West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 76 - Senior Services › Title 76 - INTERPRETIVE RULE WEST VIRGINIA BUREAU OF SENIOR SERVICES › Series 76-03 - WV State Plan For Aging Programs › Section 76-03-4 - Location and Population Served, Including Equitable Distribution

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
Localities and Populations Most in Need of the
				  Type of Projects Authorized by Title V
Most recent West Virginia U.S. Census data shows the 2010
				  total population for the state of WV at 1,852,994. The population of
				  individuals who are the SCSEP target audience, 55+, shows 562,229, which is
				  30.4 % of the total population. Of this population, an estimate of 27.7% are at
				  poverty rates for families and people for whom poverty status is
				  determined.
WV partners with a plethora of State and non- profit
				  organizations that play the role of Host Agencies (H.A.). Majority of our H.A.
				  are unable to hire additional help within their organizations due to the limit
				  in funding, but they express that help is needed. H.A. range from local
				  municipalities to State agencies to a local YMCA. All H.A. are essential to the
				  overall success of the program, as they provide the hands-on training that is
				  needed and vital to the program.
Within the SCSEP, priority of service is offered to the
				  following individuals:
* Veteran or a Spouse of a Veteran
* 65 Years or Older
* Has a Disability
* Has Limited English Proficiency
* Low Literacy Skills
* Resides in Rural Area
* Low Employment Prospects o Homeless or At Risk of
				  Homelessness
* Failed to Find Employment After Utilizing Services Provided
				  Under Title I
* Severely Low Employment Prospects and Living in an Area of
				  Persistent Unemployment
Equitable Distribution Changes from Prior
				  Year
Within West Virginia, there were two SCSEP providers covering
				  451 authorized positions during PY18. Modified positions during PY18 were 367
				  statewide. Currently, West Virginia has one National Grantee, National Council
				  on Aging, and one State Grantee, West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, that
				  comprise the Statewide SCSEP Network. These grantees are experienced SCSEP
				  administrators and are respected, capable partners. The Sub Grantee has created
				  well-established relationships with host training sites, employers, supportive
				  service resources and training providers.
Among these providers, they cover all 55 counties in WV. The
				  distribution of authorizations is based on the Equitable Distribution as
				  provided by U.S. DOL, which identifies each county's percentage of the state's
				  program-eligible population.
In 2016, SCSEP held a national competition, which resulted in
				  one National Grantee being eliminated. Due to the elimination of the National
				  Grantee, slot allocations changed, and the National Grantee, NCOA inherited all
				  allocated slots of the eliminated National Grantee. Table 11 represents the
				  Authorized Positions that each grantee had for the past four Program Years.
				  Table 12 goes more in-depth, showing how the counties are distributed among the
				  55 counties that are covered in West Virginia.
Table 11
Grantee
2016 Q4 Authorized Positions (AP)
2016 Q4 Modified Positions
(MP)
2017 Q4
AP
2017 Q4
MP
2018 Q4
AP
2018 Q4
MP
2019
AP
2019
MP
NCOA
391
N/P
358
291
359
292
360
293
STATE
100
83
92
75
92
75
92
75
(Source-Information obtained from SCSE Ped.org Authorized and
				  Modified Positions by State Q4)
*N/P- Not provided
Table 12
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(Source: SCSEPED.org, WV, PY 19)
Equitable Distribution Imbalances and
				  Corrective Steps
Equitable distribution imbalance is caused by many factors,
				  as shown below, that cause a variance in the slots in the Statewide SCSEP
				  Network. The main variance factor in West Virginia is minimum wage. Due to the
				  rising minimum wage and funding, the number of participants who can be assisted
				  are affected by this factor, and slots must be adjusted. In order to achieve
				  the Modified Positions goal with the factors at hand, the SCSEP Network would
				  have to minimize participant hours to accommodate more participants.
Another cause for imbalance/variance is the State's layout.
				  Majority of our counties are categorized as rural counties and because of this,
				  there are many barriers such as:
* Transportation Limited training site opportunities
* Limited hiring entities
* Over income seniors
* Small applicant pool
* Unaware of program
As a State, we want to ensure that we are fully enrolled and
				  want to minimize any variance in SCSEP's equitable distribution enrollee count.
				  How we will attain this goal is by continuing partnership with local Work Force
				  offices, continue and increase outreach in areas that are under enrolled while
				  curtailing areas that are over enrolled and begin the discussion of
				  interchanging information among National and State Grantees to fulfill the
				  equitable distribution of all urban and rural counties that are under
				  enrolled.
