2020

COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT

APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

COUNCIL OF THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS

148 MCDOWELL STREET

WELCH, WV 24801

704 BLAND STREET, SUITE 508

BLUEFIELD, WV  24701

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page BreakExecutive Summary 

The Council of the Southern Mountains conducts a Community Needs Assessment Survey every three years in accordance with National Organization Standards as set by the Community Services Block Grant Program.  This document serves as the foundation for the agency Strategic Plan, Community Action Plan, and the implementation of programs to address the needs of the community served.   

The Community Needs Assessment information was obtained from various sources.  All sources are listed in the Methods of Data & Analysis Section.  These sources are from the following: 

·         Face-to-Face question/answer 

·         Internet data 

·         Telephone calls 

·         Individual surveys 

·         Agency data  

The Community Needs Assessment is used as a tool in the update and preparation of the Strategic Plan and the Community Action Plan.  The Needs Assessment is used as a guide to ensure that programs are meeting the needs of the community and families served by the agency.   

This document will be reviewed and approved by the agency Board of Directors to serve as the official Community Needs Assessment for the next three years. 

Findings 

The data in the Community Needs Assessment resulted in the following issues needing to be addressed: 

Family 

Agency 

Community 

Agency History 

The Council of the Southern Mountains is a private non-profit corporation.  The Council is a community action agency that serves McDowell County, WV.  The agency has been in operation since 1965 and provides quality programs, services, and products for carrying out the following purposes: 

1.      To promote and facilitate financial, social, and psychological self-sufficiency 

2.      To contributes to the revitalization and resurrection of McDowell County to its highest economic and social potential; 

3.      To empower the participants and/or recipients to take control over their futures. 

Programs are implemented to assist the community and families in accomplishing these goals.  The Council’s Mission Statement: 

“The Council of the Southern Mountains strives to provide quality services and opportunities to help people achieve the dignity of self-sufficiency.” 

  The Council’s Vision Statement: 

 “The Council will improve the quality of life in our communities and eradicate poverty by helping people to overcome barriers to success.” 

The Council fulfills this mission and vision by: 

1.      Providing services and opportunities that promote self-sufficiency; 

2.      Providing opportunities for community improvement and revitalization; 

3.      Encouraging McDowell County citizens to play an active role in revitalization efforts; and  

4.      Providing services and opportunities in strengthening family and other supportive systems. 

The Council of the Southern Mountains services offers families with opportunities and support for growth and change, believing people can identify their own strengths, needs, and interests, and are capable of finding solutions. 

Agency Goals 

The Council of the Southern Mountains short-term goals are: 

·         To continues to provide high quality services; 

·         To continue to grow in our collaborations with other social service agencies; 

·         To be creative/innovative in ways to enhance services provided to McDowell County families 

The Council of the Southern Mountains’ long-term goals are: 

·         To develop additional community partnerships in order to maximize services; 

·         To assist families with life and career development to obtain self-sufficiency; 

·         To promote governance in all aspects of programs. 

Agency Strengths 

Financial 

The agency manages an operating budget of $2,292,218 as of August 31, 2016.  Policy and Procedures have been set in place for effective management of the financial office which includes record detention and destruction.  Staff review the policy and any updates or changes are distributed to staff immediately.   

The Financial office has two full time staff and one part time staff.  The staff are responsible for all financial activities including payroll.   

An audit is completed annually to ensure the agency maintains generally acceptable accounting procedures for effective use of funds.  Bids are solicited from vendors within five years.  Once the vendor, which is a Certified Public Accountant, is selected from the bids, audits are completed.  All audits are presented to the Board and approved.  Any findings from the audit are addressed by the Board and necessary corrections are put into place.  The audit is used to assist in determining the agency indirect Cost Rate Plan. 

Monthly expenditure reports are submitted to the Board for approval and documented in Board meeting minutes. The IRS Form 990 is completed annually and made available to the Board for review and documented in Board minutes. 

The Finance Director is responsible for the submission of an agency wide budget and monthly expenditure reports to the Board of Directors for review and approval.  

