Mid-Kansas Community Action Program

Mid-ks cap provides a comprehensive approach to address individual, family, and Community needs in all nineteen counties of the service area. Mid-ks cap realizes there are many different obstacles faced by individuals and families in the pursuit of self-reliance. Case management services in the higher achievement together (hat) Program are designed to use the appropriate funding streams to address services for the individual or family to remove obstacles and solve problems that block the achievement of self-sufficiency. Case management is a collaborative process of assessment, planning, coordination, services, and advocacy for options and support services to assist in the achievement of the individual's and family's self-reliance goals. Community support coordinators (agency staff) work with individuals and families and develop a customized case management plan. When possible, joint case management with agency partners is encouraged and enables the agency to provide quality and comprehensive case management without duplication of services. Support services to assist customers are available in all nineteen counties in the service delivery area. Csbg dollars are used to support these activities designed to assist low-income families and individuals. The agency annually provides assistance and services to 1,300 individuals and families. Agency staff has identified mid-ks cap as the safety network for most of the counties in the service delivery area. Support services are implemented as a logical stabilization method for families. In many cases, this is maintaining housing and an appropriate living environment resulting in providing a quality of life. Senior citizens are able to remain and retain the security of a home living environment. Employment opportunities have been identified in all family and Community level assessments in all counties that provided responses in the mid-ks cap service delivery area. Mid-ks cap provides individuals and families with customized services focused on soft skills to improve employment opportunities, increase upward employment mobility, and develop employment retention. More than 100 partnerships have been developed in counties to provide employment search assistance and to secure and retain meaningful employment. In counties without a workforce center and in many situations, the agency works one on one with individuals to teach interviewing skills, resume writing, completing employment applications, internet job searches techniques, telephone skills, appropriate attire for interviews and employment as well as employee relations and job retention skills. The executive director, Community services director, and Community support coordinators are active on several local and statewide boards that focus on homelessness, housing, education, and poverty issues. Partnerships are strengthened and developed through these collaboration efforts.customers are provided educational information, assistance filling out grant and student loan applications, and technical assistance to link customers to college and technical school counselors. Regardless of income, individuals must continue training to keep skills current for today's job market. Those who have lost employment oftentimes must change career fields to find employment that adequately meets their spending requirement. Due to such a rural area, employment opportunities are generally entry-level and often part-time employment. Customers are provided assistance in obtaining the needed educational credentials to obtain a living wage. Community support coordinators advocate education to customers as a means to end poverty. Customers are provided and encouraged to utilize funding for high school completion, post-secondary education, and or technical/vocational training. Assistance may be provided for short-term classes and testing and licensing fees. Customers involved in an educational Program may be helped with books, childcare, transportation, tuition (when grant funding is not available or adequate), specialized clothing, and equipment for the class.financial literacy information and spending plans (budgets) such as "money smart- and "your money your goals" were provided to 493 families in conjunction with all case-managed activity. Customers were provided the opportunity to develop, implement and evaluate a spending plan. Customers that can attain an adequate education with particular attention toward improving literacy skills have a great chance of successfully achieving financial goals.information and referral services provided to 4000 individuals are an integral part of the success of customers meeting goals. Information and referral services provide the bridge to avoid a gap in services. Partner agencies specialize in services such as addiction treatment, mental health, and parenting education to only name a few. It is crucial that the agency developed a plethora of partnerships as each customer presents a unique situation and requires a unique plan. Other grants and local donations are used for homeless prevention and emergency health care in several of the counties served.

Mid-ks cap was awarded 311,538 from housing and urban development (hud) through the balance of state continuum of care grant. Mid-ks cap works with partner agencies and the Community to provide homeless families and individuals the opportunity to resolve their housing crisis through the efficient use of a pool of available Community resources. The housing and beyond project utilizes rapid rehousing dollars from the housing and urban development (hud) Program to assist families and /or individuals in butler, harvey, reno, marion, sumner, and cowley counties in Kansas. The goal is to quickly obtain permanent housing. Once housing is secured short-term or long-term services, depending on customer needs, and accessing Community linkages to services are provided through case management until the attainment of housing stability. This project serves homeless individuals and/or families that have obstacles that prevent obtaining permanent housing. Services provided may include financial assistance, budget counseling, landlord advocacy, and linkages to Community agencies that will provide services sufficient to enable the family to obtain and maintain permanent housing. Services are provided in a manner that enhances the family's stability, respects the family's uniqueness, and enables the family to establish and maintain a permanent home. Housing is a primary goal of working with people experiencing homelessness. Aftercare may not always be needed; however, it can be expected in the majority of cases. During a one-year period, each family will be part of a case management Program that includes mentoring, increasing income, increasing education if needed, financial literacy training, and optional classes such as parenting, stress management, etc. Csbg funds are used to support the match requirement of this award. The agency assisted 258 individuals to obtain safe and affordable permanent housing. The case management approach consists of crisis intervention, emergency services, screening and needs assessment. Families who have become homeless have immediate trauma situations that need to be accommodated, including the provision of emergency shelter. There is a screening of the challenges and resources that will affect a re-housing plan. The provision of services to help families access and sustain housing includes working with the client to identify affordable units, access housing subsidies, and negotiate leases. Clients may require assistance to overcome barriers, such as poor tenant history, credit history, and discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, family make-up, and income source. Individual and family workers need assistance to identify landlords willing to work with the Program and engage in strategies to increase participation. Mid-ks cap operates 24 low-income housing units in rural communities. The Program encourages families with children to remain in communities, thus raising the school tax base. It has been noted by the agency that placing a new home in a rundown area tends to improve the entire neighborhood. Safe affordable housing is one key to reaching self-reliance. Tenants in low-income rental units are provided information on creating credit and credit repair. Tenants are given an opportunity to purchase the housing unit they occupy and provided with the tools to make that happen.whitewater and eureka cities have both identified the need for food and nutrition programs. The agency will be working with Community leaders to develop projects to address the needs of each Community. As a result of the pandemic, based on the urgent and widespread needs affecting all sectors of the Community, services focused on the pandemic crisis and emerged based on economic and health crises. The employment impacts of the pandemic were immediate, and profound and continue to negatively impact individuals and families. Mid-ks cap was able to identify funding and increase capacity to assist 546 eligible applicants. Case management services were expanded to provide recovery opportunities due to health care, unemployment, mental health issues, domestic violence issues, homelessness, and other services identified resulting from covid-19. The agency also expanded direct services to manage a wide range of services in employment, education, and basic needs (food, rent, utilities, communication, and health care). Community partnerships were created and maintained to meet a holistic approach to services and case management. Many rural areas have limited access to food and in some cases are in a food desert. Partnerships were developed with food pantries and farmer's markets to provide food and promote healthy food options. Programs continue to assist participants to secure and maintain employment. Mid-ks cap responded to more than 10,000 calls and applications seeking assistance. Information and referral services are provided for all inquiries. As economic challenges continue, the agency provided multiple services to 1000 individuals and/or families. These services are emergency support such as rent, utilities, food, clothing, insurance, prescriptions, dental care, and vision. As well as other supports individually identified. In addition to meeting an urgent crisis, efforts also consisted of the long-term well-being of individuals and families. These are educational components, job searching, and job-keeping skills, Community involvement, improving literacy skills, and financial literacy. Each individual or family is unique, and a unique plan is tailored to their situation which leads to self-reliance.