Client Satisfaction Survey (CSS) County Health and Human Services Department Desk Reference

The Client Satisfaction Survey (CSS) was developed to help County Health and Human Services Departments (CHHSDs) gather feedback from their participants on how to better serve them. Analysis of the CSS results must be reported by counties in their Cal-OAR CalWORKs County Self-Assessment (Cal-CSA) and CalWORKs System Improvement Plan (Cal-SIP).

This desk reference is intended to help county staff explain the CSS and address questions that they may receive from potential survey recipients.  Contact your county CQI Specialist with any questions that are not addressed here.

Q1: What is the Client Satisfaction Survey (CSS)?
A1: The CSS evaluates California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) customer satisfaction during, approximately, the first six-months of time on CalWORKs aid. There are three surveys within the six-month period which are tied to the following program milestones: Welfare to Work (WTW) Orientation, WTW Plan development, and the first Semi-Annual Report (SAR-7).

Q2: When will counties receive their survey responses?
A2: Counties will receive their individual-level survey results monthly, and a quarterly report reflective of aggregate responses the first month of the following quarter (Example: Q1 (January – March) responses will be sent in April).
Quarterly reports are sent out in January, April, July, and October. Reports are typically sent out by the second week of the month to counties to allow time for participant outreach.

Q3: Where can I get a copy of the CSS report containing which participants will receive the invitation to complete the survey each month?
A3: Contact lists are sent out every month to counties and request for copies of CSS reports may be sent to Cal-OAR@dss.ca.gov.

Q4: Will there be a flyer for staff to handout?
A4: Yes, there is a flyer developed and distributed to CHHSDs with CSS information that may be shared with participants. The flyer includes a link to the survey and a QR code for participants to access the survey from their phones.

Q5: How and when will surveys be delivered to participants?
A5: The survey will be delivered through Survey Monkey via text or email around the 3rd week of the month. Participants will only receive the communication option they selected (via text, email, or automated phone call message).

Q6: How will counties receive their Client Satisfaction Survey (CSS) data?
A6: Counties will receive both individual-level and aggregate CSS data via encrypted email.

Q7: If participants have questions, how can they contact CDSS?
A7: CDSS will allow participants to discuss CSS related questions by emailing the Cal-OAR team at Cal-OARCSS@dss.ca.gov or by phone at 1-888-445-1955.

Q8: How do the CSS incentives get distributed?
A8: It is the county’s discretion on how they distribute the incentives to participants. Counties will receive Incentive lists in the first week of each month from CDSS.

Q9: Does the incentive list contain clients from various months? If so, can CDSS identify the months in the incentive list so that we can track for our total monthly CSS incentive payments?
A9: To protect client identity, CDSS will not be able to supply the specific month a client completed the survey when transmitting multiple months of CSS responses.

Q10: What does a county do if they have used up all of their fiscal year incentive allowance?
A10: It is the county’s discretion on how they distribute the remaining incentives for the fiscal year.

Q11: How can CHHSDs update their contact person(s) for the CSS distribution list?
A11: Counties can send an email to Cal-OAR@dss.ca.gov and contact information will be updated.

Q12: What do counties do if a participant completes the survey, is on the incentive list, but isn't in the program or hasn't been active in the program recently?
A12: As the survey is anonymous and to protect client identity, CDSS cannot confirm if a participant is indeed active in the program or trace how a participant may have accessed the survey (QR code, forwarded link, etc.). Counties have discretion on determining if participants qualify for an incentive based on their participation records. CDSS recommends for counties to not provide incentives to participants who are not active in the program or have not completed a milestone within a reasonable amount of time prior to taking the survey.