Rural Strategic Engagement Program

The Rural Strategic Engagement Program (RSEP) brings state protections and assistance directly to farmworkers.

California’s farmworkers are the backbone of our agricultural industry, yet they face unique challenges that often disconnect them from state services and protections. The tragic events in Half Moon Bay in 2023 underscored this issue and in response, the Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA), in collaboration with the Employment Development Department (EDD), the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB), and the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) – including Cal/OSHA, the Division of Workers’ Compensation, and the Labor Commissioner’s Office launched the Rural Strategic Engagement Program (RSEP).

Through RSEP, California is improving how the state serves farmworkers by making resources and services more responsive, easier to access, and clearer to navigate.

Key Approaches

One-Stop Clinics

Many farmworkers live and work in remote areas. RSEP’s one-stop shop clinics bring state departments directly to farmworker communities, offering a centralized location for essential services and assistance.

  • Convenient access: Clinics are hosted in-person in rural farm areas where farmworkers work and live.
  • Co-Hosted with trusted partners: We collaborate with local community organizations that farmworkers know and trust.
  • Simplified support: Whether workers have questions about working conditions, wages, or other labor rights, our coordinated approach connects them to the right support.

Culturally Responsive Support

We understand that past experiences, language barriers, or fear of retaliation can make farmworkers hesitant to engage. RSEP is committed to providing meaningful support that is:

  • People-centered and reliable: Providing real human assistance to ensure understanding and proper guidance that workers can trust.
  • Culturally understanding: Our staff receive specialized training to better understand cultural contexts, communicate effectively, and better connect with workers.

 

Connected and Collaborative

RSEP is a testament to collaboration in action. The EDD, DIR (Cal/OSHA, Labor Commissioner’s Office, Division of Workers’ Compensation), ALRB, and LWDA are working in alignment. This means:

  • Coordinated outreach: Ensuring people receive consistent information no matter which department you engage with.
  • Reducing redundant steps: Our teams are sharing referrals & data to connect workers to the right assistance.
  • Strengthening enforcement: Coordinating efforts enhances our ability to address concerns thoroughly and more efficiently.

Accountability and Results

Our goal is to ensure concerns are heard and resolved effectively. RSEP is working to:

  • Improve case tracking: Strengthening how departments manage and share information so issues are addressed from start to finish.
  • Empower outreach staff: Training our teams to help farmworkers gather all necessary information for complete claims, allowing investigators to process them faster.
  • Clear communication: Keeping people informed and supported throughout the process.

Program Highlights

Clinics Hosted

Farmworkers Served

Staff Trained

Since September 2025:

RSEP has successfully hosted numerous clinics, connecting hundreds of workers with vital assistance and information. 

 

RSEP established partnerships with seven community-based organizations and two legal service providers that are instrumental in outreach, coordination, interpretation, and on-the-ground support to ensure clinics are accessible and responsive to local community needs.

Hundreds of staff have received critical training in cultural competency and specialized topics.

  • Cultural competency: In-person and regional trainings focus on understanding Indigenous farmworker communities and best engagement practices, in partnership with UCLA Labor Center and local organizations.
  • Specialized topics: Training covers the H-2A program, wage & hour protections, popular education models, and upcoming sessions on trauma-informed interviewing, health/safety, and communication strategies.

Community Partners

Map of California that shows where clinics have been hosted and with which partner/CBO organization. Delano (CVEA) ; Hanford (Valley Voices) ; Salinas (CBDIO) ; Santa Maria (MICOP) ; Yolo/Colusa (Lideres Campesinas) ; Thermal (ICUC) ; Paso Robles (MICOP)

Organization Counties Served Legal Service Provider
Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Oaxaqueño (CBDIO) Monterey California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA)
Valley Voices Kings, Fresno
Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) Riverside, Imperial
Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo
TODEC Legal Center Riverside
Central Valley Empowerment Alliance (CVEA) Kern, Tulare Step Forward Foundation
Lideres Campesinas Yolo, Colusa