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Funds vs. Need
JFS director worried about helping needy
Published Saturday, March 14, 2009
When a Proctorville woman went earlier this month to apply for food stamps and medical assistance, she was nervous and worried.
Her husband had just been diagnosed with a heart aneurism. The husband had been a heavy equipment operator but needed a physical examination to get a job as a truck driver. The aneurism showed up and turned their lives upside down.
The man who used to work for a living can’t be a truck driver or an equipment operator, at least for a while.
“We have no regular income and no health insurance,” she said.
The husband will have surgery this week and will spend 6-8 weeks after that recuperating. Fortunately, doctors say the man can return to either job once he is well. But in the meantime, the couple has asked for a little help.
They’ve applied for food stamps and medical assistance for them and their four-year-old daughter.
The woman said her experience at Lawrence County Job and Family Services was a positive one and she was treated with utmost compassion and respect by intake case manager Lisa Massie.
“When someone who has no idea what you’re going through helps you…” she said, choking back tears. “You just don’t expect that these days, I feel blessed.”
But Massie is worried. She is seeing more people coming in the door seeking assistance and fewer and fewer co-workers to help shoulder the ever-increasing load of providing this assistance. She worries in the future, those who come in looking for help may have to wait long hours to get the help they need. Her supervisor, Lawrence County Job and Family Services Director Gene Myers, is worried, too.
Facts and figures
The JFS office already serves nearly 32 percent of all Lawrence County residents in some fashion, be it child care, food stamps or general assistance. On the average, JFS employees assist 175 clients per day.
“We open the doors at 7:30 and I have employees who are here at 7, 7:15 and I am usually here at 7 or 7:15 and I’m here until 5 and when I come in there are already clients on the parking lot and when I leave there are clients waiting to see workers at 5 o’clock,” Myers said.
Children’s Services, which is under the umbrella of JFS, handles between 2,100 and 2,200 referrals each year. While not all of these referrals become a full-fledged child abuse or neglect case, each and every one of them must be investigated.
And if this sounds bad, consider that statewide, the jobless rate is on the rise and is now 8.8 percent. While Lawrence County’s is relatively low right now, that is likely to change as the effects of the national economy make its way here. Statewide the demand for food stamps has grown by more than 10 percent.
Cutting
To counter the effects of a worsening economy, federal and state officials are allowing more people to sign up for public assistance.
Medicaid eligibility is being expanded from 200 percent of the poverty level to 300 percent.
Food stamp eligibility is being expanded as well.
However, the state is not providing money to local agencies to administrate those programs.
So more people are coming in through his door to ask for help at a time when Myers has fewer and fewer people to actually provide that help.
In 2003 JFS has 130 employees. It now has 95.
In the last year seven people who retired or otherwise chose to leave JFS employment have not been replaced.
“I am concerned about the clients we serve,” Myers said. “We serve people who are already the most vulnerable residents of Lawrence County and they may be struggling even more.”
The state is proposing to cut his Title 20 Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) by $725,241 and other funding streams by more than $300,000.
This is on top of the $2.2 million hit his office has taken since 2007.
This is the money that is used to provide foster care, temporary shelter and basic needs such as food and clothing.
If the state cuts his budget again this year, he will have seen a 1/3 reduction in his budget over the last three years.
Trends
Massie said the Proctorville woman is not an isolated case. She is starting to see more people who have never asked for help before, never needed help before, show up at the JFS office.
These are start-from-scratch people who require more time with a caseworker to get necessary information.
Massie said she has another concern, too. Budget cuts often mean personnel cuts.
“There is a very real possibility I could be on the other side of this desk,” she said.
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Comments
Posted by favorite24 (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 1:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope the family from Proctorville get the help they need. Those are the hard working people who have supported deadbeats for years, and now they need help at a very crucial time. I hope they don't have one too many cars that disallows them any assistance. I'm sure they deserve more than they will be allowed. Good luck to those who have worked hard all their life and now need to ask for assistance. This isn't the time for the state to cut programs and I'm sure if it was up to Mr. Myers to make that decision, he would do everything in his power to help them.
Posted by jw2009 (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 1:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Bad things always happen to good people. Hopefully our govt will not deny this family but i am doubtful as they have worked at one time. That automatically shuts these people out. We will support deadbeats for years while they keep having children. I recently went to the social security office to get my new social security card and it was amazing the people there trying to get their "check". People simply not wanting to work and finding any reason not to work. We need to cut these people off and help the people who actually work. We are constanly supporting deadbeats.
Posted by Vil (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 2:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We need to take my idea from the k-9 story and institute it here. if you agree to get government assistance, you get to have a random search of your home with the drug dog. If anything is found, you automatically lose all benefits.
We have way too many druggies and deadbeats sitting on their hind ends getting a government check while the real working heroes get it stuck to them by their government.
Posted by john_mushenhouse (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 8:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
For years, the politicians have ripped off the county for personal gain. selling worthless properties to the county, doubledipping and stocking jobs with their imcompentent (and sometimes thieves) relatives.
The merchants have gauged the people and wouldn't let real competition in.
The elections have been frauds based on the absentee votes.
Look at what the results are.
The first thing to do is take control of the political parties. Vote the people who think it is their right to run the county. These 3rd or 4th generation politicians. Then dump their appointments off the boards.
Look at who ran the hospital. One is on every board. Another was an oil changer at the Library. Is it any wonder the place went bankrupt.
Put people in the jobs who are really qualified and just not somebody's kin or friends.