The State's Long-Term Strategy for Achieving
				  Distribution of SCSEP Positions within the State
West Virginia is divided into 55 counties. The State and
				  National Grantee covers 13 urban counties collectively, with the remaining
				  counties being consider rural. Based on the 2016-2018 Persistent Unemployment
				  data, 36 of the 55 counties in West Virginia are considered having persistent
				  unemployment. Of the 42 rural Counties, 31 show as having persistent
				  unemployment. As stated previously, rural communities face a multitude of
				  barriers. To alleviate the imbalances, the SCSEP Network will continue and
				  increase outreach (i.e., brochures, posters, partnerships and presentations)
				  efforts in the rural counties to ensure that non-profits and government
				  entities are aware of the program.
The State of West Virginia SCSEP Grantee has no authority to
				  move national grantee positions within the state; however, constant contact is
				  maintained with the National. Conversations and recommendations to alleviate
				  variances will continue to be discussed within the statewide SCSEP
				  Network.
Program regulations require SCSEP Grantees to give priority
				  service to individuals with one or more of the following
				  characteristics:
* Veteran or a Spouse of a Veteran
* 65 Years or Older
* Has a Disability
* Has Limited English Proficiency
* Low Literacy Skills
* Resides in Rural Area
* Low Employment Prospects
* Homeless or At Risk of Homelessness
* Failed to Find Employment After Utilizing Services Provided
				  Under Title I
* Severely Low Employment Prospects and Living in an Area of
				  Persistent Unemployment
The statewide SCSEP Network employs the following tactics to
				  ensure that individuals who meet the criteria above are targeted:
* Outreach Materials (brochures and posters) are
				  strategically placed at locations that target our priority of service audience
				  (i.e. Veteran's Hospitals, shelters, library, rehab disability office
				  etc.)
* Locates offices in culturally and ethnically diverse
				  neighborhoods
* Targets AJC's
* Presents and collaborates with entities that target low
				  income populations
* Collaborates with National on successful tactics
				  utilized
Ratio of Eligible Individuals in Each County
				  and State Total Eligibility Population
Tables 13
depicts the ratio by percentage of
				  eligible individuals in each service area to West Virginia's total SCSEP
				  eligible population.
Table 13-Ratio as a Percentage of Eligible Individuals
				  in Each Service
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(Source:
							 https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_17_5YR_B17024&prodType=table
AGE BY RATIO OF INCOME TO POVERTY LEVEL IN THE PAST
							 12 MONTHS)
Relative Distribution of Eligible
				  individuals
West Virginia continuously utilizes resources to ensure
				  relative distribution is provided to specific individuals throughout the state.
				  Tables 14-18 illustrates the variation of characteristics that are barriers to
				  employment throughout the state, such as rural locations, greatest economic
				  (income) and social need (75+, language barrier, live alone), limited English
				  proficiency and minority rate in West Virginia. The SCSEP Network will continue
				  its efforts in recruiting these individuals who are most in need of SCSEP
				  benefits and priority of service. The SCSEP network's main goal is to ensure
				  that adequate training is provided to current and past enrollees by providing
				  substantial training opportunities to those most in need to ultimately have the
				  enrollees leave the program more equipped than when they started.
Table 14- depicts 55+ Races in all West Virginia
				  Counties
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(Source: Census Bureau, AFF, B01001A-I, ACS 5 yr.
							 est. 2013-2017)
Table 15- Greatest Social and Economic Need all
				  Counties
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(Source: Census Bureau P2 urban/rural, P1 Total
							 population 2010, Table DP02 ACS 5yr disability & living alone, Table B01001
							 ACS 75+)
Table 16 Unemployment Rate 55+ all
				  Counties
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(Source: Census Bureau ACS S2301
Table 17: Limited English Proficiency all
				  Counties
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Source: B16004: AGE BY LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME BY
							 ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER - Universe:
							 Population 5 years and over)
******for this instance, only 65+ data (except the
							 Total column) was used to better represent our target audience
Table 18 A- Selected Health Outcomes &
							 Demographics Among West Virginia Residents 55+ by County
							 2014-2018
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* Estimates are unreliable due to confidence
							 intervals wider than 20% or relative standard error greater than 30%.
							 Percentages are calculated with unknowns removed.
Table 18B
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(Source Table 18A-B West Virginia Health Statistics
							 Center, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System)
Avoid Disruptions
In the event new providers are entered into the state, be it
				  National Grantee or State Grantee, we will utilize the Equitable Distribution
				  to ensure that slots are distributed to all grantees. To avoid disruptions to
				  current participants, a conversation with all affected Grantees in the state
				  will be required. Counties with continuous variances will be considered. For a
				  seamless transition, enrollees will be transferred in the SPARQ database, which
				  will allow the avoidance of disruption in service. Per Topic 81 of the SCSEP
				  Data Collection Handbook, all records moved from the "old grantee" to the new
				  are subject to data validation. During the transfer, we will ensure that all
				  supporting documentation is sent via trackable delivery to the "new"
				  grantee.