IHSS Ventura County: phone numbers, the $20.97 wage and the Public Authority

What IHSS Ventura County pays for and who can get it

The Human Services Agency (HSA) describes IHSS as support at home for older adults with low incomes and for people with disabilities, children included, so they can stay in their own homes rather than move into a residential care facility. Depending on countable income, the services may be free or the client may pay part of the cost.

The county lists five kinds of help an IHSS provider can be paid for:

• household chores such as cooking, cleaning and laundry;
• personal care such as dressing, bathing and feeding;
• transportation and accompaniment to medical appointments;
• protective supervision, for someone with a mental impairment or mental illness who needs watching around the clock to stay safe;
• paramedical services ordered by a physician, such as help with injections or catheter care.

To qualify, the county says you must be 65 or older, blind, or disabled under the Social Security definition; be a California resident; live in your own home; be eligible for Medi-Cal; and take part in a home assessment interview. Disabled children may also be eligible. Someone living in a nursing home or assisted living does not qualify, although the county will do a preliminary assessment before a planned move back home. If income is too high, you may still qualify by paying a Medi-Cal share of cost each month; after you meet it, Medi-Cal pays the provider for the remaining hours.

Ventura County IHSS phone number and how to apply

The application line is 805-654-3236. You can also fax the application to 805-654-3206, email it to HSA-IHSS-applications@VenturaCounty.gov, or hand it in at the Ventura or Simi Valley office. The application form is the state SOC 295, available in English and Spanish from the CDSS site. If you do not yet have Medi-Cal, the county's general benefits line for Medi-Cal applications is 888-472-4463.

1. Send the application. Use any of the routes above.
2. Return the SOC 873 within 45 days. This is the Health Care Certification that a licensed health care professional fills in. CDSS says services cannot be authorized until the county has it, and state law bars health care providers from charging you a fee for completing it.
3. Have the home assessment. A social worker visits the applicant at home and may also talk with family, friends and health care practitioners, then decides which services and how many hours to authorize.
4. Read the Notice of Action. The letter says whether you were approved and lists the hours for each service. If you were denied or think the hours are too low, you can request a State Hearing; the back of the notice explains how.

Once approved, the client (or a family member acting for them) is the employer: they hire, train, supervise and, if needed, fire the provider, and assign duties within the authorized hours. Report changes to your social worker right away, including hospital stays, vacations, a new address or phone number, someone moving in or out, and changes to Medi-Cal, so benefits are not stopped.

IHSS pay in Ventura County: $20.97 an hour

Every IHSS provider in Ventura County has been paid $20.97 an hour since July 1, 2026. The county's provider page gives that figure, and it matches the Ventura row in the CDSS wage workbook (tab "IP Effective 10-1-2026"), which we downloaded on October 15, 2026. The Public Authority administers the contract with SEIU Local 2015 that sets wages, raises and benefits, so the rate is the same in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks or Ojai.

How it compares. In that CDSS table, only five of the 58 counties listed pay individual providers more: San Francisco ($25.00), Alameda ($22.10), San Mateo ($21.70), San Luis Obispo ($21.40) and Monterey ($21.04). Ventura is above every other Southern California county in the table, including San Diego ($20.40), Santa Barbara ($20.07), Riverside ($19.90), Los Angeles ($19.64), San Bernardino ($19.00) and Orange ($18.90).

Overtime and limits. The SOC 846 enrollment agreement says providers earn time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek running from Sunday midnight to Saturday night. Someone working for more than one client may claim no more than 66 hours a week in total, and travel between clients is capped at seven hours a week. All of this stays inside each client's monthly authorized hours.

Sick leave. CDSS sets IHSS paid sick leave at 40 hours for fiscal year 2026/27, starting July 1, 2026. You accrue it after 100 hours of work and can use it after another 200 hours or 60 days, whichever comes first; unused hours expire each June 30. Claim it on form SOC 2302 or through the Electronic Services Portal. For other counties, see our IHSS pay by county guide.

