Domestic Abuse (DA) - “CalWORKs Domestic Abuse Participation Status” (SCD 1554)

The CalWORKs Social Worker (SW)/Domestic Violence (DV) Advocate uses the CalWORKs Domestic Abuse Participation Status (SCD 1554) to offer the client the opportunity to utilize the following options:

DA Exemption/Extender Determination

The top portion of the SCD1554 is completed by the CalWORKs SW/DV Advocate to:

• List the date the client was seen/contacted,
• Indicate whether the CalWORKs client’s case is pending or active,
• Approve a DA Exemption/Extender and document the approved time period and if applicable, retroactive requests,
• Deny a DA Exemption/Extender if the abuse does not hinder a participant's ability to be regularly employed or participate in Welfare-to-Work (WTW) activities, 
• Inform the Associate Employment Counselor (AEC)/Employment Counselor (EC) that an integrated DV/WTW Plan is to be developed,
• Notify the AEC/EC and the Eligibility Worker (EW) when the client has declined the Exemption/Extender or failed to keep their appointment,
• Extend a DA Exemption/Extender when appropriate, and list the new expiration date,
• Initiate a Local Child Support Agency (LCSA) Child Support DA Good Cause request,
• Send a copy of the SCD 1554 to the AEC/EC and the EW,
• Document the date the AEC/EC and EW were sent a copy of the form,
• List supportive services the client may need during the DA Exemption/Extender period in order to support the domestic abuse/WTW activities.

Alternate Mailing Address/Safe at Home Program

If the client chooses to use an alternate mailing address, Post Office (PO) Box number or telephone number, the client needs to complete the middle section of the SCD 1554 “Client Completes” Section.

If the client is enrolled in the Safe at Home Program this information is accepted and recorded by the EW. The middle section of the SCD 1554 must still be completed by the client.

Exception: When factors affecting eligibility or apparent eligibility, such as in cases of immediate need, diversion, or suspected fraud, cannot be satisfactorily determined, the applicant/recipient is required to provide the actual residence address. This information is to be maintained in the SW/DV Advocate case file only and must not be entered on any computer/automated system. Continue to use the Safe at Home PO Box and fictitious street address on all computer-generated documents.

SCD 1554 Distribution

The SCD 1554 is distributed as follows:

• Original is retained by the CalWORKs SW/DV Advocate,
• The SW/ DV Advocate scans and sends the SCD 1554 to the designated AEC/EC.
• The SW/ DV Advocate scans and sends the SCD 1554 to Cwes.Clerical@ssa.sccgov.org and requests that the SCD 1554 be scanned into Imaging.
• The Client Services Technician (CST) creates a Task request for EW follow-up, and notates in the Long Description field that the SCD 1554 was scanned into Imaging.  
• The SW/DV Advocate provides a copy of the SCD 1554 to the client.

EW and AEC/EC Coordinated Review and Action

When the SCD 1554 is received from the CalWORKs SW/DV Advocate, the EW and AEC/EC must review the form and take the following action:

A. The EW:

• If the EW made the DA referral, they must revise the End Date for the "Domestic Abuse" Case Flag to match the end date on the SCD 1554.
• Enters the alternate mailing address, if one is provided.
• Signs and dates the bottom of the SCD 1554.
• Emails a copy of the SCD 1554 to the AEC/EC.
• Emails a copy of the SCD 1554 to the CalWORKs SW/DV Advocate.
• Sends the SCD 1554 to Imaging.
• Receives a Task Request notification from the AEC/EC in the following instances:
  • A client is granted a retroactive DA exemption.
  • A client is granted a DA extension.
• For Time On Aid (TOA) extenders, the EW completes the Time Limit Summary page. 
• For retroactive DA exemptions, the EW completes the Statewide Cash Aid Time Limits (SCATL) Program Detail page.
• If the DA exemption is being granted retroactively or if a DA extension is being granted, runs the Eligibility Determiniation Beneift Calculation (EDBC).  For all other instances, CalSAWS will run in batch to update the TOA.

B. The AEC/EC:

For DA Exemptions

• If the AEC/EC made the DA referral, they must revise the End Date for the “Domestic Abuse” Case Flag to match the end date on the SCD 1554.
• Refer to Domestic Abuse (DA) - Welfare-to-Work (WTW) Waiver Time Frames for information regarding applying DA exemptions.
• If the DA exemption is being granted retroactively, contacts the EW to run EDBC.

For DA Extenders

• If the AEC/EC made the DA referral, they must revise the End Date for the “Domestic Abuse” Case Flag to match the end date on the SCD 1554.
• The AEC/EC sends a Task to the EW to manually enter the DA time limit extension in CalSAWS. 

Refer to Domestic Abuse (DA) - Welfare-to-Work (WTW) Waiver Time Frames for information regarding applying DA extenders.