Programs  

The Council implements programs that fall within the six national ROMA Goals.  The ROMA Goals are: 

1.         Low-income people become more self-sufficient. (Family) 

2.         The conditions in which low-income people live are improved. (Community) 

3.         Low-income people own a stake in their community. (Community) 

4.         Partnerships among supporters and providers of services to low-income people are achieved. (Agency) 

5.         Agencies increase their capacity to achieve results. (Agencies) 

6.         Low-income people, especially vulnerable populations, achieve their potential by strengthening family and supportive systems. (Family) 

The Council currently uses the WV FACSPRO system to track and report demographics and services to its customers.  Due to funder restrictions, a few of the programs use other software to track their results and are included as an Add-On report for the Agency.  The WVFACSPRO system tracks agency, family, and community data which is used to complete the Annual Information Survey (IS Report).  Beginning January 2018, the IS Report will be replaced with the Annual Report that is required under ROMA Next Generation. 

The Council currently implements the following programs, in which 3,598 unduplicated individuals were served, along with the total number served and ROMA Goal addressed since the previous needs assessment: 

These programs address various needs as stated in the agency’s previous Community Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan.   

Satisfaction surveys are conducted for each program to gauge the effectiveness of staff and quality of services provided.  Results from the surveys are submitted to the Board of Directors at least quarterly.  The agency received an overall approval rating of 92% satisfaction among its customers.  The results of the surveys are as follows for Year 2016. 

ROMA Next Generation 

Starting in January 2018, the agency will be applying its programs according to ROMA Next Generation, which is a revision of the original six ROMA Goals.  These goals are used to assist in the development of the Theory of Change for the local community served by the agency.  The revised goals are as follows: 

1.      Individuals and families with low-incomes are stable and achieve economic security. (Family) 

2.      Communities where people with low incomes live are healthy and offer economic opportunity. (Community) 

3.      People with low incomes are engaged and active in building opportunities in communities. (Community) 

Community Awareness 

The agency informs the community of its activities, programs, and progress through various media outlets.  The agency currently utilizes the following sources as distributing information to the community: 

·         Agency website 

·         Agency Facebook page 

·         News releases 

·         Radio public service announcements 

·         Newsletter 

Board of Directors 

The Council of the Southern Mountains is made up of a tri-partite board (Low-Income, Public Representative, and Private).  The Board of Directors members voluntarily serve as the governing body of the agency.  The Board is responsible for determining if programs and services effectively support the agency’s mission, approval of the Community Needs Assessment, Community Action Plan, Strategic Plan, analysis of program results, risk assessments, and approving financial decisions.  Board approval of these documents occur annually and are recorded in the Board minutes.  

The Board conducts the annual appraisal of the Executive Director.  The Board is also responsible for the approval of a succession plan in the event the Executive Director is no longer able to maintain this position.  The Board receives monthly/quarterly and annual reports from each program prior to Board meetings. 

Each Board Member is given a written copy of agency by-laws that are reviewed by an attorney no less than every 5 years.  The Board reviews and approves any changes made in the by-laws. All new Board Members have orientation once seated within six months.  Each Board Member is required to sign a Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics Policy, which helps ensure the agency is operating in an efficient manner without outside influences to cause conflicts for the agency. 

Board Members are given training on various topics throughout the each year.  Members have received training ranging from Board procedures to Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA). 

Staff 

The Council of the Southern Mountains has a staff of 43 employees and 3 Senior Community Service Employment Program Participants.  Each new employee is given an Employee Handbook with a copy of the Policy and Procedures that are reviewed by an attorney at least every five years and given orientation. Included in the document is a Whistleblower Policy.  Any changes made within the policy is distributed to employees.  Every employee has a written Job Description that is reviewed, updated, and signed by each employee.  Employees are evaluated on an annual basis by their supervisor.  

