IHSS in San Francisco

A city-county that still follows statewide IHSS rules

San Francisco is a city-county. The same local government is the city and the county. That structure confuses people who are used to a city hall plus a separate county building. It does not create a private IHSS. In-Home Supportive Services remains California’s Medi-Cal home care program. CDSS administers it statewide. DHCS administers Medi-Cal. The San Francisco social services office takes the local case.

Living in a dense city does not change eligibility. The person must live in California, have a Medi-Cal determination, live at home or in an abode of their own choosing, return SOC 873 or accepted alternative documentation, and complete an in-home assessment. A hospital, nursing facility, or licensed community care facility is not “own home,” even when that building is a few blocks away.

How to find the San Francisco IHSS office

Use the CDSS county IHSS office list and find San Francisco. That listing is the contact path this guide will point to. Do not invent a street address. Do not trust a neighborhood Facebook number. City-county branding on a flyer can still be outdated. Refresh against CDSS.

Peninsula and East Bay relatives often try to file where they live. That fails. The recipient’s residence controls. If the parent lives in San Francisco, San Francisco owns the case. If they live in Daly City or another San Mateo County city, switch to that county’s row on the same CDSS page.

Helping a parent in a city-county IHSS case

The adult-child sequence is the statewide one in helping a parent apply and on families. Confirm Medi-Cal on BenefitsCal. File SOC 295. Return SOC 873. Attend the home visit if the parent wants you there. Read the Notice of Action. Enroll if you will give the care. Ask how to be listed so staff can speak with you.

1. Confirm the parent lives in a home they chose, not a facility.
2. Confirm or start Medi-Cal.
3. Submit SOC 295 to the San Francisco office CDSS lists.
4. Return the Health Care Certification or accepted alternative documentation.
5. Describe a typical day’s help at the assessment.
6. Finish provider enrollment before you expect a State check.

Dense housing and small apartments do not create extra authorized hours by themselves. The social worker still uses Functional Index Rankings and Hourly Task Guidelines. This guide will not invent San Francisco wait times. Call once about a complete file. Ask the office what is typical locally.

Provider enrollment in San Francisco

Family members, friends, neighbors, or someone from the county Public Authority list may be providers after enrollment. Adult children are commonly allowed. See get paid to care for a parent and caregivers. Orientation, SOC 426, SOC 846, and a DOJ background check are the usual pieces. The recipient is the employer. The State issues the payment.

A city-county does not let you skip sub-program rules. A spouse, or a parent of a child under 18, depends on PCSP versus CFCO, IPO, or IHSS-Residual. Ask the local office which program applies. Ask that office for the current hourly rate. Do not copy a Peninsula wage story.

Share of cost in San Francisco Medi-Cal

Some Medi-Cal recipients have a monthly share of cost. Unpaid share of cost can be deducted from the provider warrant, and the recipient then pays the provider that amount. Ask Medi-Cal staff. This page does not quote an amount.

EVV in a San Francisco IHSS case

Electronic Visit Verification still applies when the county says it applies. CDSS describes ESP, TTS, and the EVV app. Live-in providers who self-certify on SOC 2298 have different steps. Ask the San Francisco office or the county Public Authority which method to use. Do not assume a city-county uses a unique app this guide can name.

What not to assume because San Francisco is a city-county

• Do not assume different eligibility because the city and county are the same government.
• Do not file in San Mateo County or Alameda County for a San Francisco resident.
• Do not invent local wait times or wage rates.
• Do not treat a city aging program as a substitute for SOC 295.
• Do not expect payment before enrollment and authorized timesheets.

Keep the CDSS IHSS page and the office list open. If you want help with the packet, ask for help.