RSS PROPOSAL ORR REQUIREMENTS 8.13.2024-COMPRESSED-PART-4.pdf

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ORR-6

ANNUAL SERVICE PLAN INSTRUCTIONS

General Overview

I. Submission

In order to receive Refugee Support Services (RSS) grant funding, states and Replacement Designees must submit an Annual Services Plan (ASP) in accordance with 45 CFR § 400.11(b)(2).

The ASP is due November 30 for the current Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) and is must be submitted via the online Refugee Arrival Data System (RADS). Please Note: A state/grantee’s funding for RSS services will be contingent upon the submittal and approval of its ASP.

II. Content

The information required to be reported includes the following:

• previous year participants (ORR-eligible populations),

• the ORR grant for each category of services (categorized by RSS base or RSS set-asides, including RSS and RSS set-aside services funded by the Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 and the Additional Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (hereinafter “ASA”), and Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (hereinafter “AUSAA”)),

• the amount contracted for service provision only,

• the target number of program participants for each service based on their time in the U.S.,

• the type of agency providing the services, and

• the percentage of funding to each type of agency for each category of service.

Data included in this report will reflect two different time periods: the previous fiscal year participants and current fiscal year projections. This will be described in more detail in the relevant sections below.

III. Purpose and Use

ORR reviews the information for planning purposes and to see the extent to which funds are allocated to serve the newly arrived refugees (in the U.S. less than 12 months) who have priority for services based on 45 CFR § 400.147. Subsequent program information will be reviewed and compared to the ASP.

IV. Data Elements

Item Data Elements Instructions

1. State/Grantee Enter the name of the state or grantee that is providing the data.

States that operate county or locally-administered programs must submit a separate ASP for each local jurisdiction receiving ORR funds from the RSS program. These states must also submit a consolidated ASP for the state.

2. Fiscal Year Enter the Federal Fiscal Year for which the ASP is being submitted. Due to differences in state contracting cycles, ORR does not specify that the contract period coincide with the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY).

Instead, this information is to reflect each state's 12-month period of services under contract effective at the beginning of a FFY, October 1, regardless of when that period begins and ends.

Contract modifications occurring after November 30 that change the amount of funding or number of program participants targeted for priority services must be reported to ORR as a revised ASP or in the Schedule A: Program Narrative of the subsequent ORR-6 Performance Report.

3. Date Enter the date that the report is completed.

4. Previous FFY

Report (Program Participants)

In this section, report the number of program participants by service type as provided in the previous FFY (October 1 – September 30) through RSS (including ASA-funded RSS (“ASA RSS”) and AUSAA-funded RSS (“URSS”)) funding under both 45 CFR §§ 400.154 and 400.155. This is intended to capture all participants, regardless of age, and regardless of plan to obtain or retain employment.

Definitions of authorized services are described in 4.a. – 4.o. These descriptions come from 45 CFR

400.154 and 400.155.

4.a. Employment Employment services are direct services provided in accordance with an employability plan that assist an employable adult in preparation for, development of, placement in, or maintenance of employment, as defined in 45 CFR § 400.154(a).

4.b. Employment Assessment

Employment assessment services, including aptitude and skills testing.

4.c. On-the-Job Training

Includes on-the-job training provided at the employment site and is expected to result in full-time, permanent, unsubsidized employment with the employer who is providing the training.

4.d. English Language instruction

Includes English language instruction, with an emphasis on English as it relates to obtaining and retaining a job.

4.e. Vocational Training

Vocation training should be short-term designed to teach refugees specific job-related skills that prepare them for a specific job or type of employment, such as driver education, nurse’s aide, electronic assembly, or power sewing.

4.f. Skills Recertification

Skills recertification services provided when such training meets the criteria for appropriate training in 45 CFR §400.81(b).

4.g. Day Care for Children

Day care for children received when necessary for participation in an employability service or for the acceptance or retention of employment; or when necessary for participation in a service other than employability.

4.h. Transportation Transportation services provided when necessary for participation in an employability services or for the acceptance/retention of employment; or when necessary for participation in a service other than an employability service.

4.i. Translation and Interpreter Services

Translation and interpretation services provided to refugees in connection with employment or employability services; or when necessary for a purpose other than in connection with employment and as part of an employability plan.

4.j. Case Management

Case management services defined as the determination of specific service(s) to which to refer a refugee;

and, may be related to active participation as part of the individual employability plan, referral to such service(s), and tracking of the refugee’s participation in such services; or may be for a purpose other than in connection with employment or participation in employability services.