The Administrative Staff consists of: 

·        Executive Director 

·        Finance Director 

·        Accounts Payable/Payroll Specialist  

·        Office Assistant 

Programs and number of staff are as follows: 

The agency also has one Nationally Certified ROMA Implementer (NCRI) that assists in the process of full ROMA implementation. The Implementer is involved in creation of the Community Needs Assessment, Strategic Plan, Community Action Plan, program implementation, and calculating and analysis of results.  The NCRI has also served on the WV ROMA Task Force and received various ROMA trainings. 

Volunteers 

The agency utilizes volunteers to carry out program objectives.  Volunteers are recognized annually for the service they provide to enhance the lives of those in their community.  Programs that currently receive assistance through volunteerism include: 

·         Foster Grandparent Program 

·         RSVP 

·         CSBG 

·         Administration 

Partnerships and Referrals 

Partnerships are a very instrumental tool used by the agency to provide services to the community.  Since completion of the 2014 Community Needs Assessment, the agency has 53 partnerships that are listed below: 

The agency receives referrals and refers customers to other organizations for additional services including the Department of Health and Human Resources, Mission Ministries, Union Mission, Salvation Army, Big Creek People in Action, and Catholic Charities. 

Service Area 

McDowell County consists is 539.40 square miles of mountainous terrain and is the southernmost county in West Virginia.  The county is bordered by West Virginia counties Mercer, Wyoming, and Mingo. It also borders the Virginia counties of Tazewell and Buchanan.   

The State of West Virginia Department of Highways’ surface type mileage system shows that McDowell County has roadways that are mountainous, constructed with elevations from 875 feet to 3,400 feet above sea level with more than 90% having a slope of 40 degrees or more. 

The County seat, Welch, is the main center of educational, economic, political and civic activity.  Due to the decrease in population, the economy has suffered and county residents travel to neighboring counties and states for grocery, clothing, and major purchases.   

Much of McDowell County’s housing troubles arise from discrepancies in land ownership.  Because the railroads or coal companies own the most developable land, residential housing must locate on hills or around flood basins. 

Existing homes must be conserved and additional housing must be built that creates homeownership opportunities for low and moderate-income families, subsidized/public housing for the poor and market rate unites for those who can bear such costs. 

Transportation 

Transportation remains a concern considering there are no major or four lane highways.  The roads are narrow, two lane, and winding roads with many single-lane bridges.  Some roads are impassable, graveled, and rutted by the weather and these roads are considered orphan roads, being maintained only by the residents living in the community. 

In addition to the tough terrain of the mountains, fuel costs cause hardships for those with vehicles and those who must arrange transportation through other means. There is a dependable, affordable and accessible public transportation system, however, the routes are limited to certain areas of the County. 

Water/Sewage 

The County’s water, sewage, and solid waste facilities remain in poor condition.  In all but a few areas, these facilities do not exist at all.  Indeed, untreated wastewater is often discharged into the area’s waterways. 

There are four major/water sewage systems in the County: the City of Gary, the City of Bradshaw, the McDowell County PSD, and the City of Welch.  There are many families throughout McDowell County that rely on natural springs and wells for their water source.   

Education 

According to the US Census Bureau, McDowell County has estimated that 64.4% of residents have a high school diploma compared to the state average of 86.7%.  Those with a Bachelor’s degree or higher is 5.1% compared to the state average of 29.8%.   

Kids Count Data reports that there are 87.2% of four year olds enrolled in PreK compared to the state average of 67.3%.  The percentage of high school dropouts between grades seven through twelve is 12.4% compared to the State average of 8.3%. 

 McDowell County Board of Education administers the PreK-12 educational needs in McDowell County and employs 472 individuals.   There are currently 3,094 students in McDowell County School System.  The schools are: 

There are two colleges within the vicinity of McDowell County.  Bluefield State College is located in Bluefield, WV (Mercer County) with an additional campus in Beckley, WV. It is a historically Black college that offers the following Bachelor degrees: 

Southern WV Community and Technical College, located in Saulsville, WV (Wyoming County) offers associate degrees, certificates, and skill sets to its students.  Fifteen of its students are residents of McDowell County. Programs are offered under the following studies: 

Health 

McDowell County has one acute inpatient care provider, Welch Community Hospital.  In addition to the hospital, the Tug River Clinic and Family Health Care Associates, Inc. provides health care to citizens of McDowell County.  The McDowell County Health Department provides medical services such as mammograms, birth control, breast exams, HIV and STD testing, along with other tests.   

