The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) is pleased to announce the availability of its annual report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2019, covering the period from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. The report highlights the agency’s accomplishments and initiatives and shares the positive impacts that SSA has made to the community as a whole, serving over one in four county residents.

The annual report features SSA’s FY 2018-2019 accomplishments, focused on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable children, adults and families, including:

• Provision of family strengthening services, prevention and intervention programs to more than 6,300 families through our 15 Family Resource Centers, helping to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect.
• Successful implementation, effective June 1, 2019, of a new state policy that allows persons receiving Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payments (SSI/SSP) to be eligible for CalFresh benefits. Between May 1, 2019 and June 30, 2019, over 8,200 CalFresh applications for households that include an SSI/SSP recipient were received, with an 86 percent approval rate for CalFresh benefits.
• Countywide expansion of the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), which allows elderly, disabled and homeless CalFresh recipients and their spouses to use their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card to purchase prepared meals from participating restaurants. By the end of FY 2018-2019, approximately 39,000 CalFresh households were RMP-eligible, with 79 participating restaurants and 47 that were pending approval with the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Food and Nutrition Services.
• A significant increase in the number of homeless families served by the CalWORKs Housing Support Program, from 66 families in FY 2017-18 to 99 families in FY 2018-19. Of the families assisted with housing support services, 71 were successfully placed into permanent, stable housing, representing a 45 percent increase over the previous year.

According to SSA Director Debra J. Baetz, “We are very proud of the numerous accomplishments made by SSA staff this past fiscal year to help individuals work towardsself-sufficiency, strengthen families and protect our most vulnerable populations in Orange County.” Director Baetz continued, “Looking forward, we will continue the critical work of delivering comprehensive and enhanced services that are accessible and responsive to the community — especially to our residents in hard-to-reach areas.”

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) is pleased to announce the availability of its Families and Communities Together (FaCT) platform annual report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2019, covering the period from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. The report addresses the critical role that FaCT and its network of 15 Family Resource Centers (FRCs) play in the County’s efforts to ensure children in Orange County grow up in stable, nurturing families and safe, supportive communities.

Celebrating 25 years of service, FaCT has played an integral role in SSA’s efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect and help at-risk families. FaCT FRCs provide family strengthening and support services to the community, ranging from counseling and parenting classes, comprehensive case management services, educational and training programs, and advocacy and community engagement. In Fiscal Year 2018-2019, FaCT FRCs served more than 14,000 individuals and over 6,000 families. FaCT serves as a public-private
partnership between SSA and numerous community-based organizations that collectively work to provide engagement and outreach, direct service delivery, fund development as well as professional/staff training on best practices.

According to SSA’s Children and Family Services Division Director, Anne Bloxom, “We are very proud of the accomplishments made by FaCT and its network of FRCs over this past fiscal year to reduce child abuse and neglect. Supporting families where they live — in their own neighborhoods — requires a community approach. None of this work would have been made possible without the dedication and collaboration of our nearly 100 government and community-based partners that help us deliver crucial prevention and intervention services.” Bloxom continued, “We appreciate all of the collective efforts that are focused on the critical work of delivering comprehensive core and specialized services to strengthen Orange County families.”

To read the full report, please visit: www.factoc.org/newsletter/annual-reports.

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) is pleased to announce the recognition of employees Juan Reynoso and Nicole Strattman by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for their efforts in combating human trafficking among children, youth and families. The month of January commemorates Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

Across the state, CDSS selected less than 45 individuals to receive this inaugural award. 

Juan Reynoso, a Social Services Supervisor II, was nominated by CDSS’ Refugee Programs Bureau for his dedication and support of the Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program (TCVAP), assisting survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence and other serious crimes since 2013.

Nicole Strattman, a Senior Social Services Supervisor and SSA’s Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Program Coordinator, also serves as the agency liaison with the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force (OCHTTF). Nicole helped implement specialized services for CSEC youth, including the launch of a dedicated resource and support center.

SSA Director Debra Baetz said, “People perceive human trafficking as an issue that happens somewhere else, but it happens in our own backyard. At SSA, we work closely with other county departments and community partners to serve survivors of exploitation, providing them with access to intensive services that address their unique needs and help them heal.” She continued, “SSA congratulates Juan and Nicole for their unwavering commitment to helping our most vulnerable populations.”

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) is pleased to share results of the first full year of the implementation of the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) countywide.

