(a) (1) A grantee shall provide, or contract for, outreach, active case management, and advocacy services related to all of the following programs, as appropriate:
(A) The Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (SSI/SSP).
(B) The federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program.
(C) The Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants.
(D) Veterans benefits provided under federal law, including, but not limited to, disability compensation.
(E) Any disability benefits that are not identified in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, that an individual may be eligible to receive.
(2) The outreach and case management services required by this subdivision shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(A) Receiving referrals.
(B) Conducting outreach, training, and technical assistance.
(C) Providing assessment and screening.
(D) Coordinating record retrieval and other necessary means of documenting disability.
(E) Coordinating the provision of health care, including behavioral health care, for clients, as appropriate.
(3) The advocacy services required by this subdivision, which may be provided though legal representation, shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(A) Developing and filing competently prepared benefit applications, appeals, reconsiderations, reinstatements, and recertifications.
(B) Coordinating with federal and state offices regarding pending benefit applications, appeals, reconsiderations, reinstatements, and recertifications and advocating on behalf of the client.
(b) A grantee shall use screening tools to identify populations of individuals who are likely to be eligible for the programs listed in subdivision (a), in accordance with the following:
(1) The grantee shall give highest priority to either individuals who are chronically homeless or individuals who are homeless and rely most heavily on government-funded services.
(2) Other populations to be targeted by the program include, but are not limited to, the following:
(A) General assistance or general relief applicants or recipients with disabilities or who are likely to have disabilities and who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
(B) Parents who receive CalWORKs or tribal Temporary Aid to Needy Families (tribal TANF) assistance, parents whose children receive CalWORKs or tribal TANF assistance, or children who are recipients of CalWORKs or tribal TANF assistance in families where one or more members has a disability or is likely to have a disability and that are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
(C) Low-income individuals with disabilities or who are likely to have disabilities who can be diverted from, or who are being discharged from, jails or prisons and who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
(D) Low-income veterans with disabilities or who are likely to have disabilities who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
(E) Low-income individuals with disabilities or who are likely to have disabilities who are being discharged from hospitals, long-term care facilities, or rehabilitation facilities and who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
(c) (1) A grantee, as may be appropriate, may refer an individual to workforce development programs who is not likely to be eligible for the programs listed in subdivision (a) and who may benefit from workforce development programs.
(2) In consultation with an individual who has been served by the Housing and Disability Income Advocacy Program and considering the circumstances of the individual’s disabilities, a grantee may, upon approval or final denial of disability benefits, refer an individual who may benefit from workforce development programs to those programs.
(3) An individual’s participation in a workforce development program pursuant to this subdivision is voluntary.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 27, Sec. 128. (SB 80) Effective June 27, 2019.)