Agenda - 04-01-1982 - Laserfiche WebLink

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11.0;8,1 6 t EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Back-round and Process In April 1981, the Orange County Human Services Advisory Commission initiated this project by the appointment of a Needs Assessment Committee. This was as a direct result of the con- cerns and priorities expressed by boards and staff of human services agencies and elected officials at the fall 1980 Human Services Conference, and as a way of undertaking part of the ESAC's commission from the Orange County Commissioners to "study human service needs and resources of Orange County. " The project was funded by the ESAC and the County Commissioners. The County Commissioners requested that the needs assessment determine: how the current level of services fits the need; what are the priority needs in the view of a representative segment of the broad community; the availability of services for those need- ing them; duplication of services and gaps, if possible. An inventory of services currently offered, as well as profiles of human service agencies in Orange County, were requested and, have been provided to the County Manager. The Needs Assessment Committee which planned and executed the study was commrised of HSAC agency representatives, several Masters and Doctoral Degree candidates from the University of North Carolina, a professional consultant from the University, a part- time staff member to the committee, and in the initial planning phases, two county administrative staff. The study was designed to determine basic human services needswl:thin the county, and to determine priorities without con - ing services currently being offered. Using needs data and ser . L_, information gathered by the Needs Assessment Committee as a base, 80 citizens working in six age-group committees ranked priority needs, determined current levels of service, and assessed availabil- ity and adequacy. The members of these citizen groups were nomin- ated by a wide range of community organizations appointed by the Commissioners. They included consumers of services, agency staff, community leaders and local professionals. Each age group produced a detailed report on priority barriers affecting that group, with a rationale for their rankings. They assessed the adequacy and availability of services currently offered and although the citizen groups were not requested to make recom- mendations on services needed to fill the gap between needs and current services, most chose to do so. These have been included. Each age group selected representatives to meet in a summary session in order to reach a consensus on priority barriers and nee' across all age groups and to review the summary of group findings adequacy and availability of services.