Employment & Family Assistance Services

 

The Employment & Family Assistance Services (EFAS) division can help you with CalWORKs (cash assistance), CalFresh, EBT Cards, Medi-Cal, and CalWORKs Job Services. Whether you are in need of assistance with applying, renewing, or reporting changes, our team is here to help you!

Lobbies are open to the public 8am-5pm (closed 12pm-1pm) Monday - Friday excluding County Holidays.

 

 

Health Coverage

 

Get health care for yourself and your family. Medi-Cal offers free or low-cost health coverage for children and adults based on household circumstances.  

Medi-Cal eligibility is determined based on income, and you can enroll year-round. If you do not qualify for Medi-Cal, Covered California may be an option. Covered California and Medi-Cal are different programs but share an application.

Click here to apply for Medi-Cal or Covered California

If you would like information on Covered California only, please visit https://www.coveredca.com/

• Eligibility: You must meet income guidelines to qualify for these programs. Eligibility varies based on household size and income levels.
• Payment for Medical Costs: 
  • Both Medi-Cal and Covered California cover a range of medical expenses, including doctor visits, hospital care, and medications.
  • Depending on your household income, you may be required to pay a share-of-cost before benefits are covered. This means that once your medical expenses exceed a certain amount, Medi-Cal or County Medical Services Program (CMSP) will cover the remaining costs.

To find out if you qualify for Medi-Cal or CMSP, or to learn more about these programs, please contact us.

• Ukiah (707) 463-7700 or (877) 327-1711
• Fort Bragg (707) 962-1000 or (877) 327-1677

To report changes to your Medi-Cal, please contact your local office or visit www.benefitscal.com

Lobbies are open to the public 8am-5pm (closed 12pm-1pm) Monday - Friday excluding County Holidays.

Additional Resources

 

Food Assistance

 

The CalFresh program can add to your food budget and help put healthy food on your table. CalFresh provides crucial support for low-income individuals and families by allowing you to buy food at stores and markets that accept food stamps. The benefits are loaded onto an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which operates like a debit card.

Lobbies are open to the public 8am-5pm (closed 12pm-1pm) Monday - Friday excluding County Holidays.

An added benefit in Mendocino County is that many Farmers Markets also accept EBT, allowing CalFresh recipients to purchase fresh, local produce directly from these markets.

Mendocino County Farmer's Markets 

Food Resources in Mendocino County

If you're applying for CalFresh but don’t have all the required information, you can still submit a partial application with just your name, address, and signature. An Eligibility Specialist will follow up to help you complete the rest. While it can take up to 30 days to process a CalFresh application, some applicants may qualify for expedited service and receive benefits within three days if they meet specific criteria, such as very low income or resources. 

Options for applying: 

Replacement EBT cards can be mailed or can be picked up by calling

• Ukiah (877) 327-1711
• Fort Bragg (877) 327-1677
• EBT Customer Service (877) 328-9677

Let us know if you'd like more details on how to apply or manage your benefits! 

Keep your benefits secure by understanding the signs of EBT theft scams.

The County and State will never text or call you requesting your personal information such as your EBT card number or personal identification number (PIN). Learn more about protecting your benefits here.

Get the EBT Edge App!

Need additional help or have questions?

 

Cash Assistance and Aid

The Mendocino County Department of Social Services administers several programs designed to provide time-limited financial assistance to help you work toward greater stability and self-sufficiency.

 

Adults without Children

If you are an adult without dependent children and are disabled or unemployed, you may qualify for General Assistance (GA). This program provides short-term financial assistance while connecting you with additional supports to help you achieve self-sufficiency.

Support for Disabled Adults:

If you have a disability that prevents you from working, a Social Worker will meet with you and discuss your needs and help you identify available benefits, resources, and services, including assistance with applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

To get help, call (707) 463-7999 or email GA_OD@mendocinocounty.gov.

Adults With Children or Expecting

CalWORKs can help pay for housing, food, transportation, childcare, education, job training and more. An Eligibility & Training Worker will help you determine and gain access to the assistance you need. To get help, contact us.

Lobbies are open to the public 8am-5pm (closed 12pm-1pm) Monday - Friday excluding County Holidays.

Our Eligibility Specialists are here to help you every step of the way. CalWORKs applications typically take up to 45 days to process. However, if you meet immediate need criteria, you may qualify to receive benefits within 24 hours.

