Department of Employment and Benefit Services
The Department of Employment and Benefit Services (DEBS) provides services that promote health, nutrition, safety, and well-being to Santa Clara County residents. Our mission is to ensure that low-income individuals and families receive necessary health, nutrition, financial and employment services.
Mission
Transition public assistance recipients to employment and eventual self-sufficiency and to ensure that low-income individuals and families receive necessary health, nutrition, financial and employment services.
Vision
Making a difference through people, service and performance.
Goals
- Ensure that basic needs are met through accurate and timely services.
- Assist job seekers in obtaining and retaining employment and empowering them with the tools, and skills to set and achieve their goals.
- Reduce the number of hungry children and adults by outreaching and conducting community-wide campaigns to make nutrition services more accessible and available.
- Increase well-being by promoting strategies to grow the number of eligible children and adults who receive health coverage.
- Promote various housing assistance programs to help eligible, low-income individuals move into permanent housing.
Programs
Medi-Cal is California's version of the federal Medicaid health coverage program. This is a public health care program for California residents with low income and resources.
CalFresh Food is California's name for the federal food program called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that used to be known as Food Stamps. It is a nutrition program for California residents with low income that increases your food budget.
CalFresh Employment & Training (CFET) is a free and voluntary program that helps people on CalFresh Food gain skills, tools, basic education, training and work experience to find a living wage job.
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) helps families with children and pregnant women in the last 6 months of pregnancy to meet basic needs. CalWORKs provides time limited cash assistance, childcare and health care coverage.
CalWORKs Employment Services is a free program that helps people on CalWORKs gain skills, tools, basic education, training and work experience to find a living wage job.
General Assistance provides cash assistance and employment services to Santa Clara County adults with no dependent children who have no other means of support.
General Assistance Vocational Services is a free CalFresh Employment & Training program that helps CalFresh Food Recipients on General Assistance gain skills, tools, basic education, training and work experience to find a living wage job.
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) is funded by the State of California. CAPI provides cash assistance to aged, blind, and disabled immigrants who are not eligible for the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) Program due to their immigration status.
