The City and County of San Francisco and FUSE are working together to strengthen how the Human Services Agency (SFHSA) prepares its workforce for fast-moving eligibility changes, including those driven by H.R. 1. CalFresh and Medi-Cal serve large numbers of low-income households, older adults, immigrants, and communities of color, and incorrect determinations can mean lost food assistance or gaps in health coverage. SFHSA already runs a six-month induction program for new eligibility workers and ongoing in-service training for veteran staff, and its instructional teams have started testing shorter series and multimodal tools. Still, the pace of change, uncertain implementation timelines, limited staffing, and a citywide hiring freeze make a more nimble, sustainable training model essential.
Beginning in November 2026, FUSE Executive Fellow Salena Boone will meet with San Francisco Benefits Net leadership, instructional teams, policy and operations staff, frontline supervisors, and technology partners, and will study how other counties and states are handling large-scale eligibility changes. Boone will then map the full training lifecycle, improve curriculum sequencing and clarity, and prototype tools like micro-learning modules, step-by-step guides, and enhanced learning management content, piloting them with selected staff cohorts. Boone will also assess new training technologies, issue a Request for Information to vendors as needed, and strengthen communication between policy experts and trainers. By April 2027, deliverables will include a training modernization plan, updated curriculum frameworks, piloted multimodal tools, a training effectiveness evaluation framework, and a continuous-learning sustainability plan, with Year Two expanding the work agencywide.
