DSHS Acronyms

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