CBS PUBLICATIONS

Practical, Comprehensive and Up-to-Date
Information on Benefit Programs

PBRC Manual | NYC: A Basic Guide to Services & Community
Training Workbooks | Consumer Benefit Brochures

PBRC Manual

The Third Edition of the PBRC Manual, revised, updated, and expanded, contains comprehensive information on over 70 government benefit programs and services including Public Assistance, Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps, SSI, Social Security retirement and disability insurance programs, Family Health Plus, fair hearings,  public housing, Section 8, eviction procedures, child care, and much more.

Programs are organized into 15 sections, Advocacy/Appeals, Child Care & Support, Crime Victim Services, Emergency Assistance Grants, Employment & Training, Food & Nutrition, Housing, Immigrant Services, Insurance Based Income Programs, Means Tested Income Programs, Medical Coverage, Tax Credits, Transportation, Utilities, and Veterans Services. The text covers an explanation of benefits, eligibility criteria, application and recertification procedures, advocacy tips, local offices, web sites, and much more.

• Print Version
  Price:  $125 (discount for 10 or more), 1,000 pages, 2 volumes.  The PBRC Manual comes in two 2 1/2 inch binders, shipping costs included. Also included are the quarterly updates which will be shipped through out calendar year of purchase, by subscription thereafter.

• Online Version
  Price: Cost is pro-rated as follows, orders placed:
  January - March            $125.00
  April - June                   $100.00
  July - September           $75.00
  October - December     $50.00
  
  Quarterly updates free through calendar year of purchase, by subscription thereafter.
  
  Sign up for a FREE trial for one month http://pbrcmanual.cssny.org/ and/or use the FREE Food Stamp calculator any time at http://pbrcmanual.cssny.org/foodstampcal.htm

• Print and Online Versions
  Price: Cost is pro-rated as follows, orders placed:
  January - June               $200.00
  July - December            $175.00
  
  Quarterly updates free through calendar year of purchase, by subscription thereafter.

• Bulk Purchase Rates
  For agencies purchasing the Online Manual for multiple users, the following rates apply:
  
  
  • Flat Rate:  $200 for up to five staff members.
    Each additional staff:  $25 for up 20 staff. 
    ($200 + $375 = $575)
  • Agencies with 21 – 50 staff: $600 flat rate.
    Each additional staff person thereafter: $10.

For questions regarding subscription rates, please contact CBS at 212-614-5497.

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New York City: A Basic Guide to Services and Community Resources

Rebecca Haase, Editor; Elena Selioukova, Project Director. Fifth Edition. $25

Designed to provide quick-and-easy access to essential services and resources, this new and improved Fifth Edition is the first places to turn to for basic information on over 750 organizations and services in New York City. Organized by 75 different service categories, it includes an agency's services, street address, phone and fax numbers, e-mail and web address. Service categories include Child Care, Employment & Training, Housing Resources, Immigration Services, Legal Services, Mental Health, and many more.

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Training Workbooks

$10 for each. All 14 training workbooks for $130, or see PBRC Manual above instead.

Individuals who are unable to attend a CBS workshop can purchase the workbooks that accompany each training. Workbooks cover eligibility criteria, application procedures, and how to help clients as they encounter problems with the system, listings of local government offices and valuable resources, case examples and answers, practice tips, samples of pertinent government agency notices, a glossary and more.

Below is a list of workbooks available for purchase and a brief description.

