The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued instructions regarding the implementation of AB 959, also known as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Disparities Reduction Act in the In-Home Supportive Services Program.
As of July 1, 2018. CDSS, Department of Health Care Services, Department of Public Health, and the California Department of Aging must collect information on individuals’ sexual orientation and gender identity. This information will be used to coordinate care, improve services, and understand client diversity to guide funding and policy decisions.
The State will collect this information on the SOC 295, the application for In-home Supportive Services. While counties must ask for this information, applicants are not required to respond. Counties will not be required to collect this information from current IHSS recipients, and the information that is collected will not be connected to the individual providing the response.
Several other changes have also been made the SOC 295 Application form:
- The Household Information section now includes all people living in the home, not just family members. This section has been modified to include a non-relatives checkbox.
- The Ethnic and Language Information Section now includes two separate questions, one about an individual’s preferred language to read, and one about their preferred language to speak. The list of ethnic codes now includes the options of “Other” and “Mixed Ethnicity” as well.
- The Communication Accommodations Section now includes the option of the Electronic Timesheet System.
CDSS is responsible for compiling sexual orientation and gender identity information and giving it to the legislature. (ACL 18-77, June 27, 2018.)