The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services has earned eight national achievement awards for its innovation and modernization in county government programs to serve the public, officials with the National Associations of Counties announced this week.

The annual awards recognize innovative government programs which help improve services to county residents.

This year, NACo received 615 entries from 116 county and 29 state associations. DPSS will receive the awards at the 2018 NACo Achievement Awards held in July as part of the organization’s Annual Conference and Exposition in Nashville, Tennessee.

DPSS Acting Director Antonia Jimenez expressed pride about the recognition.

“This acknowledgment by NACo validates the department’s efforts to develop and implement innovative projects that will enhance how we provide the many vital services to our clients, as well as our internal processes,” Jimenez said.

The following DPSS programs received awards in the “Best Practices” category:

* CalFresh Outreach Toolkit – The development of an information toolkit to support the outreach efforts for CalFresh Nutrition Program. The toolkit was created to provide community partner agencies with uniform and up-to-date reference materials, including posters and flyers, social media posts, a CalFresh Program fact sheet, and much more.

* Medi-Cal Renewals Available in Your Benefits Now Website – DPSS offered customers the choice to submit their required Medi-Cal Annual Renewal online, instead of mailing or dropping it off at a DPSS office. The acceptance of verification documents online benefited both county residents and DPSS by reducing the amount of mail and the time it takes to process.

* Young Men of Color—Medi-Cal Outreach and Enrollment Project – This successful program focused on increasing Medi-Cal outreach and awareness through a series of community enrollment events held over a three-year period throughout Los Angeles County for young men of color ages 19-32.

* Proposition 47 Expungement Clinic – Since January 20, 2017, DPSS has collaborated with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office to provide the Proposition 47 Expungement Clinic, which offers a “one-stop shop” for customers to review their criminal records and begin the expungement process. On the clinic’s first day, DPSS served more than 900 customers.

* Be Informed, Be Heard Network (BBN) – BBN, the department’s internal broadcast network, disseminates information about department initiatives, outreach efforts, benefit program news, and interviews with DPSS staff in the department. Fifteen BBN episodes have aired since the network’s inception.

* Electronic Bulletin Boards (EBB) – A network of digital display boards installed at common work areas throughout DPSS offices to provide staff with a unique “at a glance” source of information to keep them connected and well informed.

* PA 1060 Service Request System – An automated Request for Services form which allows designated managers at DPSS facilities to submit and track requests online. The system automatically routes the request to the appropriate person, which allows management to quickly review and take appropriate action.

* Telephonic Signature for CalFresh Application – A method to accept CalFresh applications via telephone by capturing the telephonic signature of applicants.

With a workforce of nearly 14,000 employees, DPSS is the second largest County department and the largest social service agency in the United States. DPSS has an annual budget of over $3.9 billion and provides services to one out of every three residents in Los Angeles County. To learn more about DPSS, visit dpss.lacounty.gov.

The National Association of Counties unites America’s 3,069 county governments. Founded in 1935, NACo brings county officials together to advocate with a collective voice on national policy, exchange ideas and build new leadership skills, pursue transformational county solutions, enrich the public’s understanding of county government and exercise exemplary leadership in public service. Learn more at naco.org.