McDowell County ranks last in overall health outcomes and health factors based on information from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps.  Health outcomes are based on an equal weighting of length and quality of life.  Health factors are based on weighted scores for health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment.   

The WV Department of Health and Human Resources data shows the following data: 

McDowell County has the highest drug overdose death rate in the nation.  The county had a drug overdose rate of 97.3 per 100,000 residents in 2008 compared to State average of 36.2 and national average of 13.2.  According to the WV Department of Health and Human Resources 2014 McDowell County Behavioral Health Epidemiological Profile, 93.9 per 100,000 residents overdosed on drugs compared to state average of 26.8 per 100,000 residents. 

Economic Activity and Population 

McDowell County continues to struggle from the economic crises that have devastated the county for many years.  Various issues have risen that resulted in its decline including flooding, population migration, and shortage of coal production.  These issues have decreased resources and services available to McDowell County residents.  The unemployment rate is 12.1% compared to the state average of 6% and is an increase from 9.6% since the previous community needs assessment.  Part of this is due to closing of businesses in the area including major employers such as Wal-Mart and Brooks Run Mining.  According to the US Census Bureau, the population of McDowell County now stands at 19,141 which is a decline of 13.4% based on a population estimates base from April 2010.  According to Kids Count Data, there are 5,169 children under age 18 living in McDowell County.  The population of McDowell County is made up of the following demographics: 

Listed below are the household characteristics of McDowell County according to the US Census Bureau and Kids Count Data: 

The top 10 Employers and rank according to WorkForce WV March 2016 report include: 

1.      McDowell County Board of Education 

2.      Welch Emergency Hospital 

3.      Federal Prison System 

4.      McDowell County Commission 

5.      XMV, Inc. 

6.      Extra Energy, Inc. 

7.      Brooks Run Mining, LLC 

8.      Wal-Mart Associates, Inc. 

9.      McDowell Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Inc. 

10.  Council on Aging, Inc. 

The civilian labor force for McDowell County is listed as 5,100 according to WorkForce WV.  The total employment in McDowell County is 4,480 and the number of unemployed persons is 620.  The Annual Average Total Nonfarm Payroll Employment by Industry are as follows: 

Survey Participant Profile 

The Community Needs Assessment surveys were completed by clients, individuals in the community, local officials, service providers, and agency Board members.  The individual survey was distributed as paper and linked to online through the agency website.  A total of 172 individual surveys were completed and 29 surveys of officials, board members, and service providers. 

Of the individual surveys completed, the following characteristics are listed with responses: 

Survey responses among Elected Officials, Board Members, and Service Providers collected are: 

·         Board Members:  7 

·         Elected Officials:   8 

·         Service Providers:  13 

Top Concerns 

Individual/Family Needs 

According to recent analyzed surveys, these issues are seen as the top 10 concerns for individual families in McDowell County: 

1.      Lack of Food to feed family 

2.      Programs and activities for youth (ages12-18) 

3.      Affording home repairs 

4.      Help with utility bills 

5.      Getting dental/vision care 

6.      Help to make my home more energy efficient 

7.      Having a safe place for children after school or during summer 

8.      Affordable housing 

9.      Programs and activities for Seniors 

10.  Affording prescriptions 

Qualitative community data from individual and families include: 

·         “Dope dealers and drinking in public” 

·         “Clean water” 

·         Law enforcement 

Community Needs 

Survey analysis among public officials, agency Board members, and service providers produced the following top community concerns: 

1.    Substance Abuse Prevention 

2.    Infrastructure (Water, sewage, cell phone reception) 

3.    Jobs 

4.    Youth Programs 

5.    Healthy Food 

6.    Tourism/ Economic Development 

7.    Community Participation 

8.    Housing 

9.    Youth Education 

10.                        Adult Education 

The top community concerns breakdown for each group according to surveys are: 

