LOS ANGELES COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH
  POLICY 200.07 Social Security Benefit Representative Payee
 
  PROCEDURES
  1. Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) employees shall work with clients to determine if the representative payee service is necessary.
     
  2. If a representative payee service is required, DMH employees shall assist clients by contacting the Social Security’s Representative Payment Program.
     
    1. DMH employees shall assist clients in need of money/benefit management by calling SSA at 1-800-772-1213 for the local SSA offices or visiting the SSA website.
       
  3. When selecting a representative payee, the SSA first considers clients’ family or friends to serve as representative payees. For clients whose traditional networks of support do not exist, the SSA will defer to state, local, or community resources to fill the need.