DSS: MADISON COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES
Madison County Department of Social Services
540-948-5521 FAX: 540-948-3762
101 S. Main Street, PO Box 176, Madison, VA 22727
Madison County Department of Social Services
(MCDSS) provides a wide variety of benefits and
services. Benefits include Medicaid and SNAP
(formerly known as food stamps) Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), daycare
assistance, energy assistance and emergency
assistance. Services include protective services to
vulnerable adults and children, preventative services
to families with children and vulnerable adults and
employment services.
Application for benefits is made on-line at
https://commonhelp.virginia.gov or the Madison office.
Eligibility determination is expedited when application
is made on-line. If you wish to apply at the office, it is
recommended that you call first. To qualify for benefit
programs and services, you will be asked to verify
such matters as residency, income and expenses,
resources such as bank accounts, insurance, motor
vehicles owned, etc. Hours: Monday through Friday,
8:15am – 4:45pm. Please call to schedule. To report
suspected abuse or neglect of a child under the age of
18, call 1 800 552 7096 any time or the office 540-9485521 during office hours. T o report suspected abuse
or neglect of a vulnerable adult (aged or with
disabilities), call 1 888 832 3858 or the office 540-9485521 during office hours.
Benefits:
Medicaid has several medical assistance programs
that pay for health care visits for children and certain
adults who are unable to pay for needed services.
Covered individuals may be children, pregnancy
women, and people with disabilities or elderly
individuals. This is known as categorical eligibility.
There are special provisions and several types of
coverage for which you may qualify depending on your
income, family size and circumstances. Individuals
with severe mental illness may apply for Medicaid
through Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services
at 540 825 3100 as there are specific screening
processes for “GAP” coverage. Call 1 855 635 4370
for more information. Screening for financial eligibility
may include an assessment of both income and
resources depending on which of the many Medicaid
programs for which you may qualify.
Medicaid for Long-Term Care
LTC Medicaid covers long-term care in a communi9tybased setting for individuals whose mental or physical
condition requires nursing supervision and assistance
with activities of daily living. Medicaid requires nursing
supervision and assistance with activities of daily
living. Medicaid requires both a functional and
financial screening process prior to paying for longterm care services. A preadmission screening is
required prior to admission to a nursing facility or
waiver service if Medicaid is expected to provide
payment. You may call Social Services to request a
long-term care screening. Ask for Adult Services. To
apply for Medicaid, go on-line to https://
commmonhelp.Virginia.gov, call 1 855 635 4370, or
call the Madison office. No interview is required but
you will receive assistance in completing an
application if you call the toll free number 1 855 635
4370.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
TANF provides temporary financial assistance for
eligible families with minor children in the home, who
are financially needy and meet other requirements as
well. An interview is required. TANF payments
depend on the size of the family; a family may qualify
while receiving income from other sources. Applicants
must cooperate in naming the parents of all eligible
children and help establish paternity. Some
individuals qualify for TANF may be required to
participate in VIEW, the Virginia Initiative for
Employment not Welfare. VIEW participants can earn
an income in addition to their TANF benefits but the
total income may not exceed the federal poverty leve3l
for their family size. To apply for TANF go on-line to
https://commonhelp.virginia.gov or call the Madison
office.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program) helps
families buy nutritious food and seeds or plants to
grow food. The benefits are distributed to families
electronically. To apply for SNAP, go on-line at https://
commonhelp.virginia.gov or call the Madison office.
Energy Assistance Programs
This program has three parts: fuel assistance, cooling
assistance and crisis assistance. Each has different
application dates: fuel assistance from the second
Tuesday in October through the second Friday in
November; crisis assistance (for energy-related
emergencies) from November 1 through March 15;
cooling assistance from June 15 through August 15.
In addition, the department can help residents access
energy assistance programs operated by utility
companies. To apply for energy assistance, go on-line
at https://commonhelp.virginia.gov or call the Madison
office.
Child Care Assistance Program
This program provides funding to enhance the quality,
affordability, and supply of childcare available to
Virginia’s families. To qualify, you must be a resident
of Madison County and fall within the income
guidelines, and must be working or attending school
on a full-time basis. Program goals include providing
low-income families with the financial resources to find
and afford quality child care for their children, providing
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