Understanding social services in Adams County (Times op-ed)

I am a social worker and recently found myself unexpectedly unemployed. As I was embarking upon my job search, I saw numerous positions being advertised. Few of these opportunities were in Gettysburg, however; most of them were in York, Hanover, Chambersburg, and Maryland. Why would there be so few social service positions available in our county’s seat of government? I also noticed that many of these positions were low-paying with the pay scale ranging from $10/hour for most caregiver positions up to $22/hour for a few therapist positions. Can someone really afford to live in Gettysburg working as a caregiver at $10 an hour? These questions made me consider the state of social services in Gettysburg and Adams County.

In my attempt to secure employment but also uncover answers to these pressing questions, I decided to send an email to the Department of Human Services (DHS) and received a shockingly prompt response. They suggested I reach out to www.211.org, to see what programs are available in Adams County. The 211 site turned out to be a great resource, but eventually I was also given the name of someone who might be able to help me uncover the answers I was seeking: Steve Niebler.

Steve Niebler has spent 40 years working in Human Services and he is the former director of Adams County Office for Aging. When asked what types of services are available in Adams County, Steve identified what he called “The PA Big 5 + 1 Human Service Agencies.” These are Children and Youth Services, Aging Services, Drug & Alcohol, Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and South-Central Community Action Programs (SCCAP). The Big 5 + 1 seemed to cover all the necessary bases, but I was curious how a county of only 104,000 could fund these services. In truth, according to Steve, public education and human services have “historically been underfunded in our county.” If they were properly funded, many of the current social stressors would be resolved, he said. But if you really want to understand social services here, he added, you really need to talk with Kathy Gaskin, head of Healthy Adams County, the closest thing to a central hub for locating services in Adams County.

Healthy Adams County is a one-woman operation, supported by a team of volunteers and task forces that tackle different areas of need. And Kathy Gaskin is that one woman, serving as its executive director, having worked in human services for more than 30 years. Healthy Adams County does not provide direct services beyond its food programs, but it does help connect people to other organizations in the community that can provide the services they need. Connecting with those services can sometimes be a problem since some organizations are unable to keep their information current on the 211 website. But “Adams County has been innovative in their use of resources,” Gaskin believes, and many services are available. Affordable housing, however, remains an area of concern and a pressing challenge for both Gaskin and Niebler. Due to the high median housing prices, Adams County can seem to be a more affluent area to a casual observer than it actually is.

My conversations with Steve Niebler and Kathy Gaskin provided some solid answers about social services in the county. However, I was left pondering how the persistent issues that remain are being addressed. People are having to wait six months or longer to access mental health services. Rents continue to climb, despite zero availability for rental options. People with housing subsidies cannot find landlords willing to rent to them. According to the website, http://livingwage.mit.edu, a living hourly wage for a single person in Adams County is $15.77. And that number increases with children. But this is in a state that still has a minimum wage of $7.25/hour. The two occupational areas with the lowest typical salaries are Food Preparation and Serving at $26,604 and Healthcare Support at $32,657. These salaries would almost guarantee that many in these professions will need to access social services at some point, to assist in meeting their basic needs. So, it seems that there is not a lack of social service agencies in the county. The issue is that the historically low paying professions that dominate this area are struggling both to provide a living wage and to attract the number of workers needed to provide the services to those in need. Like most issues in this country, the state of social services in Adams County is a systemic one. It will require long time administrators like Steve Niebler and Kathy Gaskin to continue their advocacy, pressuring politicians to provide the funding needed. But the local communities must also do their part. They must be willing to help their neighbors who are in need.

A kind word to a stranger could go a long way in improving someone’s mood. A few bucks given to a weary panhandler might mean the difference between eating and not eating. Sponsoring a homeless individual/family could buy enough time for them to earn/receive an income. Making monthly donations to a small charity or program might keep that program’s doors open just a bit longer. And volunteering is always a fantastic experience. But raising minimum wages and adequately funding social services must be priorities as well.

We all benefit from a healthy community and the services that support it. This message was made clear to me through my conversations with Steve Niebler and Kathy Gaskin and they both are still full of hope that improvements will continue to be made. Let’s see if Adams County can live up to that hope.

Elmer Shelton, born and raised in Selbyville, Delaware, graduated from Gettysburg College, and currently lives and works in Gettysburg. The opinions expressed are his own. He is a member of the DFA Government Accountability Task Force and the Steering Committee.