Who is the Public Authority for IHSS?

The Public Authority for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) in Alameda County is a public agency with a consumer advisory board whose purpose is to make the IHSS program in Alameda County work better for consumers and homecare workers.

Contact information for Public Authority for IHSS staff:

name	title	telephone	e-mail
Charles Calavan	Executive Director	510.577-3548	ccalavan@ac-pa4ihss.org
Richard Soohoo	Program Manager	510.577-3550	rsoohoo@ac-pa4ihss.org
Linda Ayala	Training and Outreach Coordinator	510.577-3554	lsayala@ac-pa4ihss.org
Maura McLoughlin	Operations Manager	510.577-3553	mmcloughlin@ac-pa4ihss.org
Jennylyn Mercado	Health Benefits Enrollment Specialist	510.577-3551	jmercado@ac-pa4ihss.org
Ronda Walker	Administrative Assistant	510.577-3552	rwalker@ac-pa4ihss.org
Please contact Richard Soohoo	Public Authority Registry in Fremont 3300-B Capitol Avenue Fremont, CA 94537	510.574.2095 Fax 510.574.2089

The following FAX, TDD & ADDRESS are for all staff unless otherwise noted:

FAX:     510.577-3579

TDD:    510.577-3549

Address:  6955 Foothill Blvd., Suite 300, Oakland CA 94605

Are You a Senior or a Person with a Disability in Alameda County?

How we can help...

In-Home Supportive Services

IHSS is a County-administered program that pays homecare workers to do household tasks, such as cooking, shopping and housecleaning and personal care, such as help with bathing and getting dressed, for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities who need assistance to remain safely in their own homes with independence and dignity. Residents of Alameda County can call 510-577-1800 to see if they meet the income and disability requirements and to apply for IHSS.

PA Centralized Registry

Contact any one of the PA registry sites (see list on reverse) in Alameda County for assistance in finding and hiring screened homecare workers. Workers are available to work IHSS hours or to be paid directly by the consumer (private pay).

Rapid Response

Provides IHSS consumers in Alameda County with a replacement homecare worker on short notice or in an emergency at no cost. Call anytime, 24 hours a day, at 510-357-4222 for emergency assistance.

Training & Education

Available for free to IHSS consumers and homecare workers. For information call 510-577-3554.

Advocacy

The Public Authority supports public policy that improves services and the quality of life for IHSS consumers.

Are You a Homecare Worker?

Being a homecare worker requires no prior experience, only dedication to those in need, while offering flexibility and rewarding relationships. IHSS workers earn $10.50 an hour and medical benefits helping people with domestic chores and personal care.

What we do for homecare workers...

PA Centralized Registry: Apply to be a homecare worker at any one of the PA Registry sites in Alameda County (see list on reverse). Once on the registry, Registry staff will refer your name to consumers whose needs and preferences match your skills and availability.

Training & Education: Available free to IHSS homecare workers and those listed on the Registry. For information call 510-577-3554.

Medical, Dental, & Vision Benefits: IHSS homecare workers must be issued checks for working 35 or more IHSS hours per month to be eligible. Call 510-577-3551 for more information or to apply for benefits.

Public Authority services are provided at no cost to IHSS consumers and workers.

Public Authority Centralized Registry Sites

OAKLAND

Bay Area Community Services

459-22^nd Street, Oakland

IHSS & Private Pay 510-271-6078

Center for Independent Living (CIL)

610-16^th Street, Suite 419, Oakland

IHSS 510-763-9999 and TDD 510-444-1837

Family Bridges, Inc.