4.k. EAD Assistance Assistance in obtaining Employment Authorization Documents (EADs).

4.l. Information and

Referral Includes information and referral to other services for participants. Report regardless if the referral is internal to ORR funded services, or external to an agency not funded by ORR.

4.m Outreach Services

Includes activities designed to familiarize refugees with available services, to explain the purpose of these services, and facilitate access to these services. This pertains either to people who are currently being served (e.g., providing referrals or doing outreach on their behalf for services) or former clients who are still eligible for ORR services (i.e., outreach to reconnect with these clients).

4.n. Social Adjustment

Social adjustment services include emergency services, health related services, and home management services.

4.o. Citizenship and Naturalization

Preparation services for citizenship and naturalization, including English Language training and civics instruction to prepare refugees for citizenship, application assistance for adjustment to legal permanent resident status and citizenship status, assistance to disabled refugees in obtaining disability waivers from English and civics requirements for naturalization, and the provision of interpreter services for the citizenship interview.

Definitions of services authorized under ASA RSS only are as follows:

4.p. ASA Housing Enter the number of participants receiving ASA RSS housing assistance.

4.q. ASA

Immigration- Related Legal Assistance

Enter the number of participants receiving ASA RSS immigration-related legal assistance.

5. Total Unduplicated

Enter the unduplicated number of participants that received the appropriate services. The same participant could have received multiple services. In this section, provide unduplicated number of participants across all services.

6. Previous FFY Report RSS Participation

In this section, provide total unduplicated number of all RSS (including ASA RSS and URSS) service participants (45 CFR §§ 400.154 and 400.155) by the length of time in the US at the end of FFY. This is a point in time measure on the number of service participants on the last day of the FYY (9/30).

6. a. Previous FFY Report RSS Participation 0-12 Months

Enter the total unduplicated number of all RSS (including ASA RSS and URSS) service participants (45 CFR §§ 400.154 and 400.155) who are 0-12 months in the U.S. at the end of FFY.

6. b. Previous FFY Report RSS Participation 13- 60 Months

Enter the total unduplicated number of all RSS (including ASA RSS and URSS) service participants (45 CFR §§ 400.154 and 400.155) who are 13-60 months in the U.S. at the end of FFY.

7. Previous FFY Report RSS Set- Asides Participation

In this section provide total unduplicated number of all RSS set-asides (including ASA-funded and AUSAA-funded) service participants by program and by the length of time in the US at the end of FFY.

This is a point in time measure on the number of service participants on the last day of the FYY (9/30).

7. a. Previous FFY Report RSS Set- Asides Participation 0-12 Months

Enter the total unduplicated number of all RSS set-asides (including ASA-funded and AUSAA-funded) service participants for each set-aside program:

• Refugee School Impact [RSI]: including Early RSI, ASA-funded RSI [ARSI], and AUSAA-funded

RSI [URSI];

• Services to Older Refugees [SOR] including ASA-funded SOR [ASOR];

• Youth Mentoring [YM] including ASA-funded YM [AYM];

• Refugee Health Promotion [RHP]: including Refugee Mental Health Initiative [ReMHI], ASA-funded

RHP [ARHP], and AUSAA-funded RHP [URHP];

• ASA-funded Support to Schools [ARSI S2S]5.

or any other future program, who are 0-12 months in the U.S. at the end of FFY.

7. b. Previous FFY

Report RSS Set- Asides Participation 13- 60 Months

Enter the total unduplicated number of all RSS set-asides service participants for each set-aside program who are 13-60 months in the U.S. at the end of FFY.

8. Description of State-Provided or Contracted Services

The ASP includes the following priority services: Employment Services, English Language Instruction, On-the-Job Training, and Vocational Training. The ASP also includes the categories of ASA Housing, ASA Immigration-Related Legal Assistance, and Other Services, to capture additional services as described below. States do not report contracts individually on the ASP. Instead, all contracts for the same category of services including those services that are ASA-funded and AUSAA-funded, should be represented by one entry on the ASP.

Definitions of the priority services are described below in 8.a. – 8.e.: These descriptions come from 45 CFR 400.154 and 400.155.

5 If a state subcontracts RSI or ARSI funding to a school district(s) or state education agency (SEA), it should report any Afghan clients under ARSI S2S, not under RSI, to avoid duplication. If the state does not subcontract any RSI or ARSI funds to a school district(s) or SEA, then it should report Afghan clients served through RSI, and Afghan clients served through schools funded by ARSI S2S, in the respective appropriate section.

