2018 Community Needs Assessment

Transcription

1 2018 Community Needs Assessment 309 Spangler Drive Richmond, KY Developing community resources so all persons may have lives of dignity, responsibility and opportunity.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 3 Introduction and Methods Regional Analysis Key Informant Interviews Appendix A: Community Needs Assessment Survey Clients Appendix B: Community Needs Assessment Survey - Random Citizens 26 KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 2

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, Inc. (KRFDC) is a community action agency that has been serving eastern Kentucky communities for 56 years. KRFDC has services in 36 counties throughout Kentucky. Its primary service counties consist of Clark, Estill, Madison, and Powell; only data from these counties were examined in this report. Each year, KRFDC conducts a Community Needs Assessment to identify needed services, contributors to poverty, and barriers or issues that citizens are currently experiencing. Additionally, KRFDC collects demographic and personal information from clients who complete a survey for the purpose of having a better understanding of the service population. Three methods of data collection were used for this year s community needs assessment. The first method was to administer surveys to clients from selected KRFDC programs. Second, random citizens in each county were asked to complete a brief questionnaire. Finally, KRFDC interviewed key informants in each county to ask them what they believe attributed to their county s strengths and weaknesses, as well as their thoughts about the service delivery provided by KRFDC. Throughout the service region, substance abuse prevention was identified as the most needed service. the other four of the top five of most needed services were emergency services, drug & alcohol treatment, affordable homeownership, and homeless services/shelters. Low paying jobs were identified as the biggest contributor to poverty. The other four of the top five biggest contributors to poverty were drug & alcohol abuse, high cost of living, not enough jobs, and crime/violence. Finding adequate wage employment was identified as the most serious issue respondents are facing. The other four of the top five most serious issues respondents are facing in the service region are dealing with personal debt, paying housing expenses, owning reliable vehicle, and affording gas/fuel. KRFDC has a favorable image in the service region, and clients are pleased with the quality of the services it provides. 95.2% of respondents identified the service(s) they received from KRFDC as either good or excellent. Less than 1% of respondents identified the service(s) they received as bad or terrible. 42% of respondents heard about KRFDC services from a friend or neighbor. Highlights of demographics and characteristics of respondents: Majority are Caucasian female; Nearly 32% live by themselves; Nearly 61% have a household income less than $10,000; Over 40% are renting their current housing; Only 24% have employment; Less than 18% of have an education beyond a high school diploma or GED; Nearly 97% have some form of health insurance. KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 3

4 INTRODUCTION Throughout its 56 years of service, KRFDC has aided low-income individuals and families in the following areas: alcohol & drug recovery, basic & emergency needs, community services, education, family support/services, health services, housing, respite care, senior services, transportation, and volunteerism. This report is an analysis of the opinions of KRFDC clients and random citizens in the agency s primary service region. The opinions pertain to topics such as the causes of poverty, programs needed and the effectiveness of KRFDC s services. To ascertain the needs of the target population, which is low-income families and individuals, three methods of data collection were used for this year s community needs assessment. The first method to collect the data was to administer surveys to clients from selected KRFDC programs. For the second method, random citizens in each county were asked to complete a brief questionnaire. The third method used key informants in each county who were individually interviewed. RESEARCH METHODS The first research method was to collect data from the clients of various KRFDC programs. A two-page questionnaire was created based on previous community needs assessments, new KRFDC programs/services, and funding source requirements. Clients were asked by the program manager or staff to participate in the survey. A copy of the questionnaire is provided in Appendix A. A majority of the programs collected data from more than one county in which it provides services. The programs from which the data was collected are as follows: Liberty Place Recovery Center for Women Low Income Heating & Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Supportive Services for Veteran Families Richmond Child Care Center Head Start Healthcare for the Homeless Health Clinic Senior Citizens Centers Transportation KRFDC partnered with the public library systems in the service counties to gather data from random citizens in each community. KRFDC provided the public libraries with all related materials and questionnaires. Library employees in each county asked citizens to complete the questionnaire and additional questionnaires were placed in a publicly accessible position in the library. The responses from random citizens were incorporated with the answers from KRFDC s clients. The questionnaire that random citizens were asked to complete is attached as Appendix B. KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 4