If you have questions about the eligibility requirements for expedited assistance or need help with the application, please let us know! 

Job Services

The Mendocino County Department of Social Services administers several programs designed to help you prepare for, obtain, and maintain gainful employment. This section provides information about available job-related services that may be helpful as you work toward your employment goals.

Adults Without Children

The General Assistance program may assist you with support and a plan to gain and retain employment.

• If you are eligible for employment services, you will meet with an Eligibility Specialist to discuss your employment goals, strengths, and needs.
• Together, you will develop a personalized case plan to help you gain employment, retain employment, and achieve self-sufficiency.

To get started, call us at (707) 463-7999, or email GA_OD@mendocinocounty.gov

Adults With Children or Expecting

As a CalWORKs recipient you may qualify for more support through the Welfare-to-Work program such as transportation, childcare, education, job training and more. An Employment & Training Worker will help you determine and gain access to the assistance you need. To get help, contact us. 

Lobbies are open to the public 8am-5pm (closed 12pm-1pm) Monday - Friday excluding County Holidays.

We are here to help you, and your family to become more self-sufficient through: Personalized career assessments Educational support Life skills training Childcare Transportation Individualized support to help you succeed!

CalWORKs Job Services is located at CareerPoint Mendocino and collaborates with community partners to provide employment training, one-on-one mentoring, and job retention services. Through partnerships with local agencies, the program also provides support for substance misuse and mental health treatment, along with coordinated services for domestic abuse counseling and treatment. 

Additional Resources

Housing Support

Safe, stable housing is vital for all community members. The Mendocino County Department of Social Services administers several housing programs, each with its own specific eligibility requirements. If you are in need of housing assistance, please review the qualification for each program as well as the community resources listed at the end of this section.

 

Families experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness may qualify for services through CalWORKs for such things as: 

• Move-In costs 

For families with immediate shelter needs, please contact (707) 463-7700 for Temporary Housing Assistance. 

Front Door for Families provides guidance to Mendocino County families with children who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. We help you find available resources and sustain safe housing. 

https://frontdoormendocino.org/ 

Additional Resources - https://mendocinococ.org/resources 

Special Investigations Unit (SIU)

The Mendocino County Social Services Special Investigation Unit (SIU) investigates suspected abuse of local, State, and Federal Public Assistance Program regulations. 

The SIU investigates potential fraud in the following programs: 

If you suspect welfare fraud, you can report it by: 

Your Civil Rights with Welfare Programs

The Mendocino County Department of Social Services Civil Rights Coordinator ensures access and nondiscrimination to all applicants and/or recipients of benefits and services provided by the welfare department including, but not limited to:

• CalFresh
• CalWORKs General Assistance
• Welfare to Work
• IHSS
• Adoption Assistance
• Foster Care
• Child Protective Services
• Veteran's Services
• Medi-Cal

A Civil Rights Complaint is comprised of three things: 1) harm or potential for harm to a client caused by Social Services staff or processes; 2) a protected class; and 3) a connection between harm and a protected class. Protected classes include race, color, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, sex, political affiliation, domestic partnership, ethnic group identification, disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship, primary language, immigration status, and any other applicable basis. 

If you feel you have been discriminated against due to belonging to a protected class, please contact   

Antonio Renteria 

Civil Rights Coordinator 

renteriaa@mendocinocounty.gov 

You may also file your complaint with another state or federal agency.

If your complaint involves race, color, national origin, political affiliation, religion, sex, age, or disability discrimination in the Food Stamp Program, contact:

U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Assistant Secretary of Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington D.C. 20250-9410 (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service) Email: program.intake@usda.gov

If your complaint involves race, color, national origin age, or disability in other public assistance programs, contact:

Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

90 7th Street, Suite 4-100 San Francisco, CA 94103 Customer Response Center: (800) 368-1019 Fax: (202) 619-3818 TDD: (800) 537-7697 Email: ocrmail@hhs.gov

If your discrimination complaint involves discrimination by a state operated or state funded entity (like a county welfare department or state agency) contact:

California Department of Fair Employment and Housing DFEH headquarters 2218 Kausen Drive, Suite 100 Elk Grove, CA 95758 Communication Center: 800-884-1684 (voice) 800-700-2320 (TTY) or California's Relay Service at 711 contact.center@dfeh.ca.gov Email: accommodations@dfeh.ca.gov or call 844-541-2877 for disability accommodations.