The Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), Social Services Call Center will be open five days a week starting Monday, April 3. This comes more than a year after staffing shortages caused the Call Center to cut its hours and start closing on Wednesdays.
The one-day-a-week closure was implemented in December 2021 to give staff time to conduct interviews and process existing applications for CalFresh and Medi-Cal after staffing levels dropped significantly due to vacancies and staff on leave.
In June, the decision to keep the Call Center closed Wednesdays was extended as staffing levels continued to drop to 41%. Although staffing levels are still lower than hoped for, Sarah McKenna, a DHHS Program Manager who manages the Call Center, said staffing is back up to 53% with 21 employees answering calls, compared to 16 last year. She said there have been a lot of new Eligibility Specialist hires and some are still undergoing training.
“Our goal was to reopen the Call Center on Wednesdays when our staffing had increased by at least 20%,” McKenna said. “Although we did not meet this goal, we intend to meet the 20% goal by May.”
The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and can be reached at 1-877-410-8809.
Customers can speak with staff in person on weekdays at any of the following Social Services offices:
- Eureka, 929 Koster St.
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Fortuna, 3306 Renner Drive
8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. - Hoopa, 535 Airport Road
8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:00 p.m. - McKinleyville, 1615 Heartwood Drive
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Garberville, 727 Cedar St.
8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m.
(Wednesdays the office opens at 9:30 a.m. and closes at 3:30 p.m.)
Customers can also visit www.BenefitsCal.com to apply for, maintain and check benefits online at any time. The secure, web-based portal allows customers to set up a free account to:
- Access up-to-date case and benefit information
- Check the status of an application or renewal
- Submit an application or periodic report such as a semi-annual report
- Recertify/renew benefits online
- Report changes and update information
- Upload verification documents
- Download and review any needed forms or notices
- Check appointment dates and times.
BenefitsCal.com can be used in addition to office contact methods, and customers can create an account at any time.
Existing customers can contact the Call Center during closed hours and use the Interactive Voice Response system to access account balances and request replacement forms. EBT card holders can call the number on the back of their cards to get account balances.
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