How to become an IHSS provider in Ventura County

The county separates providers into two groups. A relative or friend chosen by the client is a non-Registry provider; someone who joins the Public Authority list and is matched with clients is a Registry provider. Both go through the same core steps:

1. Orientation. The Public Authority schedules non-Registry providers into a dedicated orientation. Registry applicants pick one of the information and orientation sessions described in the next section.
2. Enrollment forms. Registry providers receive them at orientation; non-Registry providers can have them mailed or pick them up at an IHSS office. The county's advance pay FAQ names the core state forms: the SOC 426 provider enrollment form, returned in person, and the SOC 846 enrollment agreement.
3. ID. Bring a current government-issued ID and your original Social Security card.
4. Background check. Every provider completes a criminal background check with Live Scan fingerprinting. IHSS does not pay the fee, but the office can give you a list of Live Scan businesses. The state SOC 847 explains the enrollment process and disqualifying crimes.
5. Interview, Registry only. Registry applicants have a phone interview with the Public Authority and, if accepted, may also interview with a client or the client's family.

The county says a new provider must finish enrollment within 90 days of their orientation date to be eligible for payment. You can start work on the date the client lists on the SOC 426A designation form, but no state or federal pay is issued until enrollment is complete, and if the person turns out to be ineligible the client pays for any work already done. For the statewide picture, read how to become an IHSS provider and getting paid to care for a family member.

Union. As an IHSS provider you are automatically represented by SEIU Local 2015 for wages, benefits and certain terms of employment, and you may join as a full member. The SEIU 2015 Member Action Center is on 855-810-2015.

IHSS Public Authority Ventura County and its registry

The Public Authority shares the Ventura building with IHSS, in Suite 213 at 4245 Market St., and also works from the Simi Valley office. It runs the provider registry, schedules orientations and helps with phone timesheets and injury reports.

Registry orientation sessions. The county flyer (form 56-23-061, dated February 2025) lists four-hour English sessions from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:

• first Tuesday of each month in Simi Valley;
• second and fourth Tuesday of each month in Ventura.

Bring your driver's license and original Social Security card; the door closes 10 minutes after the start, and the flyer says some experience is required. Application packets are handed out there. Call 805-654-3416 to confirm the next date before you go.

For families. If you have no relative or friend to hire, call the Public Authority on 805-654-3416 and it can send you a list of prescreened providers to interview. The county suggests asking about experience and judging whether the personality is a good match before hiring.

Training and injuries. Its online video library includes UCLA caregiver training on home safety and aggressive behavior. A provider hurt at work reports it to the Public Authority, which completes the DWC-1 claim form with them. An IHSS/PA Advisory Committee also meets in Suite 213; the next posted meeting is October 21, 2026, at 3 p.m.

Timesheets, payroll and advance pay

Providers and clients approve timesheets online through the state Electronic Services Portal (ESP), which needs a provider number, an email address and a phone, tablet or computer. Without internet access, use the Telephonic Timesheet System: register on 833-342-5388, option 3, with your six-digit registration code, nine-digit provider number and date of birth. The Public Authority helps with TTS on 805-654-3416, and the IHSS Service Desk on 866-376-7066 (option 4 for ETS) handles portal and sick leave questions on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Under SOC 846, a timesheet signed by you and your client is due within two weeks of the end of each pay period; a correct one submitted on time is paid within 10 days of arriving at the processing facility. Pay goes by direct deposit or pay card (form SOC 829). The county's IHSS payroll team is on 805-477-5436 or HSA-IHSSPayroll@VenturaCounty.gov. A live-in provider may be able to exclude IHSS wages from income tax by filing SOC 2298.

Advance pay. Clients authorized 20 or more hours a week of personal care and related services, who can manage their own finances, may receive IHSS money in advance and pay the provider themselves. Payments not reconciled with timesheets within 45 days become an overpayment.