 Board Members   

1.      Infrastructure (Water, Sewage, cell phone reception) 

2.      Jobs 

3.      Youth Programs 

4.      Adult Education 

5.      Substance Abuse Prevention 

Elected Officials  

1.      Jobs 

2.      Substance Abuse Prevention 

3.      Youth Programs 

4.      Senior Programs 

5.      Infrastructure (Water, Sewage, cell phone reception) 

Service Providers  

1.      Infrastructure (Water, sewage, cell phone reception) 

2.      Substance Abuse 

3.      Jobs 

4.      Healthy Food 

5.      Tourism/Economic Development 

Qualitative date from this group include: 

·         “Recreational center for youth” 

·         “Prevent commissioners from not allowing new businesses to come in” 

·         “Decent housing” 

The top five community concerns among low-income families are: 

1.      Jobs 

2.      Substance abuse prevention/treatment 

3.      Youth programs 

4.      Transportation 

5.      Housing 

6.      Safe Neighborhoods 

Analysis of date combined from all surveys using a weighted average reveals the top community concerns to be: 

1.      Jobs 

2.      Substance Abuse Prevention/Treatment 

3.      Youth Programs 

4.      Transportation 

5.      Housing 

6.      Safe Neighborhoods 

7.      Disability Programs 

8.      Healthcare 

9.      Healthy Food 

10.  Money Management 

Agency Needs 

In review of the Strategic Plan, the continuing needs of the agency are: 

1.      Develop stable, highly qualified and motivated workforce 

2.      Maintain equitable salaries for staff 

3.      Enhance opportunities for staff by cross training and providing development plans 

4.      Improve benefit package for staff. 

5.      Funding for implementation of training programs for high demand occupations for consumers. 

6.      Ongoing revisions to strengthen agency financial management 

7.      Annual training in Results Oriented Management and Accountability and WV FACSPRO 

8.      Improve segregation of duties 

9.      Improve and strengthen knowledge and involvement by Board of Directors. 

10.  Funding for more community involvement, health and social justice programs. 

11.  Conduct fundraising activities. 

12.  Increase public awareness of services offered by the agency. 

13.  Funding to create additional programs and/or expand existing programs. 

Analyzing and Addressing Needs of Families and Communities 

The Council of the Southern Mountains continues to provide services to families and communities through existing programs.  Based on the needs listed as top individual and family, the agency offers the following programs to address those needs. 

·         Lack of food to feed my family (Family) 

The agency Food Pantry provides nutritious food for low-income families in McDowell County.  Customers must be at or below 125% of the federal poverty level to be eligible.  The Community Services Block Grant funds the program with supplemental funding from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program.  The agency collaborates with the Facing Hunger Food Bank and Mountaineer Food Bank to deliver food items to program participants. 

·         Programs and activities for youth/Youth Programs/Youth Education (Family/Community) 

The agency currently implements the Youth Exposure Series Program.  The Community Services Block Grant Program funds this program.  Youth ages 6-17 are provided educational and recreational activities for throughout the summer months.  Activities include trips to museums, baseball games, educational parks, and the WV State Fair. 

·         Help with Utility Bills (Family) 

The Utility Assistance Program provides families with assistance of electric bills, water bills, and wood and coal fuel for low-income families.  Families must be below 125% of the federal poverty level to receive assistance.   

A partnership with the Dollar Energy Fund has been implemented within the last 5 years to assist families with payments of electric terminations.  To qualify for the Dollar Energy Fund, customers must be below 150% of the federal poverty level. 

Referrals for additional assistance are made organizations that provide similar services.  Among those are Catholic Charities, Mission Ministries, and Department of Health and Human Resources. 

The agency also assists customers with completion and submission of Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) applications.  Applicants are disabled and cannot complete the forms without assistance and families that have not received assistance from this program in previous years. 

·         Help to make my home more energy efficient (Family/Community) 

The agency implements the Weatherization Program that is funded by the WV Development Office (formerly called WV Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity).  The program provides energy efficient assistance to low income families in McDowell County.  Eligible households receive insulation services, heating repair, and replacement of water heater and/or refrigerator if needed. 

