COVID-19 Update: Stay Safe, Save Time, Avoid the Line.

Reach us by phone or online.

We understand that our clients and applicants may have concerns about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11. Federal, state, and county health emergencies were declared over several days thereafter. These public health orders specify “social distancing” guidelines to avoid crowds or close proximity to others. Further guidance can be found at the Santa Barbara County Public Health Coronavirus Disease Information Portal at https://publichealthsbc.org/. On March 19, California issued a stay-at-home order, urging all people to remain at home except to obtain or provide the essential services of life. Further information on the order is available at https://covid19.ca.gov/.

We are sharing this update with you to specify some of the precautionary steps the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services is taking for the health and well-being of our clients and applicants, and to suggest steps you can take to stay safe.

• We maintain up-to-date Continuity of Operations plans so that we are prepared for a variety of contingencies as they arise, including communicable disease. We are still providing essential and non-essential services; however, we are adapting our processes as needed to comply with Public Health orders and State guidelines.

• Client service remains our priority. We remain open on our usual schedule and there are currently no plans to interrupt regular operating hours. Cleaning staff is sanitizing high-touch surfaces, and hand sanitizer is available throughout our buildings.

• To avoid contracting or spreading the virus, we urge you to wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds, use hand sanitizer when available, avoid touching or shaking hands with others, and stay at least six feet from others. Stay home and contact a medical professional if you are experiencing symptoms such as coughing, fever, or shortness of breath. 

• Starting March 19, 2020, a new social distancing protocol applies when you visit our offices. You will speak to a receptionist using a lobby phone, rather than face-to-face. If you need to speak to your worker at length, you'll be directed to the interview room, and your worker will call in to the phone in the interview room. Personal interactions with staff will occur only where unavoidable, such as immediate-need CalFresh cases involving immediate issuance of an EBT card.

Even if you are feeling healthy, you could be a carrier for the virus, so due to the social distancing guidelines we urge you to avoid coming in to our offices unless truly necessary. Our Department has implemented numerous technological solutions so that clients can interact with us remotely:

• You can apply Medi-Cal, CalFresh, or CalWORKs benefits online at http://www.mybenefitscalwin.org (or for an easier way to apply for CalFresh, at http://www.getcalfresh.org).

• You can complete your Medi-Cal, CalFresh, or CalWORKs eligibility interview by telephone. Certain documents can be verbally “signed” for CalFresh and CalWORKs while on the phone, including applications, renewals, and SAR-7 status reports. Employment Services check-ins can be conducted be phone rather than in person.

• You can submit verification documents online from a computer or smartphone at http://www.dssoctopus.com (English) or http://www.dsspulpo.com (Spanish). You can also use this Octopus/Pulpo portal to type a message or question for us, even if you're not sending us documents.

• You can drop off verification documents in the orange mailboxes outside our offices.

•  You can complete your CalFresh SAR-7 online at https://www.getcalfresh.org/sar7.

•  People with existing Medi-Cal and CalFresh cases can call our Benefits Service Center at (844) 289-4682 for help. As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, you may experience longer than normal wait times. We have a feature that allows you to get a call back rather than waiting on hold.

• You can get answers to common questions or leave us a message using our automated telephone system, 24 hours a day, at (866) 404-4007.

•  If you need contact information for a particular office, visit our website at https://www.countyofsb.org/dss and click Contact Us.

• UPDATE 3/31/19: Some reports (SAR-7 and annual renewals for CalFresh and CalWORKs due in March, April, or May 2020) are temporarily being waived due to COVID-19. Click here for more information.

For current information on COVID-19 in our county, please visit the Santa Barbara County Public Health Coronavirus Disease Information Portal at https://publichealthsbc.org/.

For a list of COVID-19 resources in our county, click here.

Again, we continue to offer and process all applications for assistance, as the public now more than ever needs access to our critical help including CalWORKs cash assistance, CalFresh food assistance, and Medi-Cal medical coverage. Our social distancing measures are an added layer of precaution to help reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and keep the community safe. Thank you for your  patience and understanding.  

We are all in this together. We will continue to make informed decisions, led by best practices and factual updates, to help County residents be safe, healthy and empowered.