(service also available in Cantonese & Mandarin)

168 11^th Street, Oakland

IHSS 510-839-2022

BERKELEY

Center for Independent Living (CIL)

(service also available in Spanish)

2539 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley

IHSS 510-841-4776 and TDD 510-848-3101

HAYWARD

Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL)

439 “A” Street, Hayward

Private Pay & IHSS 510-881-5743 and TDD 510-881-0218

FREMONT

Public Authority Registry in Fremont

3300-B Capitol Avenue, Fremont

IHSS and Private Pay 510-574-2095

PLEASANTON

Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley

5353 Sunol Boulevard, Pleasanton

IHSS 925-931-5384 and Private Pay 925-931-5380

Contact Us

Public Authority for IHSS in Alameda County

(3rd floor of Eastmont Town Center)

6955 Foothill Blvd., Suite 300, Oakland, CA 94605

Phone: 510-577-3552

Fax: 510-577-3579

TDD: 510-577-3549

Web: www.ac-pa4ihss.org

Rapid Response

(The Public Authority's Emergency IHSS Worker Replacement Service)

Response is available, FREE, in all of Alameda County.

• If you are an IHSS recipient (consumer) living in Alameda County and you have an urgent need for care because your regular IHSS worker is not available, you can now call 510 357-4222 any day, 24 hours a day, to request a Rapid Response replacement IHSS worker. Rapid Response workers are provided at no cost to the IHSS consumer.

• The Public Authority for IHSS in Alameda County pays Nightingale Nursing to send out a Rapid Response worker, who will provide from 1 to 4 hours of the urgent personal care (such as help with bathing, dressing, toileting, feeding) or critical domestic service (such as cooking) that cannot wait until your regular IHSS worker is available.

• All hours provided by Rapid Response must be deducted from your IHSS hours authorized by Alameda County for the pay period. You can receive a maximum of 4 visits per month.

• Rapid Response workers cannot do routine housework, transportation or paramedical care (such as injections, wound care, insertion of devices into the body).

• Rapid Response can serve people whose primary language is not English.

Public Authority Advisory Board

The Public Authority Advisory Board of Alameda County meets monthly to offer recommendations on policy related to the Public Authority and In-Home Supportive Services in Alameda County.  The majority of its members are IHSS consumers.

Public Authority Advisory Board Meetings

The meetings of the Advisory Board are open to the public.  The main Advisory Board meeting is usually held the first Thursday of each month (except August) from 1:30 - 4:00 pm at 6955 Foothill Blvd, Suite 300, Oakland CA.  Other sub-committee meetings of the Advisory Board and their usual meeting times are listed below. Since meeting times and locations sometimes change, we suggest you call before attending.

For more information, call 510-577-5621.

Program Services Committee - 3rd Tuesday from 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Operations and Coordination Committee - 4th Tuesday from 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Legislative Committee - 2nd Thursday from 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Finance Committee - 3rd Wednesday from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Bylaws Committee - Rotating Mondays from 1:30 - 4:00 pm

Recruitment Committee -  2nd Wednesday from 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Core Workshops for IHSS Homecare Workers

The following workshops are offered quarterly rotating among Oakland, Hayward, Fremont and Pleasanton. 

Skills for Finding Work as a Personal Assistant for IHSS

Learn who employs IHSS workers, what job duties you might perform, how to be successful in an interview, and how to negotiate a job agreement.

Nuts & Bolts of IHSS

Learn how to enroll in the IHSS as a personal assistant, how to fill out a timesheet correctly, what benefits you are eligible to receive and where to go with problems or questions.

Communication Skills for IHSS Workers & Consumers

Learn the art of active listening and how to state your on-the-job needs; nurture empathy for the consumer; and discover creative ways of dealing with difficult communication situation.

Special Topics in Homecare

The following workshops are offered approximately once a year:

First Aid & CPR

Learn how to prevent, prepare for and respond to workplace emergencies.  Participants receive certification for successful completion of the course. 

Universal Precautions

Homecare workers learn how to prevent the spread of disease on the job through simple practices like hand washing and using gloves when appropriate.

Ergonomics:  Preventing Aches and Pains on the Job

Homecare workers learn how to identify risks on the job, find ways to prevent injury, and how to address their concerns with their consumers.

Lifting & Transferring

Homecare workers learn best practices for lifting and transferring consumers, how to keep themselves and the consumer safe and how to use assistive equipment.

