Your rights uder Califoria Welfare Programs
for people applyig for or receivig public aid i Califoria Tell us if you eed help because of a disability Ask for a free iterpreter 2
Your rights all people ad orgaizatios providig public assistace must respect your rights. ey ca help you uderstad ad apply for beefits ad services. 3
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You have A right To 1. uderstad what is happeig with your applicatio ad aid. 2. get writte ad oral explaatios about your applicatio ad aid. 3. get a receipt for ay documets you tur i. 4. see your case record. 5. see state ad couty laws ad regulatios. 6. ask a judge to review ay couty decisio about your eligibility, beefits, or services. 7. ot face discrimiatio i receivig program beefits or services. 8. file a complait about discrimiatio. 9. get extra help from couty staff to make sure you get your beefits if you have a disability or impairmet that makes it hard to uderstad the program rules. 10. have your iformatio kept cofidetial. 11. Be treated with courtesy ad respect. 5
if You Are havig Problems with Your Aid or services: 1. Keep records of all your iformatio, documets, ad cotacts with the couty. 2. get a receipt whe you tur aythig i. 3. You ca brig someoe with you to a meetig with your worker. 4. Complai. ere are 4 ways to do this: Iformal: You ca ask to speak to a supervisor to talk about problems with a worker or to go over the rules ad the proposed actio o your aid or services. State Hearig: ask for a state hearig if there is a problem with your aid or services. You must ask for a hearig withi 90 days of the couty's actio. You may be able to file after 90 days if you have a good reaso, like illess or a disability. Discrimiatio complait: if you feel that the couty has discrimiated agaist you, you ca make a discrimiatio complait to the Couty s Civil rights Coordiator or to the 6
state Civil rights Bureau, ad to the federal govermet. You must do this withi 180 days of the discrimiatio. for more o this, see the sectio begiig Prohibited discrimiatio. if the discrimiatio also affects your beefits or services, you must also ask for a state hearig if you wish to challege the couty s decisio o your beefits or services. Grievace: You ca file a complait with the couty if they have a grievace procedure. is does ot protect your beefits i the way that askig for a state hearig does. state hearigs You ca ask for a state hearig ay time you disagree with a couty s actio o your beefits or services. You ca also ask for a state hearig if the couty is ot givig you beefits or services which you thik you should get. a state hearig is heard by a state admiistrative law Judge. e couty will have someoe at the hearig to explai why they took their actio. 7
a state hearig is ot a court hearig. You do have the right to have a represetative with you. ere are free legal services i every couty. ey are listed o the back of your couty otices. You ca brig witesses. You have the right to a free iterpreter. ask the couty how to get oe. if your problem is with geeral assistace or geeral relief, you must ask for a couty hearig. if your problem is with social security beefits, you must cotact the social security admiistratio. cotiuig Your Aid or services Pedig A state hearig e couty must give you a otice at least 10 days before ay actio to chage your aid or services takes place. if you ask for a hearig before the actio takes place, you ca get aid paid pedig your hearig. is meas your aid stays the same util you get a hearig decisio. You must ask for a hearig o ay ew otice you get, if you disagree. 8
how To request A state hearig 1. Phoe: ask for a state hearig by cotactig the Ca departmet of social services at (800) 743-8525 or (800) 952-5253 2. fill out the back of your otice of actio (oa) or sed a writte request to: Cdss, state hearig divisio 744 P street m.s. 09-17-37 sacrameto, Ca 95814 ProhibiTed discrimiatio uder state law, welfare agecies may ot provide you aid, beefits or services that is differet from aid provided to others o the basis of Race, Color, Natioal Origi (icludig laguage), Ethic Group Idetificatio, Age, Disability, Religio, Sex, Sexual Orietatio, Political Affiliatio, Marital Status, or Domestic Partership federal laws also prohibit discrimiatio o several, although ot all, of the bases listed above. 9
10 federal law also prohibits : 1. delayig or deyig the placemet of a child for adoptio or ito foster care o the basis of race, color or atioal origi of the adoptive or foster parets, or the child; 2. deyig to ay idividual the opportuity to become a foster or adoptive paret o the basis of race, color or atioal origi of the idividual or child ivolved. examples of discrimiatio e Couty does ot give you a free iterpreter. a worker tells a certai ethic group about more programs ad services tha people of other ethicities. e Couty wo t help you get audio tapes of a program orietatio to help you with a disability that makes it hard for you to read. a worker lears of your religio or politics ad the treats you differetly. You ca t get to appoitmets because the couty buildig does ot have a elevator. You caot get your wheelchair ito
examiatio, iterview rooms or restrooms. me get referred to job traiig for better payig jobs tha wome. e couty does ot wat you to have traiig because they say you are too old. You are ot allowed to adopt a baby because you are of a differet race. discrimiatio complaits if you thik you have bee discrimiated agaist, you may submit a complait applicatio separately to the Couty or the state, ad the federal govermet. e federal agecy that you must complai to depeds o which program your complait is about. You ca file a discrimiatio complait with: 1. for all Programs admiistered BY Your CoutY Welfare departmet: e Couty s Civil rights Coordiator. ask your couty office for the ame, address ad phoe umber of their Civil rights Coordiator. he/she will idepedetly ivestigate your complait. 11
12 2. Civil rights Bureau Califoria departmet of social services 744 P street, ms 8-16-70 sacrameto, Ca 95814 (916) 654-2107 (866) 741-6241 (toll-free) 3. for the Calfresh Program: uited states departmet of agriculture director, office of Civil rights, room 326-W, Whitte Bldg. 1400 idepedece aveue, s.w., Washigto, d.c. 20250-9410 (202) 720-6382 (voice ad tty) 4. for all other Programs: health ad huma services office of Civil rights 90 7th street, suite 4-100 sa fracisco, Ca 94103 (415) 437-8310 (voice) (415) 437-8311 (tdd) Time limits To TAke AcTio if you suffer discrimiatio, you must submit your
complait withi 180 days of the actual discrimiatio. if the discrimiatio also affected the level of your beefits ad services, you must also ask for a state hearig withi 90 days. a discrimiatio ivestigatio caot chage your beefit levels or services oly a state hearig ca do that. limits o certai rights although you have the right to privacy ad cofidetiality, there are certai laws that allow limited exceptios. You ca ask the couty for the laws. questios if you have ay questios about the rights listed here, call the Public iquiry uit: toll free (800) 952-5253. e tdd toll-free telephoe umber is (800) 952-8349. ProgrAms covered by This PAmPhleT adoptio assistace Program (aap) adult Protective services alcohol ad drug Program Califoria food assistace Program (CfaP) 13
medi-cal CalWorKs CalWorKs Child Care CalWorKs Welfare-to-Work Program/services Cash assistace Program for immigrats (CaPi) Child Welfare services deti-cal early & Periodic screeig, diagosis, ad treatmet (epsdt) Calfresh (food stamps) foster Care i-home support services Kiship guardia assistace (Ki-gaP) metal health multipurpose seior services Program (mssp) Persoal Care services Program (PCsP) refugee Cash assistace social services 14
state of Califoria health ad huma services agecy departmet of social services 15
is pamphlet is available from your local Couty Welfare office ad at www.cdss.ca.gov i the followig laguages: arabic armeia Cambodia Chiese farsi hmog Japaese Korea lao mie Portuguese Pujabi russia spaish spaish large Prit tagalog ukraiia Vietamese also available i large prit, Braille, ad audio Cd PuB 13 (6/11) 16