8. a. Employment Services

Employment services are direct services provided in accordance with an employability plan that assist an employable adult in preparation for, development of, placement in, or maintenance of employment, as defined in 45 CFR § 400.154(a) ONLY.

8. b. English Language Instruction

English language instruction for non-native English speakers is a course of instruction in English with an emphasis on acquisition of survival and employment-related reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

8. c. On-the-Job Training (OJT)

On-the-Job Training is placement of an employable adult refugee in subsidized employment, funded by ORR for a period of time not to exceed six months, after which the employer has agreed to hire the OJT trainee in permanent unsubsidized employment.

8. d. Vocational Training

Vocational training is training of a short-term duration designed to teach refugees specific job-related skills that prepare them for a specific job or type of employment, such as nurse’s aide, electronic assembly, or power sewing.

8.e ASA Housing ASA housing is emergency/short-term and long-term housing for Afghans who arrived under Operation Allies Refuge/Operation Allies Welcome (OAR/OAW) utilizing ASA RSS funds.

8.f ASA Immigration- Related Legal Assistance

ASA immigration-related legal assistance is immigration-related legal assistance to Afghans who arrived under OAR/OAW utilizing ASA RSS funding.

8. g. Other Services Other Services includes RSS-funded (including ASA-funded and AUSAA-funded) employment-related services, such as interpretation/translation, transportation, or daycare. In addition, Other Services may include activities such as case management (the determination of which service[s] to refer a refugee to in accordance with an employability plan, referral to such service[s], and tracking of the refugee's participation in such services), and programming under RSI (including Early RSI, ARSI, and URSI), SOR (including ASOR), YM (including AYM), RHP (including ReMHI, ARHP, and URHP), and ARSI S2S. The Other category should be used if ORR provides specific funding for services in addition to those already listed under 8. g.

9. Grant Enter the applicable funding source: RSS (base formula funding, including ASA RSS and URSS), RSI (including Early RSI, ARSI, and URSI), SOR (including ASOR), YM (including AYM), RHP (including ReMHI, ARHP, and URHP), ARSI S2S, or any other future program.

10. Contracted Amount by Funding Source

By category of service and then by funding source, enter the total amount of ORR funds (including ASA RSS, ASA-funded and AUSAA-funded RSS set-asides) used to fund all services or contracts in effect as of October 1 of the current year.

For example, if a state has the following:

• Two RSS-funded contracts and one ASA RSS-funded contract for employment services

($100,000, $100,000, and $125,000),

• Two RSS-funded contracts for interpretation ($50,000 and $30,000),

• One RSS-funded contract for transportation ($30,000), and

• One RSI-funded contract for teacher training ($25,000) and one ARSI-funded contract for parent orientation ($25,000), Enter:

a. Employment Services RSS $325,000

e. Other Services (which includes interpretation/translation) RSS $110,000

e. Other Services RSS-RSI $50,000

11. Program Participants

0 through 12 (0-12) months By category of service, enter the target number of ORR-eligible participants in the U.S. less than a full 12 months projected to be served under existing contracts.

13 through 60 (13-60) months By category of service, enter the target number of ORR-eligible participants in the U.S. from 13 to 60 months projected to be served under existing contracts.

Total Number

This field will automatically calculate, by category of service, the total target number of ORR-eligible participants projected to be served under existing contracts.

12. Type of Agency and Percent of Funds

By category of service, indicate the type of agency providing the services and the percentage of the total contracted amount for each service allocated to that type of agency.

For example, if a state has employment services contracts totaling $325,000, of which

• $100,000 is contracted to a Mutual Assistance Association

• $125,000 to a Refugee Agency, and

• $100,000 to a Community College, Enter in the Type of Agency and Percent of Funds field in the row for Employment (8.a.):

• B. Mutual Assistance Association 31%

• C. Refugee Agency 38%

• D. Community College 31%

• J. Total (automatically calculated) 100%; should always be 100%.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT OF 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) STATEMENT OF PUBLIC BURDEN: The purpose of this information collection is to inform CMA program policies, priorities, and budgets as well as to monitor RSS and URM program performance. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 hours per grantee, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering, and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. This is a mandatory collection of information delineated at 45 CFR § 400.28(b). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB # is 0970-0036 and the expiration date is 12/31/2025. If you have any comments on this collection of information, please contact draprograms@acf.hhs.gov.

mailto:draprograms@acf.hhs.gov

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