Refugee Services Program - Florida Department of Children and ...

Florida Department of Children and FamiliesRefugee Services ProgramPurposeRefugee Services assists refugees and entrants in becoming self-sufficient. Refugee Servicesassists newly-arrived eligible clients in obtaining employment, learning English, acquiring jobskills and legal or medical difficulties. The program is 100 percent federally-funded through theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement, by a grantapplication process.Program OverviewThe Federal government is responsible for oversight, rules, and laws governing immigration tothe United States. Following passage of the Federal Refugee Act of 1980 and the RefugeeEducation Assistance Act of 1980, the Secretary of the Florida Department of Children andFamilies was named State Refugee Coordinator for Refugee Services.Annual refugee admissions are limited to approximately 70,000 individuals identified by theUnited Nations High Commission on Refugees or the U.S. Department of State and processedfor admission by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services. The U.S. State Departmentcontracts with private, voluntary agencies to arrange travel and initial resettlement. Thesenational agencies work through local affiliates to accomplish resettlement. Besides refugees,groups eligible for refugee services include Cuban and Haitian Entrants and parolees, asylees,and certified victims of human trafficking.DCF Refugee Services applies for federal grants from the Office of Refugee Resettlement tofund services. Grant funds are expended through contracts with providers obtained throughstate competitive procurement procedures or exemptions. The Program manages 54community provider contracts and funds temporary refugee cash and medical assistance,totaling more than $80 million in federal aid to eligible clients. The Florida Refugee ServicesProgram provides services to more refugees than any other refugee services program in thecountry.Adult EducationEducational courses that are offered through county school districts and community collegesinclude: Adult General Education; English for Speakers of Other Languages; Vocational Englishfor Speakers of Other Languages; Post-Secondary Adult Vocational Training; and EmployabilitySkills Training.Child CareCare for children under 13 years of age is available on a part-time and full-time basis to supportemployment and educational activities.Crime PreventionLocal law enforcement in Hillsborough County provide outreach, community education, crimeprevention services with staff acting as liaisons between local law enforcement and the Cubanand Haitian communities.Employment ServicesServices are available to assist with achieving economic self-sufficiency and effectiveresettlement through gainful employment, including pre-employment counseling and orientation,1

Florida Department of Children and Familiesdirect job preparation and placement, On-the-Job Training, recredentialing/ recertification, andcareer training and placement.Employability Status Assistance ServicesLegal services such as applications for Employment Authorization Documents, filing permanentasylum, residency and citizenship applications, court representation and other immigrationstatus issues.Integration AssistanceServices to identify and address risk factors causing vulnerability that prevent effectiveresettlement, provide integration training, and make appropriate referrals to communityresources.Interpreter ServicesTelephonic interpreter services, interpreter training, and vital document translation services.Medical ServicesPrimary health care and inpatient treatment for uninsured Cuban and Haitian Entrants, andEpilepsy Case Management services for refugees and entrants with a diagnosis of epilepsy orundergoing a diagnosis of a seizure disorder.Refugee Cash and Medical AssistanceFederally-funded cash and medical assistance for eligible refugee clients the first eight monthsafter arrival.Youth and Family ServicesServices designed to reduce and prevent juvenile delinquency and school drop-outs; to improveacculturation and preservation of the refugee family.Unaccompanied Refugee Minor ProgramLong-term foster care and independent living services to refugee children who arrive in the U.S.without parents or adult guardians.Unique needs of Refugees with corresponding reductions in federal funds Florida has the largest refugee resettlement program in the country, resettling more than25,000 refugee men, women and children each year. Refugees generally have limited or no understanding of English and often arrive with limitedwork skills and experience. DCF works with local community organizations to help refugees find and retain employment(placing more than 10,000 refugees in jobs each year), learn English, obtain needed workpermits, and provide other essential services to help refugees become self-sufficient andlocally integrated. This year the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement reduced funding to Florida by morethan $10 million, largely through discretionary actions, reducing the funding available forclient services.2

Florida Department of Children and FamiliesPartnershipsRefugee Services works in partnership with the following departments and agencies:The Office of Refugee Resettlement within the U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices, which provide funding for services, benefits and staff.The U.S. Department of State sets the ceiling on refugee admissions and contracts withnational voluntary agencies (non-governmental organizations) for initial resettlementassistance.National voluntary agencies and their local affiliates (including both faith-based andsecular organizations) provide initial resettlement assistance to newly arrived refugees.Many resettlement agencies are also contracted providers.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security determines eligibility for immigration statusconferring eligibility for refugee assistance provides employment authorization anddetermines eligibility for permanent residence and citizenship.The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and local law enforcement agencies withtraining and awareness on human trafficking.The Florida Abuse Hotline and the Family Safety Program work with Refugee Serviceson the identification of and provision of services to victims of human trafficking.The ACCESS program distributes Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance through theFLORIDA system.Refugee Services contracts with Regional Workforce Boards or non-profit entities toprovide employment services to refugees.Refugee Services contracts with local school boards for adult education services forrefugees.3