RMP is a program that enables eligible elderly, disabled and homeless CalFresh recipients to purchase prepared meals at participating restaurants using their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. The program is intended to increase food access for those who may not have a place to store or cook food, may not be able to prepare food or who lack access to a grocery store.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors initially authorized SSA to implement RMP as a pilot program, which launched in the cities of Anaheim and Santa Ana in early 2018. Based on the success of the pilot, the Board of Supervisors approved SSA’s recommendation to expand the Restaurant Meals Program countywide in November 2018, with program expansion beginning in January 2019.

Through significant outreach efforts, SSA has been able to secure restaurant participation in 30 out of 34 Orange County cities, ensuring program accessibility to the most vulnerable members of the community. Prior to the countywide expansion, SSA had 51 participating restaurants in Santa Ana and Anaheim; this figure grew to 108 as of January 1, 2020, with nearly 50 additional Orange County restaurants awaiting approval from the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.

In 2019, over 85,000 RMP transactions were completed in Orange County with a total of $889,000 in revenues generated for local businesses. These transactions represent a 745% increase over the prior year.

Additionally, RMP continues to show growth and diversity with the addition of five approved restaurant locations on the campus of California State University, Fullerton.

“We are very pleased with the success of the Restaurant Meals Program in Orange County and look forward to seeing continued growth in our number of participating restaurants,” said SSA Director Debra Baetz. She continued, “RMP helps the community on a number of fronts — in our ability to provide greater access to prepared meals and in our support and partnership with local businesses in the community.”

To learn more about the Restaurant Meals Program, please visit: ssa.ocgov.com/calfresh/calfresh/rmp.

In the wake of recent California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance related to professional, social and community gatherings, the County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) recommends clients follow precautionary measures to help slow and prevent the potential spread of illness.

CDPH guidance recommends postponement or cancellation of gatherings with 250 or more people or smaller gatherings held in venues that do not allow for social distancing of six feet per person.

In line with this guidance and when possible, SSA encourages clients to consider alternative channels to enroll for Medi-Cal, CalFresh and CalWORKs benefits and/or to address questions related to current cases in place of in-person office visits. There are multiple ways to connect:

• Click – www.MyBenefitsCalWIN.org.
• Call – (800) 281-9799 to apply by phone.

Existing Orange County client households may also direct questions to their assigned case worker. Those recipients without an assigned caseworker may contact SSA toll-free at (800) 281-9799. 

“The health and well-being of our clients and our SSA staff is of paramount importance and we have an obligation to help ensure their safety,” said SSA Director Debra Baetz. She continued, “Encouraging clients to employ social distancing strategies – and in this case, to use alternate channels in lieu of visiting our SSA regional office locations when possible – can help protect them and the community as a whole.”

To continue to prevent the spread of the virus, please follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines:

• Wash hands with water and soap for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

To stay up to date with information concerning the COVID-19 situation in Orange County, please visit www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus.

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) announced today the closure of its public assistance offices effective tomorrow, March 17, 2020, to the public. This change in operations is being made as a precautionary measure to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The following locations will be closed to the public until further notice:

Services will continue to be provided online and by phone as follows:

• To apply for Medi-Cal and CalWORKs benefits, review your case information, request a replacement benefits card and submit verifications, please visit www.mybenefitscalwin.org or call SSA’s Service Center at (800) 281-9799.
• To apply for CalFresh benefits, review case information and submit verifications, please visit www.getcalfresh.org.
• To apply for General Relief benefits or for continuing case information, please call (800) 281-9799 or you can fax an application to (714) 825-3155
• To apply for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) or for questions related to ongoing IHSS cases, call (714) 825-3000

For additional information on SSA programs, please visit: ssa.ocgov.com. 

To stay up to date with information concerning the COVID-19 situation in Orange County, please visit www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus.

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) announced today that it will expand its online application services and call center hours to meet the needs of the community affected by the State’s Stay at Home order issued yesterday.

Effective immediately, SSA’s Service Center has extended its hours of operation to:

• Weekdays (Monday – Friday) from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Call center operators will be available to take calls at (800) 281-9799.

Individuals wishing to apply for General Relief benefits now have another option to enroll online through www.mybenefitscalwin.org. They may also continue to apply or check on existing case information by calling Agency’s Service Center at (800) 281-9799 or by faxing an application to (714) 825-3155.

Previously, only Medi-Cal, CalFresh and CalWORKs benefits were accessible on www.mybenefitscalwin.org.

For additional information on SSA programs, please visit: ssa.ocgov.com.

To stay up to date with information concerning the COVID-19 situation in Orange County, please visit www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus. 

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) is warning residents to be on the lookout for potential scammers using the COVID-19 situation in order to obtain confidential client information.

The California Department of Social Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services have received reports of a potential scam targeting CalFresh food assistance program recipients. While many organizations are seeking to help communities respond to COVID19, clients should exercise caution if asked to share confidential information.