5 The final data collection method consisted of a series of interviews with key informants within each county. A key informant is defined as, A person in a community that is recognized as a leader in respect to their job/career title and the history and knowledge that person possesses about the community. At least ten key informants were interviewed from each county by the Public Information & Projects Director or the Policy Analyst Intern at KRFDC. The key informants were asked the same three questions about their community. The three questions were as follows: 1. What do you feel are the strengths of your community? 2. What do you feel are the weaknesses of your community? 3. As a community member (not a client) what are your thoughts about the service delivery provided by Kentucky River Foothills? FINDINGS There were a total of 587 surveys that were collected. The following pages contain the findings from the 2018 Community Needs Assessment. KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 5

6 *The results of Tables 1-21 are a composite of Clark, Estill, Madison, and Powell Counties. Answers were ranged on a 4-point scale were 1 indicated none, 2 indicated little, 3 indicated moderate, and 4 indicated serious Table 1: Most Needed Programs (In Ranking Order) Select the level of need for each service/program in your community Substance abuse prevention was determined to be the most needed service with an average score of This falls between moderate and serious need. Emergency services was determined to be the second most needed service followed by drug & alcohol treatment. The score for each service/program is located in the column labeled Mean. Most Needed Programs Mean Substance Abuse Prevention Emergency Services Drug & Alcohol Treatment Affordable Homeownership Homeless Services/Shelters Education & Job Training Employment Opportunities Food Bank Rental Assistance Programs Reliable Public Transit Dental Clinic Services for Disabled Children Domestic Violence & Spouse Abuse Health Clinic Veteran Services Affordable Childcare Services for Ex-Offenders Money Management Skills Nutrition/Health Education Prenatal Care Early Childhood Development Answers ranged on a 4-point scale 1 = None, 2 = Little, 3 = Moderate, 4 = Serious KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 6

7 Table 2: Most Serious Causes of Poverty (In Ranking Order) Indicate the seriousness of each of the following contributors to poverty Low paying jobs was determined to be the most serious contributor to poverty with an average score of This falls between moderate and serious contributor. Drug & alcohol abuse was determined to be the second most serious contributor to poverty followed by the high cost of living. The average score is located in the column labeled Mean. Causes of Poverty Mean Low Paying Jobs Drug & Alcohol Abuse High Cost of Living Not Enough Jobs Crime/Violence Lack of Education Not Enough Affordable Housing Fuel/Gas Cost Lack of Job Training No Transportation Lack of Affordable Healthcare DV/Spouse Abuse Poor Health Divorce/One Parent Homes Lack of Childcare Lack of Preschool Programs Answers ranged on a 4-point scale. 1 = Not a Contributor, 2 = Minor Contributor, 3 = Moderate Contributor, 4 = Serious Contributor KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 7

8 Table 3: Problems Faced (In Ranking Order) Indicate the seriousness of the following problems for you and/or your family Finding adequate wage employment was determined to be the most serious problem to respondents and their families with an average score of This falls between minor problem and moderate problem. Dealing with personal debt was determined to be the second most serious problem for families and paying housing expenses was third. Most Needed Programs Mean Finding Adequate Wage Employment Dealing with Personal Debt Paying Housing Expenses Owning Reliable Vehicle Affording Gas/Fuel Affording Food Paying Medical/Hospital Finding Employment Paying Medicine/Prescription Access to Nutritional Food Finding Job Training Affording Childcare Accessing Educational Opportunities Finding Drug/Alcohol Treatment Answers ranged on a 4-point scale 1 = Not a Problem, 2 = Minor Problem, 3 = Moderate Problem, 4 = Serious Problem KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 8

