HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10161984 - F.3 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Contra
FROM: Finance Committee Costa(
DATE: October 15, 1984 `-""" "y
SUBJECT: Establish Supplemental Security Income.Advocacy Program
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
1 . Authorize Director, Social Services Department, to establish a Supplemental
Security Income Program pilot project with funding to be provided from
anticipated savings in the General Assistance budget.
2. Direct the Department to provide a report by June 30, 1985 on .the costs and
benefits of the program to the County Administrator for review and recommendation
to the Finance Committee on the continuation of the program.
3. In connection with establishment of the program, refer to the County Administrator
the matter of direct representation by members of the private bar and the
Contra Costa Legal Services Foundation for report to the Finance Committee on
October 22, 1984.
BACKGROUND:
The Finance Committee, on October 8, 1984, considered the September 28, 1984 County
Administrator's report on the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Advocacy Project for
General Assistance recipients (attached hereto). .
The Social Service Department staff summarized the Department's proposal to aggressively
assist Contra Costa County General Assistance (GA) clients who are potentially eligible
for SSI to secure their eligibility for those benefits. The twofold purpose is to
increase monthly assistance payments to the recipient and to save County discretionary
funds by transferring recipients from County-funded GA to federally funded SSI.
The Advocacy Project will require the addition of two Social Workers with the support of
two_;additional half-time clerks with assignments in the Richmond district office to
serve clients in West County and in the Pittsburg district office to serve Central/East
area clients.
Appropriate application and documentation materials will be provided using Social
Service and Health Services department records through interdepartmental cooperation
using a "team" approach.
The Office of County Counsel will provide consultation to the Social Workers when legal
guidance is required.
Legal representation for the clients may be provided through the Social Worker by
either contacting the Attorneys' Reference Panel for referral to an attorney and
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X _YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADM[ T T X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
X APPROVE OTHE
SIGNATURES) R. I. Schrod !! W. McPeak ,1�6& XL-�`vL`�
ACTION OF BOARD ON OCt r 16, 1984 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT I ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORSONTHE DATE SHOWN.
CC: welfare Director ATTESTED `�,/c.✓�CA� i&. /f1 g�(/
County Administrator Phil Batchelor, Clerk of the Board of
Finance Committee Supervisors and County Administrator
�0 �W.
M382/7-e3 BY `+'�� . DEPUTY
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assistance to the client in making the initial contact, or by referral to
identified attorneys on a rotational basis by means of geographic lists of
available and interested attorneys maintained by Social Services.
Recoveries of General Assistance funds during the period July 1 , 1983 through
June 30, 1984 through qualifying GA recipients for SSI amounted to $297,268
which represented 249 cases at an average of $1 ,190 a case. During this same .
period, attorneys filed 32 claims for which the County paid $18,601 .75 in fees
from recoveries, for an average of $581 a case. It is expected that, with
aggressive advocacy, the recovery figure will be significantly increased and
that those eligible for SSI , but initially denied, will be on GA a shorter period
of time. Salary costs for required staff--two Social Workers and one full-time
equivalent clerk--is estimated at $66,000 for nine months of FY 1984-1985.
The Contra Costa Legal Services Foundation (CCLSF) reiterated their proposal that
the County enter into a contract with CCLSF to operate an SSI Advocacy Project
which the Board considered when it directed the Social Service Department to
prepare a proposal for handling SSI appeals. The CCLSF stated their proposal
was: (1 ) an aggressive legal advocacy project; (2) ready to begin immediately;
(3) a no-risk, no-lose proposition for the County; (4) any additional Department
staff should go for mandated rather than optional services; and (5) a contract
with CCLSF is not exclusive and can operate effectively in conjunction with
efforts by the private bar and the Department.
Concern was expressed with regard to providing access to confidential County
records to an organization (CCLSF) whose stated duty it is to represent General
Assistance clients in legal actions against the County.
There was disagreement as to whether the private bar could adequately provide
legal representation to those clients who need it in the appeals process. For
this reason, the County Administrator was requested to provide further information
to the Finance Committee regarding the number of potential clients who would
need representation, the capacity of the private bar to accommodate that need,
and whether the CCLSF should be considered for representing clients in excess
of the private bar's capacity.
00-156