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COMBINED MANUAL

ISSUE DATE 11/2019

REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

0030.12

The DHS Resettlement Programs Office (RPO) contracts with community-based agencies to provide Refugee Employment Services for people with eligible status. For more information about eligible status, see 0030 (Refugee Assistance Programs).

The objective goal of Refugee Employment Services (RES) is to ensure that participants achieve self-sufficiency through employment as soon as possible after arrival to the United States. RES providers offer cultural expertise, language access, and a full range of employment services, including development of individualized employment plans, job readiness classes, resume writing, mock interviewing, interview/work clothing assistance, job search support, job placement, interpretation for interviews and job orientation, employer support and follow-up through 90 days post-employment.

RES are supplemental to mainstream services and are not available in every county or community. For a list of current Refugee Employment Service Providers and their locations, see the Resettlement Programs Office 2018 Agency Contract List.

RES FOR RCA PARTICIPANTS

RCA participants must enroll with RES/ES within 30 days of RCA eligibility approval. RES/ ES enrollment, participation and compliance are mandatory for all RCA participants, unless they meet one of the following exemptions:

● Employed at least 30 hours per week.

● Age 60 or over.

● Temporarily or permanently ill or disabled. Verification from a medical authority is required if the illness or disability is expected to last more than 30 days. See MEDICAL CERTIFICATION in 0002.39 (Glossary: Lump Sum...).

● Responsible for the care of a spouse who is ill or disabled. Verification from a medical authority is required if the illness or disability is expected to last more than 30 days.

● Experiencing a personal or family crisis, as determined by the agency. Redetermine such an exemption monthly.

● Cuban/Haitian entrants who are in Pending Removal Proceedings are not authorized to work in the US and will not have an Employment Authorization Document. Treat as exempt and do not refer to Employment Services.

The following do NOT exempt RCA participants from RES/ES enrollment, participation and compliance:

● Limited English language proficiency.

● Eligibility for the New Spouse Income policy. See 0022.11 (New Spouse Income).

RCA REFERRAL AND RES AVAILABILITY:

● Where RES are available, RCA participants must be referred to RES.

● Where RES are NOT available, refer RCA participants to SNAP Employment &Training (E&T). While SNAP E&T is a voluntary program, RCA requires employment program participation as a condition of ongoing eligibility.

● Where neither RES nor SNAP E&T are available, refer RCA participants to another locally available resource, such as a WorkForce Center or Job Development Center.

NOTE: The WorkForce One (WF1) interface is not set-up for RCA electronic referrals to ESPs. All communication must be done by paper. Refer all mandatory RCA ES participants using the Refugee Cash Assistance Program Employment Services Referral (DHS-3166R) (PDF). FAX the referral to the ESP.