Social Services

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:  New York conversion of the EBT system through which Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance (TA) cash benefits are issued will occur on Sunday, May 19, 2024.  During the conversion process, EBT access for food and cash purchases or cash withdrawals will not be available to TA and SNAP cardholders for a period of time. This EBT downtime is expected to begin around 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, May 19, 2024, and end at 11:00 a.m. However, the time frame for the system to be down could be shorter or extend longer than 11:00 a.m. 

After the conversion, current EBT cards will continue to work and there is no need for clients to replace their card. There will be no impact on cardholders’ ability to access medical (Medicaid) benefits. 

Effective June 9, 2020 a free mobile device application, called NYDocSubmit, will be available for Rensselaer County residents to submit required documents as part of the public assistance application process. NYDocSubmit will allow individuals who have applied for or are receiving benefits to submit documentation to Rensselaer County Department of Social Services (DSS) by taking photos of documents and uploading them to Rensselaer County DSS. The mobile application is available now for download on Google Play™ or the Apple App Store™ and beginning June 9, 2020 it can be used to upload documents to Rensselaer County DSS.

View the NYDocSubmit Quick Reference Card (PDF) to learn more.

Burials

Financial assistance is available for the burial of indigent individuals. For more information on burial assistance, call 518-266-7970.

Employment

The Project HIRE Unit provides employment services to individuals on assistance. Referrals are made to employers, vocational centers, BOCES and EOC. Caseworkers assess individuals' needs and make referrals for employment or for training when the individual is not employment ready. For more information on the Project HIRE Unit, call 518-266-7840.

The Rensselaer County proposed bi-annual Employment Plan is available upon request to review.

Location Based Services

The Department of Social Services offers a wide range of services in two locations:

The Rensselaer County Office Building at 1600 7th Ave in Troy provides financial assistance such as Temporary Assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid and the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). This building also houses the Adult Protective unit, the Child Support Enforcement and Collection unit, Home Care unit, and the Fraud/Investigative unit.

The Administration Building at 127 Bloomingrove Drive in Troy provides an array of casework services including child protective, foster care and adoption services. The Accounting unit and Juvenile/Persons in Need of Supervision (JD/PINS) unit are at this location as well.