9 Table 4: Quality of Services Received The respondent was asked: Select the quality of service(s) you received from Foothills The possible responses listed were terrible, bad, average, good, and excellent. Excellent Good Average Bad Terrible % 23% 4% <1% <1% Table 5: Knowledge of Programs/Services In order to assess the effectiveness of marketing efforts, respondents were asked how they heard about services offered by KRFDC. The most frequent answer of all respondents was that they heard about KRFDC from a friend or neighbor. Friend/Neighbor Brochure/Flyer Newspaper Social Services Other % 4% 4% 5% 45% Table 6: Satisfaction 97% of respondents felt Foothills staff did everything they could to help them. Yes No % 3% KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 9

10 INDIVIDUAL INFORMATION NOTE: Respondents did not answer every question. Table 7: Age of Respondent The most common age of respondents was years old. Only 2% of respondents were 18 or under. Under or or older % 25% 25% 25% 23% Table 8: Gender of Respondent Overwhelmingly, the most common gender of respondents was female. Male Female % 83% Table 9: Race of Respondent The most common race of respondents was Caucasian and second most common was African-American. Caucasian African- American Hispanic/Latino Asian Multi-racial Other % 10% 1% <1% 2% 6% Table 10: Number in Household The most common response was only you. Meaning the respondent lived alone at a rate of 32%. The second most common response was 2 people in the household at a rate of 22%. Only You or more % 22% 15% 16% 5% 10% KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 10

11 Table 11: Veteran Status 96% of respondents were not veterans No Yes % 4% Table 12: Housing Situation The most common response was renting at a rate of 41%. The second most common response was owned home at a rate of 30%. Own Home Renting Subsidized Housing Live with Friends Live with Friends Homeless % 41% 12% 10% 1% 6% Table 13: Employment 76% of respondents reported that they did not have employment. Full Time Part Time Not Employed % 10% 76% Table 14: Household Income The most common response of household income was less than $10,000. Less than $10,000 $10,001 - $20,000 $20,001 - $30,000 $30,001 - $40,000 $40,001 - $50,000 $50,001 or more % 21% 8% 5% 2% 3% KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 11

12 Table 15: Education The most common response was High School 42%, followed by GED 11%. No Diploma / Degree GED High School Associates Bachelors Masters or Above % 22% 42% 12% 4% 1% Table 16: Is there a child under 18 in your home? 43% of respondents stated that there is a child under 18 in their home. No Yes % 43% Table 17: Is there a child under 5 in your home? 25% of respondents stated that there is a child under 5 in their home. No Yes % 25% Table 18: Marital Status 30% of respondents were married and 28% were single or never married. Single/Never Married Married Divorced In a Relationship Widowed/er % 30% 24% 4% 13% KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 12

13 Table 19: Health Insurance Nearly 97% of all respondents had health insurance of some kind. Employer- Based Private Market ACA Medicaid Medicare VA No Insurance % 2% 41% 44% 2% 3% Table 20: Insurance Available Through Employer 83% were not employed or could not obtain health insurance from their employer No Yes % 17% Table 21: Source of Income Respondents were asked what their source of income is. They were able to choose between Wages/Salary, SNAP/Food Stamps, SSI/Disability, Medical Card, TANF/KTAP, Social Security, Unemployment, Retirement/Pension, Child Support, or Student Loans. Respondents were able to check more than one source of income. Over half of the respondents reported that someone in their household receives SNAP/Food Stamps at a rate of 53%. Frequency Percent SNAP/Food Stamps % Medical Card % SSI/Disability % Social Security % Wages % TANF/KTAP 25 4% Child Support 24 4% Retirement/Pension 19 3% Student Loans 15 2% Unemployment 9 1% *Percentage is based on participant numbers, not on responses. Participants were asked to select all that apply. KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 13

14 Table 22: Services Received Respondents were asked what services they or a family member have received from KRFDC within the last year. The top five services included utility assistance, transportation, Liberty Place, health care, and head start. Frequency Utility Assistance 150 Transportation 93 Health Care 83 Liberty Place 74 Head Start 57 Senior Services 33 Rental Assistance 31 Other 50 Nutrition 30 Early Head Start 29 Weatherization 17 Family/Social Work 7 Job Assistance 7 Veteran Housing 5 Homeownership 4 Participants were asked to select all that apply. KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 14

