Service coordinators can now view In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) data from the Department of Social Services (DSS). This helps them support you better and reduces the paperwork you have to do.
In California, the law says you can get regional center services only after you’ve used other available options. To protect the availability of regional center services, it is important that these other “generic” services are used as much as possible. IHSS is one of those services.
California wants to provide more coordinated support for individuals and families. We know that working with these different systems can be challenging.
Sharing IHSS information directly with your planning team will minimize the paperwork you must share. Access to this information makes it easier for your service coordinator and planning team to understand what services you are already receiving. By seeing what you already use, they can find any gaps where more support might be needed. The planning team also can use this information to help you get extra hours of service from IHSS or adjust your regional centers services in response to changes in IHSS services. If needed, the planning team also can find other services and supports from regional centers.
This change is happening because we listened to you. You’ve told us you need assistance accessing government programs to support you and your family.
We are also sharing other data to make things easier for you. New federal laws say you must work or do community service to keep Medi-Cal, IHSS, and CalFresh, unless you have an exemption. People with disabilities, and some of their caregivers, are exempt. By having the Department, DSS, and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) share this type of data with each other, you won’t have to prove every six months that you are working.
Your privacy is important!
Keeping your personal information safe is a high priority. Data is securely shared with us from other State departments and any data shared with us is protected. It is stored and used securely in compliance with all state and federal privacy laws. If you have any questions about this data-sharing partnership, please see the fact sheet on privacy protection. Privacy is important to you, and it is important to us.