Beyond frontline social workers, the California Department of Social Services employs program analysts, budget specialists, legal staff, and IT professionals whose work shapes IHSS policy and administration at the state level. These roles influence the rules that govern wages, hours, and eligibility for California’s 1.5 million IHSS providers and recipients.
Program analysts at CDSS draft the All-County Letters (ACLs) that counties must implement — including wage schedules, EVV mandates, and hour authorization methodology changes. If you want to influence IHSS from the policy side, CDSS administrative and program roles are a direct pathway.