15 Key Informant Interviews In addition to the client and random citizen s questionnaires, several personal interviews were conducted. Interviewees included key persons in each of the four core counties primarily served by KRFDC. As previously stated, a key informant is defined as, a person in a community that is recognized as a leader in respect to their job/career title and the history and knowledge that person possesses about the community. The interviews were intended to help planning staff better determine what the local citizenry perceives are strengths and weaknesses of their particular communities along with their thoughts about the service delivery provided by KRFDC. Via this process and analysis of the results, KRFDC staff can determine which service areas local citizens perceive as being addressed adequately and which may require a special focus in the future. All respondents were asked the same three questions in the same order. They were asked what they felt were strengths of their local community, weaknesses of their local community, and what they thought of service delivery provided by KRFDC. Interviewees provided a wide variety of responses to the interview questions. The suggestions and information offered by interviewees will be used by KRFDC to increase the effectiveness of the agency s efforts and potentially pinpoint areas of concern. Along these same lines, maintaining channels of communication with clients and local citizens assists KRFDC decision makers in making accurate assessments of agency effectiveness and in improving the efficiency of service provision. Overall, the vast majority of interviewees responded very favorably regarding KRFDC and the services delivered by the agency. KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 15

16 Clark County Strengths School Systems Community Support Location Public Services Clark County Weaknesses Drugs Economical Issues Health of Residents Lack of Growth KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 16

17 CLARK COUNTY - KRFDC SERVICE DELIVERY COMMENTS I think you all do a great job to serve the needs of Clark County with help from Community Services together you both benefit our community. Thanks for all you do to make Clark County great. They do so much with less. Great job! We have always been pleased with the service, and appreciate the partnership. I am more familiar with the services offered to preschool age students. Internal service and collaboration provide opportunities to the 3/4 year olds and their families. It is one of the tools in our community's toolbox. A great resource. More assistance programs and more affordable housing for 50+ over adults would benefit our community. KY River Foothills is doing an excellent job at taking care of the community. KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 17

18 Estill County Strengths People/Community Support Emergency Personnel Interagency Cooperation Natural Beauty Estill County Weaknesses Drugs Lack of Jobs Lack of Job Training Low Education Rates KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 18

19 ESTILL COUNTY - KRFDC SERVICE DELIVERY COMMENTS I think the services provided by Kentucky River Foothills are invaluable. Housing at a reasonable cost is so important to many families in this community. I am most excited about the ongoing work with Head Start. This provides some of the neediest families with support for their children. This work helps students increase academic success throughout their time in public schools. I was impressed by the help many families that were helped by Kentucky River Foothills following the March 1st disaster that hit our community. The programs that are offered through the Kentucky River Foothills are great, they benefit several in our community in so many ways. To be honest, I was not very sure what services were provided by Kentucky River Foothills until I researched it. I really appreciate what they do for the people of this community. I am sure they make life much easier for many people! KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 19

20 Madison County Strengths Educational Systems Location of Cities Economical Growth Public Services Madison County Weaknesses Drugs Lock of Cooperation Between Cities Communication of Government Economical Issues KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 20

