Missouri DSS Nondiscrimination Policy Statement
The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and equal access to services. Accordingly, DSS employees, applicants for employment, and contractors are treated equitably regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or veteran status.
All DSS contracts and vendor agreements shall contain nondiscrimination clauses as mandated by the Governor’s Executive Order 94-3, Article XIII. Such clauses shall also contain assurances of compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended and other pertinent civil rights laws and regulations.
DSS applicants for, or recipients of, services from DSS are treated equitably regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or veteran status. Appropriate interpretive services will be provided as required for the visually or hearing impaired and for persons with language barriers. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity of the Department of Social Services should notify DSS as soon as possible. To request an accommodation: visit your local DSS office, contact DSS by phone, TDD/TTY: (800) 735-2966; Relay Missouri 711; or contact the DSS ADA Coordinator and Office for Civil Rights Director Anna Wise by phone at (800) 776-8014 or via email at HRC.OCR@dss.mo.gov. DSS will provide reasonable accommodations as required by law.
Applicants for, or recipients, of services from DSS who believe they have been denied a service or benefit may file a complaint by contacting either their DSS local office or the Missouri DSS Office for Civil Rights at (800) 776-8014; or TDD/TYY: (800)735-2966, Relay Missouri: 711. Complaints may also be filed by submitting a completed DSS Client/Applicant Complaint of Discrimination form by mail to the Missouri DSS Office for Civil Rights, P. O. Box 1527, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1527 or via email at HRC.OCR@dss.mo.gov. Persons may also, at any time, file a SNAP program discrimination complaint with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
For your convenience, the Family Support Division customer service number is 855-FSD-INFO (855-373-4636).
In accordance with federal civil rights laws and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Programs that receive federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and programs HHS directly operates are also prohibited from discrimination under federal civil rights laws and HHS regulations.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS INVOLVING USDA PROGRAMS
USDA provides federal financial assistance for many food security and hunger reduction programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and others. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
- mail: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
1320 Braddock Place, Room 334, Alexandria, VA 22314; or - fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
- phone: (833) 620-1071; or
- email: FNSCIVILRIGHTSCOMPLAINTS@usda.gov.
For any other information regarding SNAP issues, persons should either contact the USDA SNAP hotline number at (800) 221-5689, which is also in Spanish, or call the state information/hotline numbers (click the link for a listing of hotline numbers by state); found online at: SNAP hotline.
CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS INVOLVING HHS PROGRAMS
HHS provides federal financial assistance for many programs to enhance health and well-being, including TANF, Head Start, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and others. If you believe that you have been discriminated against because of your race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), or religion in programs or activities that HHS directly operates or to which HHS provides feder fice for Civil Rights (OCR) for yourself or for someone else.
To file a complaint of discrimination for yourself or someone else regarding a program receiving federal financial assistance through HHS, complete the form on line through OCR’s Complaint Portal at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/. You may also contact OCR via mail at: Centralized Case Management Operations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 509F HHH Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20201; fax: (202) 619-3818; or email: For faster processing, we encourage you to use the OCR online portal to file complaints rather than filing via mail. Persons who need assistance with filing a civil rights complaint can email OCR at OCRMail@hhs.gov or call OCR toll-free at 1-800-368- 1019, TDD 1-800-537-7697. For persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech difficulties, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. We also provide alternative formats (such as Braille and large print), auxiliary aids and language assistance services free of charge for filing a complaint.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
In regard to victim’s assistance grants, in accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) civil rights regulations and policies, the Missouri DSS, DSS’ employees, and subrecipients administrating DOJ funding are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, and age, or retaliating for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by DOJ. If you believe you have been discriminated by DSS or its’ subrecipients, you may file a complaint by contacting the Missouri DSS Office for Civil Rights at (800) 776- 8014; or (866) 735-2460 (Voice); (800) 735-2966 (Text) or in writing to: Missouri DSS Office for Civil Rights, P. O. Box 1527, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1527. You may also file a complaint by writing to: Office for Civil Rights; Office of Justice Programs; U.S. Department of Justice; 810 Seventh Street N.W.; Washington, DC 20531 or https://ojp.gov/about/ocr/complaint.htm.
INTERPRETATIVE SERVICES
Español – AVISO: Si usted habla español, hay servicios de asistencia de idioma disponibles para usted, sin costo alguno.
中文 – 如果您讲中文，我们将免费为您提供语言协助服务
Tiếng Việt – CHÚ Ý: Nếu quý vị nói tiếng Việt, dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ, miễn phí, có sẵn cho quý vị.
Hrvatski – PAŽNJA: Ako govorite hrvatski, usluge govorne pomoći, bez ikakvih troškova su vam dostupne.
Srpski – PAŽNJA: Ako govorite srpski jezik, biće vam dostupna usluga pomoći za jezik bez ikakve nadoknade.
Српски – ПАЖЊА: Ако говорите српски језик, биће вам доступна услуга помоћи за језик без икакве надокнаде.
Deutsch – ACHTUNG: Wenn Sie Deutsch sprechen, stehen Ihnen Sprachassistenzdienste kostenlos zur Verfügung.
ﻋﺮﺑﻲ – ﺗﻨﺒﯿﮫ: إذا ﻛﻨﺖ ﺗﺘﺤﺪث اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ، ﻓﺴﻮف ﺗﺘﻮﻓﺮ ﻟﻚ ﺧﺪﻣﺎت ﻣﺴﺎﻋﺪة اﻟﻠﻐﺔ، ﺑﺪون ﺗﻜﻠﻔﺔ.
한국어 – 주의: 한국어가 모국어인 경우, 무료로 언어 지원 서비스를 이용하실 수 있습니다.
Russian – ВНИМАНИЕ: Если вы говорите по-русски, вам будет предоставлена бесплатная помощь переводчика.
Français – ATTENTION: si vous parlez français, des services d’aide linguistique vous sont offerts, sans frais.
Tagalog – PAUNAWA: Kung nagsasalita ka ng Tagalog, maaari kang gumamit ng mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika nang walang bayad.
Nederlands – AANDACHT: Als u Nederlands spreekt, kunt u gratis gebruikmaken van de taalhulpverlening.
ﻓﺎرﺳﯽ – ﺗﻮﺟﮫ: اﮔﺮ ﺑﮫ زﺑﺎن ﻓﺎرﺳﯽ ﺻﺤﺒﺖ ﻣﯽﮐﻨﯿﺪ، ﺧﺪﻣﺎت ﮐﻤﮏھﺎی زﺑﺎﻧﯽ راﯾﮕﺎن ﺑﺮای ﺷﻤﺎ ﻣﻮﺟﻮد اﺳﺖ. ﺑﺮای ﺷﻤﺎ ﻣﻮﺟﻮد اﺳﺖ.
Afaan Oromoo – XIYYEEFFANNOO: Afaan Oromoo dandeessa yoo ta'e, tajaajilliwwan gargaarsa afaanii, baasii tokko malee, siif ni jiru.
Português – ATENÇÃO: Se você fala português, estão disponíveis serviços de assistência linguística para você, sem custo.
አማርኛ -ማሳሰቢያ፦ አማርኛ የሚናገሩ ከሆነ፣ ያለምንም ወጪ የቋንቋ እገዛ አገልግሎቶች ለእርስዎ ይገኛል።
This policy shall be posted in a conspicuous place, accessible to all applicants for services, clients, employees, and applicants for employment, in all divisions, institutions and offices governed by DSS.