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Siskiyou County Social Services reports rising CalFresh, steady Medi-Cal and staffing strain ahead of HR 1 changes
Summary
Health and Human Services staff reported CalFresh and Medi-Cal three-month totals considerably higher than pre-2019 levels, declining CalWORKs caseloads, and staffing shortages that could be exacerbated by HR 1 redetermination requirements.
Trish Barbieri, director of the county's Social Services Division, and department staff presented updated historical caseload statistics and cost figures for CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, foster care, adoptions, adult protective services and IHSS.
Staff said CalWORKs cases have trended down from about 1,830 in 2019 to 1,346 in the most recent quarter and quarterly CalWORKs spending rose from about $1.1 million to roughly $1.4 million. CalFresh three-month totals were reported at roughly 16,000 cases (up from 6,943 in 2019) with quarterly spending about $5 million. "There's a huge need for behavioral health providers," staff said when describing grant-funded workforce training for high-school wellness coaches, and presenters tied service demand to broader caseload pressures.
Corey Watson, deputy director of social services, said the department employs roughly 100 staff across eligibility, fiscal and fraud functions and estimated about 25 eligibility workers handle CalFresh and Medi-Cal work, with a CalWORKs intake unit of four staff. Watson said eligibility workers carry high caseloads and that HR 1's return to more frequent redeterminations will increase workload: "that work is going to increase significantly for those workers that carry CalFresh and Medi-Cal," he said. Staff also noted vacancy rates that ebb and flow and a longstanding difficulty recruiting and retaining experienced workers.
Board members questioned data presentation (noting some counts were three-month totals) and staff agreed to provide monthly breakouts at the next report. No policy action was taken at this meeting; the presentation was informational and staff offered to return with clarified monthly metrics.