IHSS in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and the rest of the county

There are two IHSS offices for the whole county, and the county routes calls by area. Use the Ventura line, 805-654-3260, for Ventura, Ojai, Camarillo and Oxnard; use the Simi Valley line, 805-306-7935, for Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. Both offices are open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• IHSS Oxnard: HSA's location list shows no IHSS office in Oxnard, so Oxnard residents call 805-654-3260 or go to Market Street in Ventura. See caregiver jobs in Oxnard and Oxnard caregivers.
• Ventura (officially San Buenaventura): both the IHSS office and the Public Authority are at 4245 Market St. See Ventura jobs and caregivers in Ventura.
• Camarillo: served from Ventura; see Camarillo caregiver jobs.
• Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park: served from Simi Valley; see Thousand Oaks jobs and Thousand Oaks caregivers.
• Simi Valley: the East County office at 2900 N. Madera Rd. See Simi Valley caregiver jobs and caregivers in Simi Valley.

Countywide listings: Ventura County caregiver jobs and caregivers across Ventura County.

IHSS Ventura County phone numbers and addresses

County numbers come from the HSA IHSS, provider and recipient pages; state numbers from CDSS. All were checked October 15, 2026.

Private care alongside IHSS

IHSS covers only the services and hours on the Notice of Action. The county's own FAQ notes that a client may pay a provider out of pocket for hours beyond the authorized monthly total or for pay above the IHSS rate. Overnight help, weekend cover and respite for a relative who is already the IHSS provider all fall outside the program.

On CaregiverConnect a family can post that kind of job for free. Caregivers apply to it directly, and the family chooses, hires them directly and becomes their household employer, at a rate the two agree on that meets minimum wage. We take no commission, and we do not run background checks; a caregiver may upload proof of one to their profile. Optional premium plans are available.

IHSS providers in Ventura County with spare hours can create a free caregiver profile so families from Oxnard to Simi Valley can find them. For private rates, see what in-home care costs in California.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. County of Ventura HSA, In-Home Supportive Services (services, office addresses, phones, hours, payroll team, Service Desk, SEIU 2015)
2. County of Ventura HSA, IHSS Recipients (SOC 295, SOC 873 within 45 days, apply by phone/fax/email, home assessment, Public Authority referral, employer role, reporting changes, eligibility, phone routing by area)
3. County of Ventura HSA, IHSS Providers (non-Registry and Registry routes, forms, Live Scan, interview, $20.97 from July 1, 2026, SEIU Local 2015, ETS/TTS, direct deposit, workers' compensation, forms list)
4. County of Ventura HSA, IHSS: Most Asked Questions (eligibility, share of cost, Notice of Action, State Hearing, family providers, 66-hour limit, assisted living)
5. County of Ventura HSA, IHSS Advanced Pay FAQs (eligibility, SOC 426/846/426A, 90-day enrollment, 45-day reconciliation, SOC 2298)
6. County of Ventura IHSS Public Authority, Registry Provider Information and Orientation Sessions flyer (56-23-061, 2/25)
7. County of Ventura HSA, IHSS Training Videos (Public Authority video library)
8. County of Ventura HSA, IHSS/PA Advisory Committee Meetings (agendas and minutes; October 21, 2026 agenda)
9. County of Ventura HSA, Locations and Ways to Apply (Medi-Cal line 888-472-4463, IHSS line, office list)
10. CDSS, IHSS wages by county (workbook sheet "IP Effective 10-1-2026", Ventura $20.97 from July 1, 2026, and other counties)
11. CDSS, In-Home Supportive Services (SOC 873 before authorization, recipient as employer, form fee ban, complaint line)
12. CDSS, SOC 846 Provider Enrollment Agreement (overtime, workweek, 66-hour cap, seven-hour travel cap, timesheet deadline)
13. CDSS, IHSS Program Requirements: overtime, travel time and wait time (66-hour maximum)
14. CDSS, How to Become an IHSS Provider (SOC 847, fraud hotline)
15. CDSS, IHSS Provider Paid Sick Leave (FY 2026/27, SOC 2302, Service Desk)
16. California DIR, minimum wage FAQ ($16.90 from January 1, 2026)