In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) pays for help at home so people who are older, blind, or have a disability, including children, can stay safely where they live. In San Diego County, IHSS is run by Aging & Independence Services (AIS), part of the County Health and Human Services Agency, with a separate Public Authority that supports caregivers.
This guide covers who qualifies, the five ways to apply, how to become a paid provider, how provider pay is set, and how IHSS works alongside San Diego Regional Center for people with developmental disabilities. The steps and contacts here change rarely. Pay rates change at least once a year, so that section explains how pay is calculated as well as the current numbers.
IHSS in San Diego County
- (800) 339-4661Aging & Independence Services call center. Apply for IHSS or report adult abuse.
- (866) 351-7722IHSS Public Authority: caregiver registry, provider enrollment and training.
- 6 officesOceanside, Escondido, Kearny Mesa, El Cajon, Southeastern San Diego and National City.
- SDRCSan Diego Regional Center serves San Diego and Imperial counties: (858) 576-2996.
Sources: County of San Diego HHSA; San Diego IHSS Public Authority; DDS. Phone numbers last verified November 2026.
Who runs IHSS in San Diego County
Aging & Independence Services (AIS) handles IHSS applications, home assessments, and decisions about your hours. Its call center is (800) 339-4661.
The San Diego IHSS Public Authority supports caregivers and recipients. It helps providers enroll, runs a registry to help recipients find an available provider, and trains providers on timesheets and payroll. Call (866) 351-7722.
Who does what in San Diego County
Aging & Independence Services (AIS), part of the County Health and Human Services Agency, takes IHSS applications, sends the social worker, and decides your hours. Its call center is (800) 339-4661.
The San Diego IHSS Public Authority helps providers enroll, runs the caregiver registry, and trains providers on timesheets and payroll. Call (866) 351-7722.
Where to go in San Diego County
San Diego County covers about 4,210 square miles of land, from the beach cities to the mountains and the Anza-Borrego desert, and has about 3.28 million residents. IHSS has six offices. You can mail your application to any of them or visit in person, and staff can print an application for you.
Six IHSS offices, coast to backcountry
You can apply by phone, email, fax, mail or in person. Every office can print an application for you.
- 3.28Mresidents (2025 est.)
- 4,210square miles of land
- 6IHSS offices
IHSS offices
- 1Oceanside3708 Ocean Ranch Blvd., Suite 320, Oceanside, CA 92056
- 2Escondido649 W. Mission Ave., Suite 5, Escondido, CA 92025
- 3Overland (Kearny Mesa)5560 Overland Ave., Suite 310, San Diego, CA 92123
- 4El Cajon389 N. Magnolia Ave., El Cajon, CA 92020
- 5Southeastern Live Well Center5101 Market St., Suite 2100, San Diego, CA 92114
- 6National City401 Mile of Cars Way, Suite 210, National City, CA 91950
Call the AIS call center at (800) 339-4661 before you visit. Most of the application can be handled by phone.
County outline from U.S. Census–derived boundary data. Office locations are placed approximately. Addresses from the County of San Diego and DDS, last verified November 2026.
Who can get IHSS
IHSS is for people who are 65 or older, blind, or have a disability, including children, and who can’t stay safely at home without help. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) sets four requirements for every applicant:
The four state requirements
- California residentYou live in California. To apply in San Diego County, you live in San Diego County.
- Medi-Cal eligibility determinationIHSS is a Medi-Cal program. The county checks your Medi-Cal eligibility as part of the application.
- You live at homeYour own home or a home of your choosing. Hospitals, nursing facilities and licensed care homes don't count.
- Health Care Certification (SOC 873)A licensed health care professional completes it. The county must have it before services are authorized.
Who it's for: people who are 65 or older, blind, or have a disability, including children, and who can't stay safely at home without help.
- You are a California resident.
- You have a Medi-Cal eligibility determination. San Diego County notes you must meet full-scope Medi-Cal requirements.
- You live in your own home or a home of your choosing. Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and licensed community care facilities don’t count.
- You submit a completed Health Care Certification form (SOC 873).
A licensed health care professional fills out the SOC 873. The county must receive it before it can authorize services.
The 45-day clock on your doctor's form
When the county asks for the SOC 873 Health Care Certification, you have 45 calendar days to return it. If your doctor needs more time, ask the county for a good-cause extension before the 45 days run out.
If the form or acceptable alternative documentation never arrives, the application is denied. If waiting would put you at risk of moving into a facility, the county can approve services temporarily while the form is pending.
Your doctor's office cannot charge you a fee to fill out IHSS eligibility forms (Health and Safety Code §123114).
How to apply for IHSS in San Diego County
You, or someone acting on your behalf, can apply in any of five ways. The application form is the SOC 295.
