Imperial County

Department of Social Services
Text Box: Contact Us: 2995 S. 4th St. Ste. 105 El Centro, CA 92243 Ph: 760-337-6800 Fax: 760-337-5716

Administrative Services Section

The Administrative Services section, staffed by 10 employees, provides eligibility induction training to new eligibility technicians, refresher program training to line staff and supplies the eligibility section with program expertise and support. During induction training sessions, the unit size can increase up to an additional 14 members for a period of six months. The department is represented by appeals staff in administrative hearings involving client disputed eligibility and benefit determinations.

Staff Development Unit

The Staff Development Unit provides induction and refresher training for eligibility line staff and supervisors. Under the supervision of a senior staff services analyst, three analysts present induction training to new employees in all assistance programs and ISAWS computer system. The core curriculum consists of CalWORKs, Food Stamps, Medi-Cal, CMSP, county policies and procedures and computer training. At the completion of classroom training, new employees, under the guidance of their assigned training instructors, apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to the processing of actual cases assigned to their caseloads. After approximately three months of supervised caseload processing, new workers are assigned to an eligibility intake or ongoing unit. The Staff Development Unit also provides existing line staff with training in regulation and policy changes in compliance with federal and state mandates. Refresher training is conducted frequently to ensure accurate case processing and benefit issuance.

Training Department Staff Service Analyst Carie Jones-Harris

Appeals Unit

The appeals unit consists of four staff services analysts who review fair hearing requests, evaluate and develop county position statements in support of the department’s actions and represent the county in state/county administrative hearings. The correctness of the county’s action/inaction is evaluated in accordance with state and federal regulations.

The fair hearing representatives attempt to resolve the disputed issues prior to the scheduled hearings. If the county action was not in compliance with policy and procedures, the representative will review the findings with the claimant and a conditional withdrawal of the hearing request is obtained and corrective action taken. If the county action is found to be correct, the claimant is given the opportunity to withdraw from the hearing. When the claimant disagrees with the representative’s findings and chooses to pursue the hearing, a statement of position is prepared and presented before an administrative law judge who will review the evidence and testimony presented and render his/her decision within 30 days from the scheduled hearing.

The hearing unit ensures that aid paid pending the hearing when required, is issued  and compliance with hearing decisions is acted upon timely.

Highlights

In June 2005, as a result of agency reorganization, the positions of appeals representatives and training supervisors were reclassified to staff services analysts. Current staff members holding those positions at the time of reclassifications were promoted to staff services analysts II. Their supervisors were reclassified to senior analysts.
Text Box: The Staff Development Unit strives to provide the agency’s overall training needs and to establish an environment conducive to learning that will permit eligibility staff to become self-sufficient in the performance of their duties and to meet the needs of the public, staff and the department. The Appeals Unit’s purpose is to guarantee applicants and recipients of public assistance the right to a fair and impartial hearing, to resolve eligibility disputes between claimants and the county in accordance with federal and state law.