailey comes back to culture. Everyone involved - families, staff, coordinators, clients - is a stakeholder. The company works hard to remain a place where people feel seen and valued, where services are never about numbers, but about fit. If OPPO is not the right match for someone, they say so, always with the individual’s best interest at heart. “We pride ourselves in safe, happy, and healthy services, and in making sure everything we do is meaningful for our clients and our employees.”