Five ways to apply, then four steps
- Phone(800) 339-4661Apply with call center staff.
- EmailAIS.295only.HHSA@
sdcounty.ca.gov For the SOC 295 application only. - Fax(619) 344-8077Fax the SOC 295.
- Mail or visitAny of the six IHSS officesStaff can print an application for you.
- Online referralHHSA web portalFor professionals such as hospital discharge planners.
What happens next
- 1Home visitAn IHSS worker visits to talk about your needs and living situation.
- 2Health care certificationA licensed health care professional completes the SOC 873 confirming your need for services.
- 3Notice of ActionThe county tells you in writing whether you qualify, for which services and hours, and any share of cost.
- 4Hire your providerYou choose and supervise your caregiver. Need help finding one? Call the Public Authority registry at (866) 351-7722.
- Phone: call (800) 339-4661 and apply with call center staff.
- Email: send the SOC 295 to AIS.295only.HHSA@sdcounty.ca.gov. This address is for the application only; send other forms to your social worker.
- Fax: fax the SOC 295 to (619) 344-8077.
- Mail or in person: use any of the six IHSS offices.
- Online referral: professionals, such as hospital discharge planners, can refer through the county’s HHSA web portal.
After you apply, an IHSS worker schedules a home visit to talk about your needs and living situation, and a licensed health care professional certifies your need for services. The county then sends a Notice of Action saying whether you qualify, for which services, and any share of cost.
Some people pay a share of cost
People who get SSI/SSP generally meet IHSS's financial rules. Others can still qualify but may have to pay part of the cost of their services each month. Your Notice of Action will say if you have a share of cost.
Applying for a child? Use the child's information on the application. A parent or someone else can apply on the child's behalf.
Becoming an IHSS provider in San Diego County
Everyone who wants to be paid as an IHSS provider, including family caregivers, starts with the San Diego IHSS Public Authority. Providers who want to be matched with new recipients can also join its registry.
How San Diego County IHSS pay works
Your hourly wage is built from two parts. When either part changes, your pay changes.
- $20.40Now
$16.90 + $3.50 - $20.90Jan 2027
$17.40 + $3.50 - $21.90Mar 2027
$17.40 + $4.50
January and March 2027 figures are IHSS Connect's arithmetic from the contract. Each step takes effect only after state approval. The contract runs through June 30, 2028.
Call the Public Authority at (866) 351-7722, check your pay stub, or see IHSS Connect's county pay table, updated each January.
- Attend a provider enrollment session.
- Show proof of employment, as the county requires.
- Complete the California Department of Justice background clearance.
- Set up your electronic timesheet account. San Diego County requires Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) for all IHSS recipients and providers.
Enrollment information and forms are on the Public Authority’s website, sdihsspa.com. For help, call (866) 351-7722.
What San Diego County IHSS providers earn
San Diego County doesn’t set one flat wage. Under its contract with United Domestic Workers (UDW/AFSCME Local 3930), a provider’s hourly wage is the state minimum wage plus a county supplement. The minimum wage changes every January, and the supplement changes on dates set in the contract, so pay can change more than once a year.
How San Diego County IHSS pay works
Your hourly wage is built from two parts. When either part changes, your pay changes.
- $20.40Now
$16.90 + $3.50 - $20.90Jan 2027
$17.40 + $3.50 - $21.90Mar 2027
$17.40 + $4.50
January and March 2027 figures are IHSS Connect's arithmetic from the contract. Each step takes effect only after state approval. The contract runs through June 30, 2028.
Call the Public Authority at (866) 351-7722, check your pay stub, or see IHSS Connect's county pay table, updated each January.
As of November 2026, providers earn $20.40 an hour: the $16.90 state minimum wage plus a $3.50 supplement that took effect in March 2026. When the minimum wage rises to $17.40 on January 1, 2027, that should become about $20.90. The contract raises the supplement to $4.50 no sooner than March 1, 2027, which would make about $21.90. The contract runs through June 30, 2028.
Every county raise must be approved by the state before it shows up in a paycheck.
Upcoming figures are calculated, and pay will change
The current $20.40 rate is confirmed by the county's contract and the union. The $20.90 and $21.90 figures for 2027 are IHSS Connect's arithmetic: the state minimum wage plus the supplement the contract schedules. They are not rates the county has published.
The minimum wage changes every January, and the current contract ends June 30, 2028. Confirm your rate with the Public Authority before you budget around it.
IHSS and your regional center: San Diego Regional Center
If you or your child has a developmental disability, San Diego County is served by San Diego Regional Center (SDRC), which also covers Imperial County. SDRC’s office is at 4355 Ruffin Road, Suite 200, in Kearny Mesa, and its main line is (858) 576-2996.
