Your Guide to Acronyms and Abbreviations
DSHS Lingo
- ABE Adult Basic Education (literacy classes, etc.)
- ADATSA Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment and Support Act (state-financed treatment and support program for chemically dependent persons)
- Admin. Administrator
- AFDC Aid to Families with Dependent Children (what TANF used to be called before 1996 welfare reform)
- AREN Additional Requirements for Emergent Needs (EG for TANF recipients)
- AU Assistance Unit (all those counted in one’s benefits package)
- BH Basic Health Plan (state funded plan for families or individuals under 200% of FPL)
- CJ Community Jobs
- CN Categorically Needy (in terms of eligibility for medical benefits)
- CPS Child Protective Services
- CSE Child Support Enforcement (DSHS – CS collections)
- CSO Community Service Office (a welfare office)
- CSOA Community Service Office Administrator (head boss of the CSO)
- CW Case Worker (DSHS calls them case managers)
- DCA Diversion Cash Assistance (Emergency Grant for non-TANF recipients)
- DSHS Department of Social and Health Services (government branch that provides public assistance, child support enforcement, medical, etc.)
- Region 1 Spokane area (North Eastern WA)
- Region 2 Yakima area (Center of WA in South to South Eastern WA)
- Region 3 North of King County (Lynnwood, Bellingham, Everett, Oak Harbor, etc.)
- Region 4 King County (Seattle, Kent, Bellevue, Woodinville, Redmond, etc.)
- Region 5 South of King County (Tacoma, Bremerton, & Puyallup)
- Region 6 South of Region 5 (Olympia, Chehalis, Vancouver, Port Townsend, etc.)
- DV Domestic Violence
- DVR Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (state program for incapacitated and disabled individuals designed to help them achieve self-support)
- ESD Employment Security Department (evaluates people’s skills and assesses their employability within the job market – they recommend people for JobSearch or different kinds of training programs)
- FHC Fair Hearing Coordinator
- FPL Federal Poverty Line (what the federal government considers the cut-off for classifying people who are living in poverty)
- FW Financial Worker
- GA-U General Assistance-Unemployable (temporarily unable to work – Dr. has to say so. Also for immigrants, b/c ineligible for SSI due to their status.)
- GA-X General Assistance-Expedited Medicaid (For those who have been pre-approved to receive SSI. The transitional medical from GA-U to SSI. Also for immigrants, b/c ineligible for SSI due to their status.)
- GED General Equivalent Degree (almost like a high school degree)
- HW/HD High Wage/High Demand (1 yr. education w/o work for those in information technology & health care fields – this yr. can be the last of a 2 or 4 yr. degree)
- IRP Individual Responsibility Plan (list of activities one has to do when getting TANF grant. Parents should have a say in the creation of it)
- LEP Limited English Proficiency (someone should be identified and labeled when spoken or written English is difficult. Person will receive services in her/his language, as well as other needed services)
- LW Lead Worker
- NSA Necessary Supplemental Accommodations (services provided for disabled clients who have difficulty in getting program benefits in the same way that an unimpaired person would get them)
- RCW Revised Code of Washington (A decimal system codification of laws enacted by the Washington State Legislature)
- SCHIP State Children’s Health Insurance Program (children who’s fam. income up to 250% of FPL)
- SFA State Family Assistance (Cash assistance program established for legal immigrants who are ineligible for TANF because of immigrant status)
- SSI Supplemental Security Income (the money for this is part of the Social Security pot. This is for those who have some kind of disability that makes them unemployable for a year or more – has to have Dr.’s note. Application can take up to a year or more.)
- Sup. Supervisor
- SW Social Worker
- TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (welfare grant)
- WAC Washington Administrative Code – followed by a (The actual law that sets the rules described in the RCW – policy)
- WCCC Working Connections Child Care (child care subsidy program)
- WS Work Study (employment through a college – only have to do 16hrs./wk.)
Programs for low-income people
- EITC Earned Income Tax Credit (working low-income individuals & families are eligible for this – larger tax refund b/c of income status)
- HCC Hospital Charity Care (if income below 100% FPL hospitals can’t charge a person. Also spenddowns up to 200% FPL)
- Sect. 8 Section 8 – the federal housing subsidy program (takes about 5 yrs. if you can get on the waiting list, it’s often closed)
- SSD Social Security Department
Anti-poverty Organizations
- ACLU American Civil Liberties Union
- ALJ Administrative Law Judge – judge at fair hearings – not a part of DSHS
- CAMP Central Area Motivational Project (Seattle)
- CLEAR Coordinated Legal Education Advice and Referral service (NJPs KC info line)
- CLIP Coalition for Low Income Power (Olympia)
- CCS Catholic Community Services
- E for E Enterprise for Equity (entrepreneurial training for low income people)
- KCBA King County Bar Association
- NJP Northwest Justice Project (free legal representation at FHs)
- OAH Office of Administrative Hearing
- OMJP Olympians for Justice and Peace
- POWER Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights
- SHA Seattle Housing Authority
- SHIBA Statewide Health Insurance, Benefits, Advisors
- SPAN Statewide Poverty Action Network (we are partnered w/ them and other organizations to work on the anti-poverty movement)
- SSAP Social Security Advocacy Project
- TU Tenant’s Union
- TULIP Thurston Union for Low Income People (low-income credit union)
- WIC Women, Infants, and Children
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Updated 2008/07/04 16:16:18