Community Service Society's Center for Benefits and Services

The mission of the Community Service Society (CSS) is to identify problems which create a permanent poverty class in New York City, and to advocate the systemic changes required to eliminate such problems. CSS works to promote opportunities for poor families and individuals to contribute to society, to realize economic and political opportunities.

About the Center for Benefits and Services (CBS)

The Center for Benefits and Services (CBS) provides comprehensive information about government benefit programs and technical assistance to social service professionals. Through its technical assistance component, the Center engages social service professionals in its series of in-depth trainings offered year-round as well as providing individualized consultation services. Additionally, the Center publishes Benefits Plus, a premier manual, providing information and resources on federal, NYS, and NYC public benefit programs. This manual contains information about important benefits such as Cash Assistance, Food Stamps, SSI, Medicaid, Child Care, Unemployment Insurance, Public Housing, and more. This user friendly manual is a “one-stop” benefits center for social service professionals working with the low-income, the elderly and the disabled. Through its client services component, the Center collaborates with several nonprofit organizations to provide individual client services through one-on-one case management including advocacy around housing, health insurance navigation and financial assistance for those families facing a crisis and for which government assistance is not available.