Public Assistance Programs - CW, FC, Kin-GAP

Imperial County

Department of Social Services

2995 South Fourth Street

Suite 105

El Centro, CA 92243

Ph: (760) 337-6800

FAX: (760) 337-5716

Public Assistance Programs

Text Box: The mission of the public assistance eligibility section is to accurately and promptly make program eligibility determinations, to deliver these benefits to all applicants and recipients with courtesy and respect with the goal of protecting and improving the health, nutrition and well-being of the public served.

CalWORKs

CalWORKs provides cash assistance to families with children who are deprived of the support and care of one or both parents due to death, absence, incapacity, or unemployment. Most aided adults have a lifetime limit of 60 months of CalWORKs eligibility unless they:

¨ Have reached 60 years of age;

¨ Are disabled;

¨ Care for a disabled household member;

¨ Care for a child at risk.

Unless exempt from federal/state mandated Welfare to Work (WTW) requirements, the parent(s)/caretaker relative must comply with WTW to find and maintain employment that will result in self-sufficiency. Eligibility is contingent on meeting regulatory income and resource limits. A significant number of cases consist of children only with no aided adults, such as families in which:

¨ A child lives with an unaided non-parent caretaker relative;

¨ Parents are no longer aided due to having reached their 60-month time limit;

¨ Parents receive SSI/SSP;

¨ Parents are unaided due to non-compliance with CalWORKs requirements;

¨ Parents do not have satisfactory immigration status.

Family Resource Centers (FRC), which are out-station sites located at schools and other locations throughout Imperial County, have been designed to provide coordinated assistance to the families of qualifying students attending participating schools with the exception of the Winterhaven Family Resource Center which also serves all residents of the Winterhaven area. The centers are staffed by various agencies, including behavioral health, probation, employment services, school staff, social services and other agencies that, through collaboration and case management, provide needed family services. The FRC eligibility unit determines initial and continuing eligibility for the CalWORKs, Food Stamp, Medi-Cal and CMSP programs for the families of children attending the school. Currently, there are ten locations serviced by the FRC unit:

¨ San Pasqual High School—Winterhaven

¨ Mains Elementary School—Calexico

¨ Brawley High School—Brawley

¨ Central Union High School—El Centro

¨ Grace Smith Elementary School—Niland

¨ McKinley Elementary School—El Centro

¨ Seeley Elementary School—Seeley

¨ West Shores Clinicas de Salud—Salton Sea area

¨ Ocotillo Community Center—Ocotillo

¨ Palo Verde Fire Department—Palo Verde

The eligibility section consisting of 168 employees is responsible for administering the following programs:

Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)

The CAPI program provides cash assistance to aged, blind and disabled immigrants who are ineligible for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Program (SSI/SSP) benefits due to their immigration status. Program eligibility and benefit levels are determined based on income and resource requirements that follow SSI/SSP rules. During fiscal year 2007-2008 about 19 active cases were processed per month.

Foster Care, Kin-GAP and Adoption Assistance

Foster Care, Kin-GAP and Adoption Assistance programs provide financial assistance to foster/adoptive parents. Eligibility technicians have the responsibility to determine financial eligibility for foster care, Kin-GAP and Adoption Assistance.

Food Stamps

Food Stamps provide supplemental food and nutrition for low income families and individuals. Applicants/recipients must meet income and resource requirements and benefits are issued based on household size.

Public Assistance Food Stamps (PAFS) benefits are issued to households in which all members receive CalWORKs/General Assistance. Eligibility for these households is determined based partially on the cash aid requirements.

Non-Assistance Food Stamp (NAFS) benefits are issued to households in which some, but not all members are receiving CalWORKs cash aid benefits, or no member is receiving CalWORKs.

Eligibility is limited to individuals and families whose gross income (prior to deductions) is no more than 130 percent of the federal poverty level and whose net income is no more than 100 percent of the federal poverty level. Special rules apply to persons who are elderly and/or disabled.

Linkage Program

The Linkage Program was developed to assist families who participated in the court ordered and voluntary Family Maintenance Program and court ordered Reunification Program with Children and Family Services. These families receive TANF and are CalWORKs Welfare to Work participants. The Linkage Program is comprised of staff from Children and Family Services, Welfare to Work and CalWORKs Eligibility. The objective of the program is to provide the parents participating in the Family Maintenance and Family Reunification programs with counseling services for, but not limited to, drug, alcohol and behavioral health issues.

Each partner has an important role: Children and Family Services provides the development and direction of the Family Maintenance or Family Reunification Plan; Welfare to Work provides the employment services and CalWORKs Eligibility maintains the eligibility status of the parent. This requires a continual open line of communication and teamwork between the three sections to reach a common goal. That goal is for the participating families to succeed in reunifying or in maintaining a more stable family unit.

CalWORKs Eligibility

The strategic plan for the CalWORKs section of the Department of Social Services will be a three year work in progress plan. The changes made to attain the goals of this plan will be gradual, but methodical in their development.

Goal #1: By the end of the third year the CalWORKs section should be eco-friendly or “Green”.

· The goal is to have 100% electronic case management by utilizing a new computer and imaging system which will eliminate or substantially reduce the use of paper and paper files.

· The goal is to have all documents and client information imaged and stored within the new computer system to be readily accessible to key personnel and will assist in ensuring confidentiality and a safeguard for client information.

· The goal is to utilize double-sided forms to reduce the amount of paper used.

· The goal is to have electronic communication with partner agencies that will also eliminate the need for paper products.

Goal #2: By the end of the third year the CalWORKs section will be more available for their clients.

· The goal is to have the office open earlier and close later.

· The goal is to have variable work hours for the staff to accommodate the extended hours the office will be open.

Goal #3: By the end of the third year the CalWORKs section will work more closely with other organizations within the county to provide more services to the clients.

· The goal is to develop a networking system to access the various community-based programs available.

· The goal is to have a working partnership with public and private agencies that will increase the availability of services.

· The goal is to develop a means to provide information to all the people within the community on the various programs available.