The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued instructions the content of letters from county civil rights coordinators that provide the county’s determination of complaints following their investigations. An applicant for or recipient of benefits or services from a CDSS program can file a civil rights complaint with the county welfare department if they believe they have been discriminated against in violation of federal or state anti-discrimination laws. An applicant or recipient has the right to appeal a county determination of a civil rights complaint to the CDSS Civil Rights Bureau. The letters provided to complaintants provide a brief summary of the allegations and the reasons for the County’s determination. This is necessary to give the complaintant sufficient information to understand the basis for the decision, decide whether to appeal to CDSS and to present meaningful argument on appeal.
The County summary letter must contain: 1) a clear statement of the allegations, include the complaintant’s allegations of what happened, and on what basis discrimination is alleged; 2) The case specific facts that the county relied on to make its determination; and 3) the reasons for the County’s determination.
Any statements that the investigators attribute to the complaintant must be included verbatim in the summary letter.
Counties must include a draft of the summary letter to the complaintant with the final investigation report that is forwarded to CDSS for review. The County must wait for CDSS’ approval before providing the summary letter to the claimant. (ACL 18-111, September 10, 2018.)