Clients have been asked by scammers to provide personal information, including their EBT card number and PIN, Social Security number and date of birth. Please be advised this may be an attempt to gather information which may be used to withdraw funds from recipient accounts.

Clients are advised NOT to give out their personal information. Please remember that SSA will never ask for your personal information in a text message or via email.

If you are unsure if a request for information is legitimate, please contact the SSA call center to confirm the request at (800) 281-9799 or contact your assigned case worker if you have one.

If you have called the phone number associated with a request for personal information or responded to a text or email request and have provided personal information, it is recommended that you file a report with your local police department.

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) announced today that the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued emergency CalFresh allotments as authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The emergency allotments will raise each household’s monthly allotment of CalFresh to the maximum allowable based on household size for March and April 2020. CalFresh households already receiving the maximum allotment will not receive an emergency allotment.

The March 2020 emergency allotment will be available on April 12, 2020. The April emergency allotment will be available on May 10, 2020. The emergency allotments will be
issued on the client’s existing electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card.

In addition, SSA reported the following program changes as a result of the COVID-19 situation:

• Recipients of CalFresh (unless eligible for the Emergency CalFresh Allotment), CalWORKs and/or General Relief benefits will continue at the same level for March, April and May 2020.
• CalFresh, General Relief and CalWORKs Customers are not required to submit a Semiannual Report (SAR 7), Quarterly Report (QR 7) or Annual Recertification/Redetermination paperwork.
  • Recertification/Redeterminations will be due six months from clients’ original due dates and clients will receive a notification letter informing them of their new due dates.
• Medi-Cal benefits will continue at the same level for March, April, May and June 2020 and Annual Renewal packets will not be processed at this time.
• IHSS Reassessments: while SSA is mandated to continue to perform reassessments, IHSS reassessments have been automatically extended for 90 days from March 18, 2020.
  • It is important to note that SSA staff are still performing these reassessments; however, due to COVID-19, the State permitted this extension in recognition that counties’ workforces may be impacted and the extension will assist in ensuring completion of these reassessments.

Important SSA Contact Information:

• Residents may apply for Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs and General Relief online at www.MyBenefitsCalWIN.org.
• SSA Call Center is available from Monday – Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at (800)-281-9799 for Medi-Cal, CalFresh, CalWORKs and General Relief Applications or questions.
• To apply for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) or for questions related to ongoing IHSS cases, call (714) 825-3000.

To stay up to date with information concerning the COVID-19 situation in Orange County, please visit www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus.

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) invites employees and citizens of Orange County to show their support in ending childhood abuse and neglect by wearing blue on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, for National Child Abuse Prevention Month. In addition, residents are encouraged to share photos of themselves while wearing blue and tagging photos using the hashtag #GoBlueForOCKids on social media.

Every April, National Child Abuse Prevention Month works to bring awareness to the warning signs and strategies that help protect our most vulnerable children. Participation in Child Abuse Awareness Month activities helps strengthen community support systems that help keep children safe. The challenge to protect our children has never been greater as it is now, due to the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis on families.

“With the current closures of our schools and other safe havens that employ mandated reporters, children and families have less access to critical support systems and their community as a whole,” said Second District Supervisor Michelle Steel, Chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. She continued, “This year in particular, parents may feel a lack of support and feel more isolated. Now more than ever, it is crucial to report suspected child abuse and/or neglect if you suspect it.”

“The phrase, ‘if you see something, say something’ is especially important and relevant when it comes to the safety of our children. We continue to rely on teachers who are now providing distance learning, as well as doctors and other providers who are currently offering services through telehealth sessions, to be hyper-vigilant when connecting with children through virtual communications platforms,” stated First District Supervisor Andrew Do, Vice Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

“Every child deserves a nurturing family and a safe environment, free from fear, abuse and neglect,” said Third District Supervisor Donald P. Wagner. He continued, “Today we wear blue in solidarity for child abuse awareness, intervention, and prevention.”

“While April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, ensuring our children grow up in safe and loving homes is important all year long,” said Fourth District Supervisor Doug Chaffee. He added, “As we observe Child Abuse Prevention Month and beyond, think of ways you can safely help families reduce stress, take breaks and stay connected.”

“The safety of children is a shared responsibility - especially during these unprecedented times,” said Fifth District Supervisor Lisa Bartlett. She added, “We encourage you to connect with neighbors, relatives and friends by phone, text and/or online video platforms like FaceTime or Skype to check in and let them know you care.”

If you suspect or know of a child being abused, please call the County of Orange Social Services Agency Child Abuse Registry at 714-940-1000 or 800-207-4464, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.