San Diego Regional Center
Serves people with developmental disabilities, and infants and toddlers who may need early help, across San Diego and Imperial counties.
San Diego CountyImperial County
Who it serves
People of all ages with developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism, that begin before age 18.
Age 3 and older
Call intake at (858) 576-2938, email intake@sdrc.org, or send SDRC's online Initial Contact Form.
Under age 3: Early Start
Call (858) 496-4318 or email Esint@sdrc.org. Eligibility must be decided within 45 days of your request.
- Intake form in
- English
- Spanish
- Farsi
- Arabic
- Vietnamese
- Tagalog
- Chinese
An SDRC family? IHSS Connect helps families in San Diego and Imperial counties find caregivers for IHSS, WPCS, respite and Self-Determination, at no cost.
IHSS Connect and San Diego Regional Center are separate organizations.Under the Lanterman Act, a developmental disability is one that begins before age 18, is expected to continue indefinitely, and is a substantial disability. To apply for someone age 3 or older, call SDRC intake at (858) 576-2938, email intake@sdrc.org, or send SDRC’s online Initial Contact Form, which is available in English, Spanish, Farsi, Arabic, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Chinese. For a child under 3, contact Early Start at (858) 496-4318 or Esint@sdrc.org; SDRC must decide eligibility within 45 days of the request.
IHSS, your regional center, and Self-Determination
By law, a regional center can't pay for a service that IHSS would cover if you meet IHSS criteria but choose not to apply (Welfare and Institutions Code §4659(c)). That's why your SDRC service coordinator may ask you to apply for IHSS.
IHSS and regional center services can be used together. If you're in the Self-Determination Program, you choose and hire your own staff, and you can use IHSS Connect to find them.
IHSS Connect has a dedicated page for SDRC families in San Diego and Imperial counties: IHSS Connect for SDRC families. IHSS Connect and San Diego Regional Center are separate organizations.
If you disagree with a decision
If the county denies your application, cuts your hours, or ends your services, you can ask a state judge to review it.
You have 90 days to ask for a state hearing
If the county denies IHSS, cuts your hours, or ends services, you can ask for a state hearing within 90 days of the notice (Welfare and Institutions Code §10951). Call the CDSS State Hearings Division at (800) 743-8525 (TDD 800-952-8349), file online, or use the form on the back of your Notice of Action.
If you ask before the change takes effect, ask whether your current services can continue until the hearing decision. This is called "aid paid pending."
You can also ask for a reassessment at any time if your needs change. You don’t have to wait for your yearly visit.
San Diego County IHSS contacts
Save these numbers.
Who to call in San Diego County
- AIS call center(800) 339-4661Apply for IHSS and other Aging & Independence Services.
- San Diego IHSS Public Authority(866) 351-7722Caregiver registry, provider enrollment, timesheet and payroll training.
- IHSS application fax(619) 344-8077Fax the SOC 295. Email: AIS.295only.HHSA@sdcounty.ca.gov.
- Adult Protective Services(800) 339-4661Report abuse or neglect of an older or dependent adult. In an emergency, call 911.
- San Diego Regional Center(858) 576-2996Intake age 3+: (858) 576-2938. Early Start: (858) 496-4318.
- IHSS Service Desk (state payroll)(866) 376-7066Timesheet, ESP, EVV and paycheck problems.
- AIS call center (apply for IHSS): (800) 339-4661.
- San Diego IHSS Public Authority: (866) 351-7722.
- IHSS application fax: (619) 344-8077; email AIS.295only.HHSA@sdcounty.ca.gov.
- Adult Protective Services: (800) 339-4661. In an emergency, call 911.
- San Diego Regional Center: (858) 576-2996; intake (858) 576-2938; Early Start (858) 496-4318.
- IHSS Service Desk (state payroll): (866) 376-7066.
Find a caregiver or IHSS work in San Diego County
Approval is only half of it. You still need a caregiver, and caregivers need families to work for. IHSS Connect is a free online registry where San Diego County families and caregivers can find each other by city, county, or ZIP code.
Families served by San Diego Regional Center can use IHSS Connect for care paid through IHSS, WPCS, respite, or Self-Determination. Hiring happens between you, and pay goes through the program that authorized the care, not through IHSS Connect. See IHSS Connect for SDRC families.
Find care, or find work, in San Diego County.
IHSS Connect is California's free online registry for families and caregivers. Search by city, county or ZIP code, from Oceanside to Chula Vista to the backcountry.
Browse caregivers near you, read their profiles, and message the ones who fit.
Find caregiversSee job posts from families near you and build a profile families can find.