21 MADISON COUNTY - KRFDC SERVICE DELIVERY COMMENTS Kentucky River Foothills does a lot of great things in the community. The only thing I would like to see is some type of program to help people who are homeless. I think the service delivery provided by the Kentucky River Foothills Agency is wonderful. Every office that I have ever had to speak with has been friendly and very easy to work with. I think Kentucky River Foothills does a great job serving our community. I only wish our local governments utilized your organization more. We are so fortunate to have Kentucky River Foothills. They meet so many community needs and has a tremendous reach. The new Scholar House for single parents was a tremendously needed project touching the single parent and children with excellent care and opportunity. Senior services could always be enhanced. This is a growing disadvantaged population. Care and intervention in addictive disease is being addressed by Kentucky River Foothills but it is such a monumental problem. Liberty Place is a clear asset. More access to counseling and health care would be so helpful. Also, I wish we had a homeless center for drop in and overnight protection. I want to say thank you to Kentucky River Foothills for all that you do to make life better. You make a huge difference in lives every day! I think Kentucky River Foothills programs positively help a large portion of the community that is sometimes overlooked by others by providing a multitude of services to help with everyday life and being successful in the community. This service has been a fantastic gain to our members of the community and they are a viable piece moving forward as Richmond and Madison County continue to grow. Kentucky River Foothills provides excellent service and addresses many areas of need within our county. The needs of our community (any community) are virtually limitless but I feel that Kentucky River Foothills does a good job of the addressing the areas where they can make the greatest impact KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 21

22 9 8 Powell County Strengths People/Community Support Tourism Community Based Services School Systems Powell County Weaknesses Drugs Low Employment Lack of Pubic Services Poverty KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 22

23 POWELL COUNTY - KRFDC SERVICE DELIVERY COMMENTS I think Kentucky River Foothills provides a variety of services for our community with consistency, things such as LIHEAP and commodities. I am not sure folks know how much the clinic has to offer in areas of mental health counseling, nutrition, addiction, etc. Weatherization is also a valuable service for our community. I am pleased with the services provided. I have always found Kentucky River Foothills to be wonderful at helping other agencies when families are in need. I have not worked as closely with the current staff, but in the years past I've had great support. I feel comfortable contacting them if I had a need. I feel that Kentucky River Foothills services are greatly needed in our community. All staff within their various services are wonderful people. I feel that Kentucky River Foothills provide vital services for our community. KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 23

24 Appendix A Kentucky River Foothills: 2018 Community Needs Assessment Survey Survey ID: Location: 1. Select the level of need for each service /program in your community: What is needed in your community? None Little Moderate Serious a) Employment opportunities b.) Education/job training programs c.) Money management programs/classes d.) Affordable homeownership opportunities e.) Rental assistance programs f.) Nutrition/Health education programs g.) Health clinic (medical, dental, vision) h.) Emergency services (heating assistance, food, shelter) i.) Homeless services/shelters j.) Reliable, affordable public transportation k.) Affordable, quality childcare l.) Domestic violence/spouse abuse services m.) Drug & alcohol treatment programs o.) Substance abuse prevention programs p.) Veteran services q.) Food bank r.) Dental clinic s.) Services for children eith disabilities t.) Services for for ex-offenders/criminals u.) Early childhood development for children under age 3 v.) Prenatal care 2. Indicate the seriousness of each of the following contributors to poverty: Not a Minor Moderate Serious Contributor Contributor Contributor Contributor a.) Lack of pre-school/school rediness programs b.) Lack of job training c) Lack of education d.) Divorce/one-parent families e.) Not enough jobs f.) Low paying jobs g.) Crime/violence h.) High cost of living i.) Fuel/gas costs j.) Not enough affordable housing k.) Domestic violence/spouse abuse l.) Drug & alcohol abuse m.) Poor health of residents n.) Lack of affordable health care o.) No transportation to get to jobs p.) Poor health of residents 3. Indicate the seriousness of the following programs for you and/or your family: Not a Minor Moderate Serious Problem Problem Problem Problem a.) Paying hosing expenses (mortgage, rent, utilities, etc.) b.) Paying for medical/hospital care c.) Paying for medicine/perscription drugs d.) Dealing with personal/family debt e.) Owning a reliable vehicle f.) Affording gasoline/fuel g.) Affording food h.) Having reular acess to nutritous food i.) Finding employment j.) Finding adequate wage employment k.) Finding job-training l.) Affording reliable child care m.) Finding drug/alcohol treatment n.) Accessing educational oppertunities Please Continue on Back Side KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 24