1. Overview of the Government Benefit System
   Designed for the social service provider new to the complex world of public benefits, this workbook reviews the distinction between needs-based and insurance-based benefits, discusses key concepts such as income, resources, work history, category, and immigration status requirements, and introduces eight major benefit programs including Public Assistance, Medicaid, SSI, and Social Security benefits.  Case examples and practical advocacy tips are included. 
2. Basic Medicaid
   Learn the fundamentals of the Community Medicaid Program. You will learn Medicaid’s eligibility rules and will be able to identify the Medicaid categories which are key to eligibility, identify various avenues to apply for Medicaid in the community, and how to maintain ongoing eligibility. Also included are strategies and techniques to navigate the Medicaid system in order to advocate effectively when clients experience common challenges with the Medicaid system.
3. Medicaid’s Spenddown Program
   If you have difficulty helping your clients access Medicaid’s spenddown program (also known as the Excess Income Program), this workbook will help you.  All aspects of the spenddown program will be reviewed, including who is eligible, how to figure out the spenddown amount, the difference between the medical bills system and the pay-in program, how to get hospital services through the spenddown program, and more.
4. New York State Health Programs (Medicaid, Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus)
   There are three different public health insurance programs for low-income families and individuals in NYS.  This newly revised workbook was designed to teach you the differences between the three programs, and explain how they interact with each other as well as other health benefit programs. Included are the description of benefits and eligibility criteria, the application process and the managed care enrollment procedures for each health program.  Also included are strategies and techniques you can use to advocate effectively when your clients experience common challenges.  You will receive recently developed tools and resources for interpreting the various health programs rules and guidelines.
5. Medicaid Buy-In
   With the implementation of New York's Medicaid Buy-In, individuals with disabilities have an unprecedented opportunity to participate in the workforce, accumulate savings and support him/herself.   Many disabled individuals are unable to obtain health insurance in the private sector that provides the services and supports enabling them to live independently and enter or remain in the workforce.  Learn about the two eligibility groups: Basic and Medical Improvement, how the program works and the application procedures for this public health program. 
6. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
   To be an effective advocate it is important to understand the distinction between SSI and SSDI. This workbook highlights the differences between the two programs and teach advocates how the programs interact with each other.  You will gain insight into the eligibility criteria for both SSI and SSDI, understand the ongoing requirements for maintaining the benefits and learn the type of health insurance recipients receive with each benefit. Included are newly developed resources advocates can use when assisting clients through the application process.
7. Transition to Work Provisions for SSI and SSDI Recipients
   Many individuals want to work but are unsure how earnings will affect their SSI or SSDI benefit.  You will learn how an SSI or SSDI recipient’s benefit will be affected when making the transition to work, including how to determine break-even points for SSI earnings, what happens when an SSDI recipient enters and ends a trial work period, and what an extended period of eligibility is.  We will also cover how earnings impact Medicaid and Medicare, and more. 
8. Public Assistance (Basic)
   Learn the basics of the Public Assistance (PA) program including how the PA grant is structured, how the benefit amounts are calculated, and how they are issued. Learn how to prepare your clients for the application process and the on-going reporting requirements needed to maintain PA benefits. This newly revised Public Assistance workbook was designed to provide strategies and techniques the social service provider can use to advocate effectively when clients experience common challenges in the PA system. Also included are comprehensive tools and resources to help assess and understand public assistance rules and guidelines.
9. Rules for Complex Public Assistance Households
   Client cases are often complicated when households are not the typical single parent with a minor child.  Learn about mandatory filing units and recent changes in who must be included in the filing unit.  Learn how to budget income for households with SSI members, three-generation households, and relative caretaker/stepparents caring for minor children.  This workbook will also cover minors' eligibility for benefits and practical solutions for the advocate.  Knowledge of basic PA eligibility is required.
10. Public Assistance Transitional Benefits
    As Public Assistance families find paid employment, they may no longer be eligible for cash benefits.  However, certain programs, such as transitional Medicaid, child care and Food Stamps may still be available to them.  Eligibility for these transitional benefits will be covered, including how to advocate when recipients are terminated inappropriately from PA and denied these benefits.  We will also review eligibility for other programs once transitional benefits end.
11. Food Stamps (Basic)
    Food Stamp rules are often misunderstood, resulting in entitled households losing out on benefits.  This workbook will focus on determining eligibility for Food Stamps and doing an actual Food Stamp budget.  We will review Food Stamps’ gross and net income tests to determine eligibility, including special deductions and budgeting considerations for the elderly and disabled.  Also covered are Food Stamps’ complex immigrant eligibility rules, time limits, and work requirements. 
12. Advanced Food Stamp Budgeting
    Once basic Food Stamp eligibility is understood, the advocate must know the nuances of the Food Stamp budgeting process.  This workbook focuses on budgeting for various household circumstances and how to determine the correct benefit amount.  You will learn about special budgeting procedures for households with elderly, disabled, immigrant, and the homeless and how to best assist these clients.  Also covered are retroactive Food Stamps when accepted for SSI benefits and budgeting when in receipt of a housing subsidy such as FEPS or Work Advantage.
13. Immigrants’ Eligibility for Public Benefits
    Immigrants face additional challenges when trying to access benefits.  Under welfare reform, immigrants’ eligibility for benefits is often restricted to those who are “qualified aliens.”  Knowing who is a qualified alien is fundamental to understanding immigrants’ eligibility for many government programs such as Food Stamps, SSI, Medicaid, and Public Assistance. This workbook will cover these topics, as well as rules surrounding sponsor deeming, issues of public charge, and reporting requirements. 
14. Informal Advocacy for Welfare Advocates
    Knowing how public benefits work is the first step in advocacy. Take the next step and learn how to ensure your clients receive the benefits they are entitled to. Learn how to assess a client’s situation by gathering the right information, developing a time-line and determining the best plan of action. Learn how to resolve some common problems: improper notification, missed appointment, lost documentation, etc.  The workbook will also introduce several welfare lawsuits to help in effectively advocating for your clients. Included are helpful resources, agency contacts, and a brief description of the fair hearing process.

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Consumer Benefit Brochures

Download and reprint consumer benefit brochures for free.