ABC's of Alzheimer's

Homecare workers learn the basics about Alzheimer's and dementia and how to handle communication and care challenges.

Working with Someone who has a Mental Illness

Homecare workers learn about mental illnesses such as major depression, schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder, how these illnesses affect IHSS consumers and strategies for working with consumers who have these illnesses.

IHSS homecare workers or participants on the Public Authority registry can ask to be placed on the mailing list for receiving notice about all upcoming workshops or classes, by calling 510-577-3554 or e-mailing Linda Ayala at lsayala@ac-pa4ihss.org.

Training Opportunities for IHSS Consumers

For more information on training opportunities for IHSS consumers, call 510/577-3554.

Consumer Video

The video, "A Consumer Guid to IHSS: Building Bridges to Independence and Dignity" is available for Consumers to introduce them to IHSS, the assessment process, and hiring and managing home care workers.  The video is 24 minutes long. The video is available to borrow for private viewing by consumers and family members.  We are also available to show the video and facilitate a discussion with IHSS consumers or potential consumers at local senior centers or community residences.  This video is currently available in English and Spanish. 

Consumer Handbook

A Consumer Guide to IHSS: Building Bridges to Independence and Dignity is also available, free of charge to IHSS consumers.  This guide offers information found in the video and more as well as sample forms and important phone numbers.  This guide is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Farsi & Vietnamese. 

Homecare Worker Health Benefits: Alliance Group Care & Delta Dental

If you're an In-home Supportive Services (IHSS) home care worker in Alameda County, you may qualify for Alliance Group CAre medical and vision coverages, along with two choices of dental plans with delta dental    As an Alliance Group Care member, you would pay the same $8 a month, plus the applicable co-pays, for medical, vision and dental benefits, if you choose the DeltaCare/PMI dental plan.  If you choose the Delta Preferred Option/DPO dental plan with your medical and vision benefits you would pay just $3 more per month.  Imagine the peace of mind that comes from knowing you can get the health care you want when you need it.

Alliance Group Care benefits include:

• A personal doctor (Primary Care Provider)
• Well-exams and preventive care (no co-pay)
• Prescription drugs ($5 co-pay per prescription)
• Emergency care ($5 co-pay, but $0 if admitted to the hospital)
• Specialty care ($5 co-pay)
• Inpatient care (no co-pay)
• Family Planning (no co-pay)
• Advice Nurse, Health education and Audio Library (no co-pay)
• X-rays and other diagnositc tests (no co-pay)
• Mental health services ($5 for outpatient services)
• Health education (no co-pay)
• 24-hour Advice Nurse (free to member)
• 24-hour Audio Library (free to member)

     Vision Services:

• Vision Services from VSP, including eye exams ($5 co-pay)
• Glasses OR contact lenses ($100 allowance every 24 months)

Delta Dental benefits include:

• A Choice between two dental plans
• Regular check-ups and cleanings (twice per year) adn basic fillings are free to members that choose DeltaCare.
• See Delta Dental booklet for more information about benefits and cost to members

Eligibility for the Medical and Dental Plans

You qualify for Alliance Group Care through the Public Authority for IHSS if you work as a homecare worker and were issued checks in each of the last 2 months for a total of 70 hours or more.  To continue eligibility, for every month in which you are issued checks for working 35 hours or more, you will continue to be covered for the following three months.

To find out if you are eligible, call the Pulbic Authority for IHSS at (510) 577-3551.  Your application for Alliance Group Care medical and vision benefits and the Delta Dental Choice Form must be received by the 10th of the month.  If you are found to be eligible, your benefits will be effective the 1st of the following month.  Alameda Alliance for Health and Delta Dental will send you membership cards.

For more information about Alliance Group Care, contact Alameda Alliance for Health at (510) 747-4567, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, or go to the website at www.alamedaalliance.com.

NOTE: Please turn in timesheets as soon as the pay period ends!  If you delay turning in timesheets for several weeks, you will not show as being paid for that month and may lose your coverage.