Think of the CalSAWS Project as first-class Travel Agency, responsible for arranging the itinerary for all 58 counties to travel successfully to CalSAWS. Los Angeles, the first county to arrive, planted their flag in CalSAWS at the end of 2020, and the 39 C-IV counties will complete their journey and arrive all together in CalSAWS in just over a month at the end of September. The 18 CalWIN counties have been quietly making preparations and monitoring the progress of the travelers before them, while the Travel Agency has been tailoring an itinerary to address our specific travel needs.
We invite you now to stop by Santa Barbara County’s CalSAWS
Visitor’s Bureau to meet the Communication Team who will keep you apprised of
upcoming points of interest and introduce you to various tour guides along our “Highway
58” journey towards CalSAWS.
As travelers assisting travelers, we will take you on a CalSAWS journey to give you the knowledge you need to arrive at our final destination/migration CalSAWS 2023!
Lina Bickel
I’m Lina Bickel, your CalSAWS Project Manager. I’ve
been excited about CalSAWS since I first heard that all California counties
would be connected through one automated system, and waved my hand wildly (pick
me!) for the opportunity to lead our team. I’m bringing 29 years of
varied experience to this project and placing high emphasis on communication
strategies and providing learning opportunities. As we head towards our
go-live in 2023, we are bringing “everybody in” for an exciting journey of
change, integration, technological efficiencies, and connection.
Dalet Alvarado
My name is Dalet Alvarado, and what I bring to the CalSAWS Project Team, besides enthusiasm for CalSAWS in 2023, is 14 years of experience working with all programs and working with C-IV, which resembles CalSAWS. I’m excited for this new adventure that will facilitate the way we do business, and I’m positive you will appreciate it as well.
Dennis Tivey
Hi! I'm Dennis Tivey. I'm a DBS, and your communication/outreach coordinator here at DSS. My background includes journalism, marketing, and training. In fact, I've trained people all around California on CalWIN, C-IV, document imaging, and other systems. I think you'll be very pleased with CalSAWS, the great new eligibility system for all 58 counties. We're excited to share the journey to implementation with you. The tour bus is coming...everybody in!
Benita Ibarra
My name is Benita “Benny” Ibarra, Staff Development Coordinator. I have been with the DSS for 24 years and 22 of those specifically with Staff Development. Training is in my blood and my passion. I am so excited to be involved with the CalSAWS project. I was heavily involved in the training and application of CalWIN back in 2006. I know what it takes for our County to get it done and be successful which we will be. The power of 58 starts with County 42!
Felipe Fuentes
My name is Felipe Fuentes, Media Production Specialist with Staff Development. I bring 14 years of county experience, 11 of which have been spent training with Staff Development. I also bring a host of skills and experience in creating videos, logos and graphics. I’m excited to be a part of the communication team that will be responsible for getting much needed CalSAWS information out to our busy DSS staff members.
Leopoldo Perez
I’m Leo Perez, part of the CalSAWS core team, and one of
your tour guides on the journey to CalSAWS! I can’t wait to show you all the
sights, and functions, that CalSAWS has to offer. With seven years of
experience working both MediCal and CalFresh in both intake and ongoing
capacities, I can tell you that CalSAWS is definitely something to be excited
about. Our new system has the potential to make our job of serving the
community so much easier. That said, let’s get going. All aboard!
Viridiana Cervantes