Announcements
Upcoming General HMIS Training - Registration
Registration is now open for our next in-person General HMIS training. As this is a mandatory requirement, you must complete the course within six months of licensure to avoid losing your HMIS access. With only 27 seats remaining, we encourage you to sign up immediately at the Eventbrite link below to secure your spot: Eventbrite Registration Link.
Training Details
- Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
- Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm (there will be an hour lunch break from noon to 1:00pm and we will likely get out closer to 4:00pm-4:30pm)
- Location: 500 Westridge Dr., Watsonville, CA 95076 in the Career Computer Lab (Room 136)
What to Bring
This all-day training will require the use of internet accessible computer or tablet so please plan to bring a laptop to the training if you have one. If you do not have a laptop or other suitable device, let us know ahead of the training day and we can provide you with one.
Pre-Training Checklist
Additionally, you will need to have access to the HMIS training site for this training. Please confirm that your training site account is active ahead of showing up for the training. Your username should be your first initial followed by your last name with no spaces (Example: John Doe = jdoe) and your password will need to be set the first time logging in by clicking on the “forgot password” button.
Need Help?
Please email Loren White at loren.white@santacruzcountyca.gov if you are having any issues accessing the training site, such as not receiving the response email after clicking the forgot password link.
Income & Public Benefits
All HMIS participating programs are expected to support their participants to increase income and enroll in all public benefits for which they are eligible. Changes in income and public benefit attainment are tracked in HMIS through Status Update and Annual Assessments. HMIS users can work with their HMIS Lead to review their program’s attainment of desired participant increases in income and public benefits attainment using the Contract Metrics and Program Performance dashboards. Housing for Health staff will be reaching out to program staff to problem solve towards meeting desired income and public benefit outcomes. Please reach out to Loren White at loren.white@santacruzcountyca.gov if you have any questions.
Medi-Cal Updates
Medi-Cal is California's version of the Federal Medicaid program and offers no- and low-cost health coverage to eligible persons based on household income, age, and health or disability status, among other criteria. CalFresh provides food assistance to low-income persons in California that meet specific eligibility criteria. Federal law was passed in 2026 that will make significant changes to Medi-Cal and CalFresh eligibility including around household's immigration status, work and community engagement requirements, and income or asset limits. In anticipation of eligibility changes, please support your program participants, as appropriate, to attain disability verification, participate in work and community engagement activities, and maintain appropriate and timely communication with Santa Cruz County's Employment and Benefits Services Division (EBSD).
Calfresh Updates
Beginning June 1st, 2026, significant eligibility updates are coming soon. Please take a moment to review the following resources to stay up to date:
Mail & Contact Information
The Santa Cruz County Employment and Benefits Services Division (EBSD) offers mail services for clients receiving benefits like CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, or General Assistance. If you are unhoused or not receiving your official mail, you can use a County office as your mailing address. For more details, please view this flyer.
