A Victory for FSS Workers: CalWORKs Case Management Will Come Back In-House

Dear OCEA member,

After nearly a decade of persistent advocacy, OCEA has achieved a significant victory for County workers and the communities they serve. Earlier this year, the Orange County Board of Supervisors directed staff to bring the CalWORKs case management work, currently performed by Maximus US Services, back in-house.

This decision marks the end of nearly 30 years of outsourcing your work, which began in the mid-1990s. While the Board approved a one-year extension of the Maximus contract to allow for transition time, the directive is clear: County workers will soon provide these essential services directly, adding approximately 60 full-time positions to the OCEA-represented frontline workforce.

Years ago, OCEA began to question whether the County was truly receiving good value from the Maximus contract. In 2018, we requested an audit to examine the contract's effectiveness, as there were significant concerns about ambiguous invoicing and difficulty reconciling the number of contracted staff with actual bodies in each facility. The political climate at that time made even discussing Maximus difficult. In 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved another contract extension, but it also directed SSA staff to perform an internal performance audit. SSA’s audit revealed County workers were approximately 10% more effective than Maximus contractors regarding the statutorily mandated outcomes in the contract.

While the contractors were cheaper, the question ultimately came down to a policy choice: efficiency/effectiveness or cost savings? Click here to access the 2023 performance audit.

It wasn't until a pro-worker majority was elected to the Board in recent years that we gained the traction needed to properly analyze this contract. The Board ultimately chose efficiency and quality of service over simply cutting costs—a significant shift in priorities that reflects years of advocacy work!

This transition means greater job security for our members, especially in uncertain economic times. During the Great Recession, the County laid off OCEA-represented social workers while Maximus contractors were retained. By bringing this work back in-house—especially with the possibility of an economic downturn looming—we are strengthening our position and ensuring vital public services remain in the hands of dedicated public servants.

This victory demonstrates what we can accomplish when we are determined and strategic. Thank you to all involved whose hard work and dedication made this possible!

In Solidarity,

Team OCEA

Publication Date: May 12, 2025