The year 2012 marked the 30th year of operation for the Riley County Seniors’ Service Center. As part of the 30-year anniversary activities, the Center staff and board of directors undertook a strategic planning process to begin to chart the course for the Center’s next 30-years. They considered demographic information compiled by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in 2011 regarding the dreams and challenges faced by Kansans age 50+; considered information from a limited survey of our own members patterned after the AARP survey; reviewed information regarding trends in aging; reviewed information regarding services available to seniors in Riley County; and compiled a list of key programs and services provided currently by Center.
As they went through the process of gathering and studying information it quickly became apparent that there was a large gap in the information they needed to inform their planning. The information they lacked was an up-to-date and comprehensive community needs assessment. As they considered the possibility of developing and collecting data in connection with a needs assessment narrowly focused on seniors/elderly, it occurred to them that the other human services agencies in Riley County/Manhattan were likely faced with the same lack of information.
At the time, the most recent comprehensive community needs assessment for Riley County and the City of Manhattan was completed in 1992-1993. It was based on the United Way of America’s COMPASS Needs Assessment System and was conducted under the direction of Dr. C. Clyde Jones on behalf of the Community Assessment Partnership of Riley County. “Manhattan’s Community Summit Report” was published in May 1997 as a follow-up to the needs assessment. It reflected the culmination of planning by various community groups working on plans for their particular areas (aging and elderly, youth, education, health, social services, transportation, housing, economic development, and infrastructure), but who had not necessarily shared information in any coordinated or strategic fashion. At the time, the community needs assessment paired with the outcomes presented in the Summit Report laid the foundation for shared planning for the future to address our community’s needs in a more coordinated manner. Twenty years has passed since the community needs assessment was conducted and the future envisioned in 1997 is more than 15-yrs later.
Therefore, the Seniors’ Services Center, in conjunction with other social service agencies and community organizations, proposed to undertake an intermediate level community needs assessment for Riley County/City of Manhattan. The goal of the needs assessment was to identify the assets of the community and determine potential concerns that it faces. The most straightforward way to estimate the needs of the community was to simply ask citizens their opinions about the issues and the problems they are dealing with.
To that end, the Riley County Seniors' Service Center submitted a grant application to the Caroline Peine Foundation (Manhattan Fund) and was awarded funding in January 2014.
Funding was also provided by Konza United Way, Mercy Regional Health Center, Riley County Council on Aging, and Wamego Health Center (a community needs assessment for Pottawatomie County was also undertaken concurrently with the one for Riley County).
The Seniors' Service Center contracted with the Center for Community Support and Research at Wichita State University to conduct the needs assessment.
Organizations directly involved in the design of the survey used in connection with the needs assessment were:
Konza United Way
Mercy Regional Health Center
Riley County Health Department
Riley County Seniors' Service Center
Additionally, representatives from nearly 100 other community organizations provided input into the design of the survey and were instrumental in encouraging community members to participate.
It is hoped that the needs assessment will be beneficial to the community and its social service agencies and organizations as they plan for the future.
As they went through the process of gathering and studying information it quickly became apparent that there was a large gap in the information they needed to inform their planning. The information they lacked was an up-to-date and comprehensive community needs assessment. As they considered the possibility of developing and collecting data in connection with a needs assessment narrowly focused on seniors/elderly, it occurred to them that the other human services agencies in Riley County/Manhattan were likely faced with the same lack of information.
At the time, the most recent comprehensive community needs assessment for Riley County and the City of Manhattan was completed in 1992-1993. It was based on the United Way of America’s COMPASS Needs Assessment System and was conducted under the direction of Dr. C. Clyde Jones on behalf of the Community Assessment Partnership of Riley County. “Manhattan’s Community Summit Report” was published in May 1997 as a follow-up to the needs assessment. It reflected the culmination of planning by various community groups working on plans for their particular areas (aging and elderly, youth, education, health, social services, transportation, housing, economic development, and infrastructure), but who had not necessarily shared information in any coordinated or strategic fashion. At the time, the community needs assessment paired with the outcomes presented in the Summit Report laid the foundation for shared planning for the future to address our community’s needs in a more coordinated manner. Twenty years has passed since the community needs assessment was conducted and the future envisioned in 1997 is more than 15-yrs later.
Therefore, the Seniors’ Services Center, in conjunction with other social service agencies and community organizations, proposed to undertake an intermediate level community needs assessment for Riley County/City of Manhattan. The goal of the needs assessment was to identify the assets of the community and determine potential concerns that it faces. The most straightforward way to estimate the needs of the community was to simply ask citizens their opinions about the issues and the problems they are dealing with.
- To get an honest and objective description of needs of the people in the community.
- To anticipate and remain responsive to changing demographics, attitudes, and needs.
- To become aware of possible needs that we may not see as important or even know exist.
- To document needs as required in many applications for funding.
- To get group and community support for actions we may want to undertake in the future.
- To get people actually involved in following the actions we may want to take.
- To make sure any actions taken are in line with needs expressed by the community.
To that end, the Riley County Seniors' Service Center submitted a grant application to the Caroline Peine Foundation (Manhattan Fund) and was awarded funding in January 2014.
Funding was also provided by Konza United Way, Mercy Regional Health Center, Riley County Council on Aging, and Wamego Health Center (a community needs assessment for Pottawatomie County was also undertaken concurrently with the one for Riley County).
The Seniors' Service Center contracted with the Center for Community Support and Research at Wichita State University to conduct the needs assessment.
Organizations directly involved in the design of the survey used in connection with the needs assessment were:
Konza United Way
Mercy Regional Health Center
Riley County Health Department
Riley County Seniors' Service Center
Additionally, representatives from nearly 100 other community organizations provided input into the design of the survey and were instrumental in encouraging community members to participate.
It is hoped that the needs assessment will be beneficial to the community and its social service agencies and organizations as they plan for the future.