Washington State Department of Social and Health Services

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman is a trusted resource in mediating complaints or concerns you may have about anyone living in an adult care facility. For more information, call or email Aaron Riley, Whitman County's regional contact.

Washington State Department of Health and Social Services investigates reports of abuse or neglect of vulnerable adults who live in their own homes. Online reporting available on website. Contact Complaint Resolution Unit (CRU) to report concerns regarding a person living in a facility (e.g. a nursing home, adult family home, assisted living, enhanced services, intermediate care for individuals with intellectual disabilities) or receiving supported living services. See Complaint Resolution Unit entry on Palouse Resource Guide.

Residential Care Service (RCS) is responsible for the licensing and oversight of adult family homes, assisted living facilities, nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and certified community residential services and supports. Our mission is to promote and protect the rights, security and wellbeing of individuals living in these licensed or certified residential settings.

Look for an adult family home in your county with the Adult Family Home Locator.

If your family has an emergency and you need a one-time cash payment to get or keep safe housing or utilities, you may be eligible for the Additional Requirements for Emergent Needs (AREN) or the Diversion Program. Families may be eligible when they: Have an emergent need to get or keep housing or utilities (See AREN Emergency Needs Table); Are eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), State Family Assistance (SFA), or Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA); Have good reason that they don’t have enough money to pay the housing or utility costs; and Haven’t received the maximum AREN payment ($750), as an adult, in the last 12-month period. For more information, see website.

The Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) program helps eligible refugees and other humanitarian immigrants by providing cash assistance for up to eight months from their arrival date in the United States (or from the date of their immigration status for asylees or victims of trafficking). RCA is for eligible people who do not have minor children. You can apply for Refugee Cash Assistance services online at WashingtonConnection.org.

A state funded program that provides cash assistance and a referral to the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program to eligible low-income individuals who are age 65 or older, blind, or determined likely to meet the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability criteria based on an impairment(s) expected to last at least 12 consecutive months.

State Family Assistance (SFA) is a cash assistance program for participants who are ineligible for Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF.) SFA recipients are required to participate in WorkFirst. Therefore, SFA recipients are not eligible for Basic Food Employment and Training (BFET) with one exception. A child who meets the following requirements is eligible for BFET: •Aged 19 or 20, and •Not the Head of Household of the SFA assistance unit.

The Legal Guardian Program provides medical and cash assistance for children who are living with a legal guardian. Adults who act “in loco parentis” or in the place of a parent may also be eligible. To apply for benefits you must: Complete an application for benefits. Cooperate with the collection of child support unless it is unsafe to do so. Sign over child support rights to DSHS. Complete an interview.

Information and resource links to a wide range of services for those caring for the aging or a person with a disability. Maintains a website with lists of different residential care options including Adult Family Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, and Nursing Homes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, called Basic Food in Washington, helps people with low incomes make ends meet by providing monthly benefits to buy food.

Provides temporary cash for eligible families in need. To be eligible for TANF, your family must have resources of $6,000 or less. Resources are things like: Checking and savings accounts. Stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Vehicle equity over $10,000. Your case manager will help you understand what income and resources we consider and how it will affect your case.