The Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) is requesting to cancel one (1) Medi-Cal Program Assistant position and add one (1) Social Services Program Assistant (SSPA) position. Whereas the Medi-Cal Program Assistant position is limited to the Medi-Cal program, the Social Services Program Assistant position supports the department’s initial CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal program eligibility determinations. Social Services Program Assistant position is critical for determination of the initial benefits. Assigned to intake units, responsibilities include the processing of initial applications for programs, acceptance of documents and subsequent point-of-entry scanning for those documents, referrals to internal and external food and other service resources. This position also processes Affordable Health Care applications, provides employment and homeless services for our CalWORKs participants. Furthermore, the SSPA classification provides greater operational flexibility for our monthly application processing at approximately 5,000 CalFresh, 3,000 Medi-Cal and 600 CalWORKs application.

Failure to add the Social Service Program Assistant position may impact EHSD’s ability to improve operational and service delivery.  

This action of adding a Social Services Program Assistant to support the department’s initial CalWorks, CalFresh, Medi-Cal program eligibility determinations, will support one of the five Contra Costa County’s community outcomes: Outcome 3 - Families that are Economically Self-Sufficient.