Alameda County Social Services — Local services in Oakland

None of the workers I've been assigned ever answer the phone! I get they must have a lot of peope on their case loads but still It's just plain slovenly.L. Lewis is the only one who called me back in a timely manner (within approx 20 mins of my having left a message marked 'urgent'....so it was a real bummer when I found out I wasnt on her caseload; she was only saved as a contact in my phone because once upon a time she had been my partner's social worker..... Mine never responded to my urgent messages and so the case to re-file for EBT was dropped and I need to start all over again. Meanwhile we're really struggling...). They had an old number of mine on file from years ago, and since I don't live at my mailing address, I missed an appointment over the phone I was only aware of, after the fact. I tried to get in touch with my worker by the due date; left messages with ny name, phone # and case # and marked them "urgent" but she never responded. You really need to hound these people if you need to contact your worker for any reason. They are so unavailable. I was determined as "ABAWD" (too able-bodied to not work and just keep recieving my usual EBT benefits) a few years back and my EBT was reduced from every month to only 3 months out of the year.... but i was never informed of which 3, so I forgot all about it, misplaced my EBT card amd forgot my PIN. I got several notices in the mail informing me that, since it had gone unused, they were reclaiming the money they had put on my card....which I hadn't even known existed. I filed for a hearing via snail mail. Again, I missed my phone appointment for a similar reason. Only this time they HAD left a few messsages on my current phone number, only on the day of my hearing and I don't answer numbers that show up as private or scam likely, nor am I in the habit of checking my voicemail super often. So I was S.O.L. And at that time I was doing well enough without government assistance, I just gave up.

I can't afford to give up, this time. So I'm going to have to physically go to the social services office, which some friends of mine told me was a good idea since there was hardly anyone there so wait times are significantly reduced. Pretty inconvenient but I'm also told I'll be helped sooner.... I can...

I am still triggered by an event that took place there so let me put it out there exactly the way it happened. An overweight, rude black woman did me dirty. Some of my other experiences there were all right. I am also a black female who was homeless and suffering from poverty in 2019. I went into the office to ask for bus tickets on a day which it was 90+ degrees. The overweight black woman looked me up in the system and decided I was good for 2 one way tickets instead of an all day pass. She told me to go to a shelter. I wasn't using shelters because the shelters were dangerous. I asked her for an all day pass so I could stay out of the heat. She said NO and didn't give me a reason. I would have settled for a reason. I wonder about this rude black woman every so often. I accused her of lacking empathy. Be sure to check these people by complaining to their supervisors. No doubt if I had cussed her out, she would have 1) denied me services and/or 2) had the Sherriff escort me out of the building. Just for complaining about not getting one all...

I want to give zero on the workers here. Honestly the workers here most are rude and not helpful they dont listen to there clients so they can understand them and they are giving different information. The workers here is not like the workers in San Mateo county, the workers in San Mateo are so humble, friendly and helpful in there clients they did not raised their voice to there clients and find way how they can help their clients They listen to their clients that is why they can give the right and same information. Since I was making a calls ,only the workers here in Alameda county raised their voice to me and this is the first time I made a post publicly because I was so disappointed on the attitudes of the workers here. It was the worst experience i have. It was so sad that there are public workers like them. I know they are intelligence but they need to learn to be humble and helpful to their clients. They are on that position to help the people not to raised there voice on the clients that was seeking help and...