W. Va. Code R. § 76-03-4
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
(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
(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
(Source: Census Bureau, AFF, B01001A-I, ACS 5 yr. est. 2013-2017) |
Table 15- Greatest Social and Economic Need all Counties
(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
(Source: Census Bureau ACS S2301 |
Table 17: Limited English Proficiency all Counties
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 |
* 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 |
(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.
W. Va. Code R. § 76-03-4