Civil Rights
The San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services (DSS) strictly adheres to all Division 21 (21-101) non-discriminatory mandates and strives to provides effective access to welfare benefits for all San Luis Obispo County applicants and/or recipients. If you feel that a DSS employee, contracted vendor, or program has discriminated against you, you have the right to file a civil rights complaint based on race, color, national origin, disability, age, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal or by mail or phone. Complaints must be filed within 180 days of the date of discrimination.
More Info
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Suite 515F, HHH Building
Washington, DC 20201
(800) 368-1019, (800) 537-7697 (TDD)
OCRMail@hhs.gov
Complaint forms are available online.
If your discrimination complaint involves discrimination by a state operated or state funded entity (like a county welfare department or state agency) contact:
California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
DFEH headquarters
2218 Kausen Drive, Suite 100
Elk Grove, CA 95758
Communication Center: 800-884-1684 (voice)
800-700-2320 (TTY) or California's Relay Service at 711
contact.center@dfeh.ca.gov
Email: accommodations@dfeh.ca.gov or call 844-541-2877 for disability accommodation
You may also file a discrimination complaint directly with the San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services.
Civil Rights Coordinator:
Andre Guerrero
Phone: (805)-788-2601 | Email: aguerrero@co.slo.ca.us
Address: 3563 Empleo St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Civil Rights Investigator:
Telesforo (Junior) Galindo
Phone: (805)-788-2604 | Email: jgalindo@co.slo.ca.us
Address: 3563 Empleo St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Complaint of Discrimination Form (Form GEN 1179 – Complaint of Discrimination)
For all programs, if you disagree with the County’s decision (including if the County did not investigate your complaint), you may appeal to the California Department of Social Services Civil Rights Section within 30 calendar days of the letter from San Luis Obispo County DSS Civil Rights. To appeal this decision, contact:
California Department of Social Services Civil Rights Section
744 P Street, M/S 9-7-041, Sacramento, CA 95814 USA
Phone: (866) 741-6241 (toll free) | TDD/TTY: (800) 688-4486
Website: CDSS Civil Rights | Email: crb@dss.ca.gov
If you disagree with the County’s decision regarding discrimination in the CalFresh program based on race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, you may appeal to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. You must do so within 90 days of receiving the County’s decision letter. To appeal this decision, write to:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of Assistant Secretary of Civil Rights, Mail Stop 9410
1400 Independence Avenue S.W., Room 1330, South Building
Washington D.C. 20250
SM. OASCR.ProgramAdjudication@usda.gov"
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Publication 13 describes your rights and offers instructions on how to file a civil rights complaint. The information in the PUB 13 pamphlet is for individuals applying for, receiving, and who have received public assistance and/or services.
PUB 13 (Translations):
Arabic | Armenian | Cambodian | Chinese | Farsi-Dari | Hindi | Hmong | Japanese | Korean | Lao | Mien | Portuguese | Punjabi | Russian | Spanish | Tagalog | Thai | Ukrainian | Vietnamese
Your Rights Under California Public Benefits Programs (English Audio)
Sus Derechos Bajo los Programas de Beneficios Públicos de California (Audio en Español)
