Counties see the value in consolidating services

ECKAN, or East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corp. is an organization designated to assist deserving Kansans in nine counties. Founded in 1964, the agency provides, among other things, education, housing, and weatherization to low-income individuals and families.

Dec. 18, 2004

Vickie Moss

The Ottawa Herald

Karah Williams, 20, knows little about the East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corp.

She doesn't know ECKAN serves more than 3,000 low-income Kansans in nine counties, or that it has an annual budget of $5.5 million, funded mostly by federal, state and local grants.

Williams only knows ECKAN was there when she and her children needed help.

"We have a place to live because of them," she said.

 

Lending a hand

ECKAN is one of eight Kansas Community Action Program agencies formed in response to the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. The agency provides a variety of programs, such as housing, weatherization and preschool, to help low-income residents.

It is among a larger pool of assistance agencies for the most vulnerable - the poor, the elderly and the disabled. These quasi-governmental agencies often cover multiple counties.

Many of these regional organizations have been successful for more than 30 years, with most putting down roots in the 1960s and '70s. The consolidated structures save money, allow access to specialized services and serve a wide population bases.

 

Finding help

Williams, a single mother of a toddler and a newborn, lived with cash-strapped family members until her aunt told her earlier this year about ECKAN. Now she lives in government-subsidized housing and takes part in ECKAN-sponsored programs to become less reliant on government assistance.

Williams is one of the lucky ones. She lives in Ottawa, home of ECKAN's central office, so transportation isn't an issue. But for others, such as those in western Kansas, where agencies might serve 20 or more counties, a trip to the home office can take several hours.

To compensate, county offices must remain an essential part of the agency network. Jim Blume, director of Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, said that cooperation between counties has been agency's goal since its board of directors formed 30 years ago.

DSNWK is based in Hays and serves people with developmental disabilities in 18 counties.

"In order to offer quality services we had to have a sufficient tax base, and that meant multi-county participation," Blume said.

 

Quality services

With a mix of urban and rural communities, some clients of the six-county Central Kansas Mental Health Services, based in Salina, have to travel farther than others, but they have access to mental health specialists in Salina or other area cities, director Patricia Murray said.

A larger population base translates to more people with a variety of mental health needs. Serving as a regional hub helps the agency qualify for additional grants.

"We are strengthened," Murray said. "We can offer much better services to both bigger and smaller communities."

 

Counting the costs

ECKAN director Richard Jackson said the costs associated with maintaining offices in multiple counties can be considerable.

"Consolidation doesn't necessarily mean you save dollars," he said. "The issue is about not duplicating services and providing as many services as you can."

Significant budget cuts in the future could require some counties to combine offices, but Jackson said he hopes it doesn't come to that.

"For our clients, being able to deal with a live person makes a big difference," he said. "If your utilities are about to be cut off or you're out of baby formula, you want to be able to go and talk to someone."

The Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging, based in Chanute, taps into a broad base of home health care providers in the nine counties it serves, along with nutrition, transportation and employment programs for the elderly, said Linda Meyer, program specialist.

"We're the central point of entry so we get a good analysis of what (clients) need," she said. "We have enough case managers who know their counties and what's out there.

"You can always improve ... but I think our system works."