25 Appendix A Please provide some information about yourself. Again, all responses are anonymous. The information is only collected to determine what services and funding the agency needs to seek in th What is your age? What is your gender? Male Female What is your race? Caucasian African-American Hispanic/Latino Asian Multi-Racial Other Total # of people in your household? Only you or more Are you a veteran? No Yes What is your current Housing? Own Home Renting/Leasing Subsidized Housing Live with Family Live with Friends Homeless Do you have employment? No Yes What is your HOUSEHOLD income? $10,000 or Less $10,001-$20,000 $20,001-$30,000 $30,001-$40,000 $40,001-$50,000 $50,001 or more Highest education COMPLETED? No Diploma/Degree GED High School Associate/Vocation Bachelors Masters or Above Is there a child under 18 in your home? No Yes Is there a child under 5 in your home? No Yes What is your marital status? Single/Never Married Married Divorced In a relationship Widowed/er What health insurance do you have? Employer-Based Private Market ACA/Medicaid Medicare VA No Insurance Circle ALL forms of income that you Wages/Salary SNAP/Food Stamps SSI/Disability Medical Card TANF/KTAP currently receive. Social Security Unemployment Retirement/Pension Child Support Student Loans Circle ALL services which you or a Head Start Renal Assistance Utility Assistance Veteran Housing Tranportation family member have received from Early Head Start Homeownership Liberty Place Health Care Senior Services Foothills within the last year. Job Assistance Nutrition Weatherization Family/Social Work Other Select the quality of service(s) you received from Foothills Exellent Good Average Bad Terrible How did you hear about Foothills' services: Friend/Neighbor Brochure/Flyer Newspaper Social Services Other Do you feel staff did everything they could to help you? No Yes Address or Phone # for Prize Drawing: Please provide any recommendations you feel would improve Foothills' services or just general feedback regarding the agency: KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 25

26 Appendix B Kentucky River Foothills: 2018 Community Needs Assessment Survey Survey ID: Location: 1. Select the level of need for each service /program in your community: a) Employment opportunities b.) Education/job training programs c.) Money management programs/classes d.) Affordable homeownership opportunities e.) Rental assistance programs f.) Nutrition/Health education programs g.) Health clinic (medical, dental, vision) h.) Emergency services (heating assistance, food, shelter) i.) Homeless services/shelters j.) Reliable, affordable public transportation k.) Affordable, quality childcare l.) Domestic violence/spouse abuse services m.) Drug & alcohol treatment programs o.) Substance abuse prevention programs p.) Veteran services q.) Food bank r.) Dental clinic s.) Services for children eith disabilities t.) Services for for ex-offenders/criminals u.) Early childhood development for children under age 3 v.) Prenatal care What is needed in your community? None Little Moderate Serious 2. Indicate the seriousness of each of the following contributors to poverty: Not a Minor Moderate Serious Contributor Contributor Contributor Contributor a.) Lack of pre-school/school rediness programs b.) Lack of job training c) Lack of education d.) Divorce/one-parent families e.) Not enough jobs f.) Low paying jobs g.) Crime/violence h.) High cost of living i.) Fuel/gas costs j.) Not enough affordable housing k.) Domestic violence/spouse abuse l.) Drug & alcohol abuse m.) Poor health of residents n.) Lack of affordable health care o.) No transportation to get to jobs p.) Poor health of residents 3. Indicate the seriousness of the following programs for you and/or your family: Not a Minor Moderate Serious Problem Problem Problem Problem a.) Paying hosing expenses (mortgage, rent, utilities, etc.) b.) Paying for medical/hospital care c.) Paying for medicine/perscription drugs d.) Dealing with personal/family debt e.) Owning a reliable vehicle f.) Affording gasoline/fuel g.) Affording food h.) Having reular acess to nutritous food i.) Finding employment j.) Finding adequate wage employment k.) Finding job-training l.) Affording reliable child care m.) Finding drug/alcohol treatment n.) Accessing educational oppertunities KRFDC 2018 Community Needs Assessment 26