Posted by family545 (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I pray the economy turns around. Bless all the workers who are in need at this time.
If jobs are cut in ODJFS, why should Lisa Massie be worried, she wasn't one of the last ones hired? Good job Lisa.
Posted by sugar08 (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with everything all of you have said,we are going to see more and more people needing help and if you have ever worked it's doubtful you will get help. They will publish these stories from now on so that when they want to put a levy on, people will say ok we need it. We are already paying for these things through our taxes why should we keep on paying when the honest people can't get help when needed. Why should we keep on paying double over and over? We are paid out. It doesn't matter if the other counties have a levy for this,this is a poor county, we have no jobs here,how do we keep on paying?
Posted by MP (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at noon (Suggest removal)
To family545--Lisa Massie has been with ODJFS for several years but that does not mean her job is not in jeopardy.......they are talking layoffs in the 20's which means you do not have to be a new employee there to get laid off. People in Lawrence County need services that ODJFS provide now more than ever and if the county does layoff it will have an effect on more than just the employees of ODJFS.
Posted by tmarie (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 6 p.m. (Suggest removal)
best of luck to the family from proctoville. I to recently had to be put of work due to an unexpected medical problem which end in surgery. i work fulltime and i am also a fulltime student trying to better myself for me to get a better job to help support my family. When i contacted my case worker to tell her i had been put off on medical leave and need to see what help i could possibly get while i was off and i asked for help with my medical bill and the case worker i have acts like this comes out of her pocket. Yes i know we as tax payers do pay for some of the deadbeats on the system but im not one of the deadbeats i worked 40 hours a week before my surgery and do intend on going back to work just as soon as my docter releases me. My surgery was last month and i still dont know if i will get the help i needed to cover my medical expense while im off work. God bless all who comes to need help because of situation beyond our control.
Posted by john_mushenhouse (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 6:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
tmarie
who was that self-important caseworker related to.
Posted by Oblique (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's a sad fact that "the county" is the largest employer in Lawrence County. I say cut the payroll numbers to provide for those in need not try to keep too many overpaid people sucking up the tax revenue we can put to better use.
Food stamps and medical cards should be temporary for anyone not 100% disabled.
I know a young man who is wheelchair bound yet works full time.
Posted by tmarie (anonymous) on March 15, 2009 at 9:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
john i dont know who my case worker is related to, but it is sad when they make u feel bad bout needing help esp when u work everyday or you have worked and paid taxes, cause we have a lot of deadbeats that get all the assisant they need then that makes it rough on those of us who try to support ourselfs and find ourself in need of assisant.
Posted by johnqpublic (anonymous) on March 16, 2009 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is amazing to me. Some people don't want money "handed out" to deadbeats, then others feel that they are treated rudely by someone who "acts as if it comes out of their own pockets" when I am sure that the person may have simply been going through the questions that safegaurd the system from fraud. Remember, when you start calling people "deadbeats" that you do not know all of their circumstances. You don't know if they were once hard working people with injuries, or if they have a developmental delay or disability, or anything else about these people. In a county where many or even most are impovrished, it is not a good idea to judge. You may be sitting pretty today, and jobless tomorrow. Most of us are a paycheck or two away from being broke. I am thankful for what I have and wish I could help others more than I do. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I was once gainfully employed, served my country in the military (even have metals and ribbons), and found myself at times unemployed, underemployed, medically disabled, and now gainfully employed in more than one job. I once felt the way some of you do, but my eyes have been opened.
Posted by diva (anonymous) on March 16, 2009 at 1:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
it amazing to me that how everyone can judge the caseworks that are employeed as lcdjfs....They have rules and regulation by the state that they go by...it may not be fair to the clients...the department does care about everyone who walks in the door. You never know if it could be one of those casemanger sitting on the other side. nobody looks at the good at the cdjfs does...
Posted by Retro (anonymous) on March 16, 2009 at 5:47 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by tmarie (anonymous) on March 16, 2009 at 9:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
johnq i feel part of your statment was towards me cause u used somthing i said earlier in your comment but i do have a case worker who dont care much bout her client cause i know other people who have been in same situation and their case worker was able to help them. i dont want cash assisant from the state i worked fulltime until a little over a month ago when i had to have an emergency surgery. i was just asking for help paying my medical bills and now i may be facing another surgery cause of a problems that has arised from my surgery while i have been recovering. im hopin not because i want to get back to work soon i miss working and knowing im the one suporting my family, but as far a deadbeat they are the one who live on the system and will not get out there and work not they ones who cant work because there are some people on the system that cant work because of different reason
Posted by Vil (anonymous) on March 17, 2009 at 2:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Guys, act your age not your shoe size please.
Neo, I feel if someone is receiving assistance via my tax dollars, the public should be able to know their tax dollars aren't being spent on crack cocaine and other illegal substances. If tax dollars are being used to pay your rent or mortgage, then you give up your privacy until you get off of government assistance. There are way too many people taking advantage of the system and getting high off of our tax dollars and I'm tired of paying for their fix.
That's completely different than getting health and dental benefits from your employer if you work for the government. Government workers are actually contributing to society like the rest of us working people, so why take a swipe at them? The concept is that they earn their pay for their work, they don't get paid to smoke crack while eating Cheetos and watching Maury Povich all day.
Posted by Retro (anonymous) on March 17, 2009 at 1:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gee, I hate that I missed Neo's deleted comment. Maybe it's best.
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