State Letter #01-17

TO: STATE REFUGEE COORDINATORS

FROM: Carmel Clay-Thompson
Acting Director
Office of Refugee Resettlement

SUBJECT: Final Notice of FY 2001 Social Service Formula Allocation

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) final notice of FY 2001 social service formula allocation to States was published on Friday, July 6, 2001, in the Federal Register (66 FR 3562).

Social Services

Please note that this notice contains two set-aside amounts representing an additional total of $20.5 million from prior year carryover funds. The first set-aside ($10.5 million) is to: (1) provide referral services, including outreach, to ensure that refugees are able to access the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and other programs for low income populations; and (2) provide for the hiring of interpreters and special interpreter training to enable refugees to have equal access to medical and certain legal services. The second set-aside ($10 million) is to provide outreach, referral, and social services to ensure that persons granted asylum access programs to help them attain economic self-sufficiency. States should include a report of activities funded through set-aside funds in the narrative portion of the Quaterly Performance Report, including the names of agencies funded to provide the services and the outcomes (e.g., number of staff trained, number of clients assisted to enroll in low income programs and SCHIP).

States receiving social services formula must apply for these funds. The application is the Annual Services Plan, which is due at ORR on November 15 of each year as part of the fourth quarter Quarterly Performance Report. Please refer to the enclosed instructions for completion of the Annual Services Plan.

Questions regarding the social service notice should be directed to Barbara Chesnik, Program Analyst, Division of Refugee Self-Sufficiency, at (202) 401-4558.