Executive Suite: Robert Budd, Old Bethpage

Research shows employment is one of the key factors in a person's mental health, said Robert Budd, chief executive of Family Residences and Essential Enterprises Inc. in Old Bethpage. So working "is not just an issue of feeling valued, it's literally tied to people's mental stability."

FREE offers jobs, housing and support to people with intellectual disabilities, mental illnesses and brain injuries. The organization provides full- and part-time employment for 800 people, either at its own businesses, which include cleaning, retail and catering operations, or through partnerships with more than 100 businesses. To help people get to their jobs, it created its own transportation company.

Most of the organizations approached us because of changes in the environment with increasing regulations and decreasing funds. So we share a lot of our executive functions such as strategic planning, training, legal services -- things of that nature that can be very costly if you're doing it alone. We have some agencies that specialize in vocational services, but other agencies specialize in serving the general Latino community, not just the differently abled. We want people to see us as a solution and a good community leader, not as a charity.

What's a little-known fact?

The Hamptons, always known for the rich and famous, has one of the highest densities of need for English as a second language of anywhere in our state. So we sponsored three outreach initiatives with Adelante [a nonprofit] and the Mexican Consulate. Some 750 people showed up from the general community, and over 500 of them left with their required paperwork either to be citizens, to get benefits or to sign up for English as a second language.

How do you teach people to combat misconceptions?

When we're doing team member training for our employees, I always say, "Be aware, prejudice exists overtly, but often it's much more subtle. Your job is to engage and educate. Help people get past that discomfort they feel and always empower people to advocate for themselves."