The Weatherization Program also implements the No Heat Energy Assistance Program (NHEAP) and Emergency Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP).  Both programs supply households with emergency heating/air conditioning assistance. 

The agency provides online information for users through the Healthy Habitat Help website, www.healthyhabitathelp.com.  The website provides information of home dangers such as mold and asbestos, and how to prevent and correct the issues. 

·         Programs and Activities for Seniors (Family) 

The Foster Grandparent Program provides seniors ages 55 and up an opportunity to volunteer at various sites.  Program volunteers work one-on-one with special needs children.  Special needs may include: 

Volunteers are stationed at schools, Head Start centers, and faith based centers in the catchment area of McDowell, Wyoming, Mercer, Mingo, Summers, Raleigh, and Monroe counties.  Volunteers received stipends for time spent at volunteer stations.  This serves as additional income for the low income seniors that participate in the program.  The program is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Services.  

During the last program year, 63 volunteers served 64,838 hours providing services to 159 children.  Below are outcomes from the volunteers that served: 

·                     87% of children and youth report showing increased improvement in academic performance since interaction with volunteer 

·                     90% of children and youth show increased improvement in self-image since interaction with volunteer 

·                     58% of children and youth show increased improvement in school attendance habits since interaction with volunteer 

·                     66% of children and youth report a reduction in risky behaviors since interaction with volunteer 

·                     66% of youth and children report  keeping out of trouble since interaction with volunteer 

The RSVP Program provides telephone reassurance phone calls to elderly who are home bound.  Volunteer stations are established to help monitor the progress of volunteer calls.   The phone calls are provided by program volunteers.  Program volunteers assist veterans that are in need of help.  Donations are made and distributed to disabled veterans by program volunteers and occurs annually. The program is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service.  

During the last program year, 540 volunteers donated 124,925 hours to serving in their communities. The following shows a breakdown of hours served. 

·                     Telephone reassurance calls:  60,083 hours 

·                     Food pantries: 3,887 hours 

·                     Neighborhood Watch Groups:  59,243 

·                     Veteran assistance:  1,712 hours 

·         Safe Neighborhoods (Community) 

The RSVP program assists Neighborhood Watch groups in the catchment area of McDowell, Raleigh, Wyoming, and Mingo Counties.  Memorandums of Understanding are on file with agencies that provide training, recruitment, transportation and recognition of volunteers that serve. There are 38 Neighborhood Watch Groups within the area served.   

·         Jobs (Family/Community) 

The Family Day Care Food Program enables providers with education on proper nutrition for children that are in the homes of daycare providers.  Providers are given an annual training on proper meals and preparation.  Monthly reimbursements are given for the meals served to children in their care.  This program is funded by the US Department of Agriculture and Office of Child Nutrition. 

·         Tourism/Economic Development (Community) 

The Agency currently maintains a tourism website, www.visitmcdowellcountywv.net, which enhances tourism in McDowell County.  The website informs its visitors of lodging, dining, places to visit, and upcoming events to attract tourists into the area. 

In 2017, the Agency is planning the first annual Head of the Dragon motorcycle run.  This event is expected to complete the Dragon motorcycle cycle run series as there is currently a Tail of the Dragon, Claw of the Dragon, and Back of the Dragon.  The event has caught attention of bikers across the United States and has been featured in several magazines.  This endeavor provides opportunity for tourism as it features several sites throughout McDowell County that are tourist sites.  Information about the Head of the Dragon run can be seen at www.headofthedragon.com. 

·         Disability Programs (Family) 

The Council implements the Title XIX Waiver Program.  This program assists disabled customers to maintain independent lifestyles by providing in home care services.  The program serves customers in the areas of Mercer and McDowell Counties.  This program is funded by WV Medicaid. 

Organizations in the area that provide services for low-income families in which referrals can be made and need identified: 

Sources of Data Collection and Analysis 

Information for this Community Needs Assessment was compiled from multiple sources, which include: