Formation of CICA

CICA was formed to amplify consumer voice in IHSS policies and procedures.  IHSS Public Authority legislation, AB 485 and AB 1682, mandate the IHSS Public Authority Consumer Advisory Committees and Consumer Governing Boards. The intent of the legislation is that these Committees and Governing Boards bring the voice of consumers to policy makers and elected officials regarding IHSS issues and needed improvements. As these Advisory Committees and Governing Boards formed and began to commuicate with each other, they realized the need to join together to affect change. Several Advisory Committees and Governing Boards established CICA in 2003.  CICA was granted 501(c)(3) non-profit status for tax purposes in 2005. 

              CICA engages, educates, provides information, and offers networking opportunities to member Advisory Committees and Governing Boards.  CICA also engages, educates, and collaborates with consumers, providers, allies, and advocates on issues affecting IHSS and home and community-based services.  With initial state funding of $56,000 a year, these Advisory Committees and Governing Boards were able to develop newsletters, conduct outreach efforts, get into the community to connect with consumers, and develop manuals for consumers on how to mange their provider, and other activities to improve the consumer experience in their county.  And, very importantly, nearly all of the Advisory Committees and Governing Boards attended CICA-sponsored annual conferences to share best practices, get advocacy traininng, and discuss state priorities and recommendations to elected officials and policy makers regarding IHSS. 

              These Advisory Committees and Governing Boards suffered a major setback in 2011 when funding for these Committees and Boards was slashed from $56,000 per year to $6,000 per year causing many to reduce their number of meetings a year, reduce outreach efforts, stop producing newsletters, and in many counties,  limiting even the most basic consumer-directed outreach activities. Life and death issues, such as the provider shortage crisis in which thousands of consumers approved for services go without any care because they can’t find a provider, worsen and go without consumer input on possible solutions.  This drastic funding reduction and resulting reduction of consumer input undermines a fundamental principal of an IHSS Public Authority: to engage consumers in the oversight of the delivery of IHSS and give input to any entity, state, county, or federal that has influence in IHSS.

              Given this drastic reduction of state support for these county-based Committees and Boards and the corresponding reduction of consumer voice in IHSS policy and practice,  CICA has doubled its efforts to connect with, educate, and mobilize these Committees and Boards as well as consumers, providers, and allies.  CICA sponsors twice-monthly zoom trainings and current IHSS issues discussons generally attended by dozens of peope from all over the state.  Trainings include the history of IHSS, the IHSS independent provider model of care, the background of the IHSS Public Authority, the involvement of unions in IHSS, latest policies on electronic visit verification, implication of current IHSS legislation being considered; and discussion of hot button issues. CICA continues to grow and gain credibility and visibility as the voice of the IHSS consumers.  CICA is“at the table”whenever IHSS, community-based long term care, and in the all-encompassing discussion CA’s Master Plan on Aging.  CICA Officers, Executive Committee Members, and Regional Vice-Presidents are volunteers who represent every area of CA.