Find caregiving jobs- Free for families and caregivers
- 17 languages
- Optional background check badge
Served by San Diego Regional Center? IHSS Connect works for IHSS, WPCS, respite and Self-Determination. See the SDRC page →
IHSS Connect helps you find each other. Hiring happens between you, and IHSS pay goes through the state's IHSS payroll, not through IHSS Connect. New here? See how it works.
Read more
More guides from IHSS Connect
- IHSS in San Francisco County: How to Apply, What Providers Earn, and How Golden Gate Regional Center Fits In
- IHSS in Orange County: How to Apply, How Provider Pay Works, and Where Regional Center of Orange County Fits In
- 2027 IHSS Raises by County: Every Increase We Can Confirm So Far
- IHSS in Alameda County: How to Apply, How Provider Pay Works, and Where Regional Center of the East Bay Fits In
- IHSS in Los Angeles County: How to Apply, What Providers Earn, and Which Regional Center Serves You
- IHSS in Fresno County: How to Apply, How to Become a Provider, and Where Central Valley Regional Center Fits In
Sources
Every figure in this article traces to one of these records. Each opens in a new tab.
- County of San Diego HHSA — In-Home Supportive ServicesApply by phone (800) 339-4661, email AIS.295only.HHSA@sdcounty.ca.gov, fax (619) 344-8077, mail or in person; six office addresses; online referrals for professionals; eligibility; SSI/SSP and share of cost; applying for a minor; EVV required.
- County of San Diego HHSA — IHSS ProvidersEnrollment session, proof of employment, DOJ background clearance; EVV required.
- County of San Diego HHSA — IHSS Public AuthorityPublic Authority (866) 351-7722; registry; enrollment help; timesheet and payroll training.
- County of San Diego HHSA — Adult Protective ServicesReport abuse at (800) 339-4661; 911 for emergencies; online LEAPS report for mandated reporters.
- County of San Diego — UDW IHSS & Public Authority MOA, 2026–2028Base wage = state minimum wage; supplement $3.50 (no sooner than March 1, 2026) and $4.50 (no sooner than March 1, 2027), each after state approval; term Jan. 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028.
- UDW — San Diego County IHSS workers win raises$19.40 (Jan. 1, 2026), $20.40 (March 1, 2026), $21.40 or $4.50 above minimum wage (March 1, 2027); approved Dec. 9, 2025.
- IHSS Connect — 2027 IHSS Raises by County$16.90 minimum wage in 2026; $17.40 on Jan. 1, 2027; IHSS Service Desk (866) 376-7066.
- San Diego Regional Center — ApplyIntake age 3+ (858) 576-2938 and intake@sdrc.org; Early Start (858) 496-4318 and Esint@sdrc.org, 45-day eligibility; online forms in seven languages; main line (858) 576-2996.
- California DDS — Regional Center Directory FY 2025–27SDRC at 4355 Ruffin Road, Suite 200; serves Imperial and San Diego counties.
- Welfare and Institutions Code §4512 (Justia, 2025)Definition of developmental disability.
- Welfare and Institutions Code §4659 (Justia, 2025)Regional centers may not buy services available from IHSS when a consumer meets the criteria but chooses not to pursue it.
- CDSS — In-Home Supportive Services ProgramState eligibility criteria; SOC 873 before authorization; recipient as employer; no fees for IHSS forms.
- CDSS — All County Letter 11-7645-day SOC 873 window; temporary authorization when waiting risks out-of-home placement.
- CDSS — All County Letter 16-78Good-cause extension of 45 more days.
- CDSS — State Hearing Requests90 days to request a state hearing; (800) 743-8525.
- DHCS Medi-Cal Rx — State Fair Hearing Request FormWelfare and Institutions Code §10951; TDD 800-952-8349.
- U.S. Census Bureau — QuickFacts, San Diego County3,282,248 residents (July 1, 2025 estimate); 4,210.23 square miles of land.
CDSS is the primary authority for statewide IHSS rules; the County of San Diego and its Public Authority are the authority for local offices and wages; DDS and the Lanterman Act govern regional centers. Where county guidance and the statute differ, the statute governs.
About this article
IHSS Connect publishes this article for general information and education. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. IHSS Connect is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the California Department of Social Services, San Diego County, the San Diego IHSS Public Authority, any regional center, or any union.
Program rules, wages, phone numbers, and office details change. Only San Diego County IHSS can decide what you are eligible for, and only the county and its Public Authority can confirm your pay rate.
If a decision on your case looks wrong, or you want advice about your own situation, talk to someone who can look at your file:
- Free and low-cost legal help: LawHelpCA.org
- CDSS State Hearings Division: (800) 743-8525
- CDSS Public Inquiry and Response: 1-800-952-5253
Phone numbers, office details and wage figures last verified November 2026. Pay rates change at least once a year.
