[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3614-3616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01125]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Refugee Resettlement; Statement of Organization,
Functions, and Delegations of Authority.
AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of
Authority
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has reorganized
the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). This notice announces a
realignment of functions to create a Division of Policy within the
Office of the Director in ORR. This realignment of functions within ORR
serves to coordinate and centralize the policy function within ORR to
provide for policy uniformity and consistency, allow greater staff
flexibility, and better reflect the current work environment and
priorities within ORR. The statement of organization, functions, and
delegations of authority conforms to and carries out the statutory
requirements for operating ORR.
This notice amends Part K of the Statement of Mission,
Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS), ACF as follows: Chapter KR, ORR (76
FR 70149-70150), as last amended November 10, 2011.
I. Under Chapter KR, ORR, delete KR.10 Organization, in its
entirety and replace with the following:
KR.10 Organization. ORR is headed by a Director, who reports to the
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. The Office is organized
as follows:
Office of the Director (KRA)
Division of Policy (KRA1)
Division of Refugee Assistance (KRE)
Division of Refugee Services (KRF)
Division of Children's Services (KRH)
Division of Anti-Trafficking in Persons (KRI)
Division of Refugee Health (KRJ)
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II. Under Chapter KR, ORR, delete KR.20 Functions, in its entirety
and replace with the following:
KR.20 Functions.
A. The Office of the Director is directly responsible to the
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families for carrying out ORR's
mission and providing guidance and general supervision to the
components of ORR. The office provides direction in the development of
general supervision to the components of ORR. The office provides
direction in the development of program policy and budget and in the
formulation of salaries and expense budgets. Staff also provide
administrative and personnel support services.
The Office of the Director coordinates with the lead refugee and
entrant program offices of other federal departments; provides
leadership in representing refugee and entrant programs, policies, and
administration to a variety of governmental entities and other public
and private interests; and acts as the coordinator of the total refugee
and entrant resettlement effort for ACF and the Department. The office
oversees the care and custody of unaccompanied alien children, grants
specific consent for those who wish to invoke the jurisdiction of a
state court for a dependency order to seek Special Immigrant Juvenile
status, and makes determinations of eligibility for the Unaccompanied
Refugee Minors Program.
The Office of the Director prepares annual budget estimates and
related materials; and develops regulations, legislative proposals, and
routine interpretations of policy as they relate to each of the program
areas. The office performs allocation and tracking of funds for all
programs. The office collects data and performs analysis on the
changing needs of the refugee and entrant population, provides
leadership to identify data needs and sources, and formulates data and
reporting requirements.
Within the Office of the Director, the Division of Policy is
comprised of a Director of Policy and professional staff with expertise
in all areas of ORR programming, including staff that handle high
profile projects or multi-program functions. The Division of Policy
assesses and evaluates ORR programs and their legal authorities and
proactively recommends policy development, regulation updates and
changes, and operational and management actions to comply with
statutory parameters. The division advises the ORR Director, deputies,
division directors, and regional staff on a wide range of significant
and sensitive policy-related matters and strategies for attaining ORR
policy objectives. The division identifies major emerging policy
issues, develops policy options and strategies, and implements policy
initiatives, including the drafting of policies, guidance, and
regulations. The Division of Policy also leads the office in the
development of strategic goals and objectives and ensures that policies
and operational and management activities are designed to achieve ORR,
ACF, and Department goals.
The Division of Policy develops clearance and informational
memoranda, briefing materials, and summary statements for ORR, ACF, and
Department leadership on complex and sensitive ORR matters. The
division collaborates with the ORR operating divisions and regional
staff to clarify and enhance existing policies and guidance,
particularly in areas where the work of two or more divisions and the
regions overlap.
The Division of Policy serves as the ORR point of contact for other
ACF and HHS offices related to legal, congressional, and evaluation
issues, such as the Office of the General Counsel, Office of
Legislative Affairs and Budget, Government Accountability Office, and
Office of Inspector General. The division represents ORR on interagency
working groups and collaborates with both government and private sector
leaders on ORR policy-related issues and developments.
Within the Office of the Director, the Deputy Director assumes the
Director's responsibilities in the absence of the Director and provides
oversight to the Division of Refugee Health, Division of Refugee
Services, and the Division of Refugee Assistance.
The Associate Deputy Director provides oversight to the Division of
Children's Services and the Division of Anti-Trafficking in Persons.
B. The Division of Refugee Assistance represents ORR in
coordinating services and capacity for refugees in a manner that helps
refugees become employed and economically self-sufficient soon after
their arrival in the United States. The division monitors and provides
technical assistance to the state-administered domestic assistance
programs and Wilson/Fish projects. The Division works closely with each
state in designing a resettlement program specific to the needs of
incoming populations. The division develops guidance and procedures for
their implementation and manages special initiatives to increase
refugee self-sufficiency, such as through state-funded discretionary
grants or pilot programs. The division also assists public and private
agencies on data reporting and the resolution of reporting problems.
The division develops and supports the flow of information on refugee
profiles and community resources in support of effective placement at
the state and local level. The division works closely with the
Department of State to ensure effective and seamless orientation from
overseas to local resettlement community. The division manages the
effective allocation of formula social services and targeted assistance
in support of newly arriving populations. The division tracks all state
costs related to refugee assistance.
C. The Division of Refugee Services directs and manages effective
refugee resettlement through the programmatic implementation of grants,
contracts, and special initiatives, such as the Matching Grant Program.
The division oversees and monitors most ORR discretionary grants,
recommends grantee allocation, coordinates with the grants management
office to review the financial expenditures under discretionary grant
programs, provides data in support of apportionment requests, and
provides technical assistance on discretionary grants operations. The
division coordinates and provides liaison with the Department and other
federal agencies on discretionary grant operational issues and other
activities as specified by the Director or required by congressional
mandate. The division responds to unanticipated refugee and entrant
arrivals or significant increases in arrivals to communities where
adequate or appropriate services do not exist through supplemental
initiatives. The division works to promote economic independence among
refugees through social services, educational services, and intensive
case management and community development initiatives.
D. The Division of Children's Services supports services to
unaccompanied children who are referred to ORR for care as refugees,
asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, children granted Special Immigrant
Juvenile Visas and those pending immigration status, or identified as
victims of trafficking. The division implements intake and placement
decisions for all unaccompanied refugee and alien children. The
division supports specialized care through grants, contracts, and
state-administered unaccompanied minors programs. The division conducts
monitoring and inspections of facilities and placement locations in
which unaccompanied children reside. The division also
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maintains statistical information and data on each child and any
actions concerning the child while the child is under the Director's
care.
The division ensures consideration of the child's best interest in
care and custody decisions. The division coordinates all decisions
related to sponsor reunification, background checks, home assessments,
follow-up services, medical assessment and treatment, sponsorship
breakdowns, repatriation, and movement of children into the
Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program.
The division develops policy to ensure all children's programs are
administered in a manner that ensures the best interest of the child;
and that services are administered in a manner that supports child
welfare standards of care and services to include training,
accreditation, legal services, assessment, and trauma-related
initiatives.
The division administers the pro bono legal services and child
advocate program and compiles a state-by-state list of professionals or
entities qualified to provide the children with a guardian and attorney
representational services.
E. The Division of Anti-Trafficking in Persons is responsible for
implementing certain provisions of the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act. The division coordinates the certification of and services to
victims of severe forms of trafficking, promotes public awareness on
human trafficking, and increases identification of potential victims of
severe forms of trafficking. The division manages these activities
through grants and contracts. It also coordinates with other federal
government agencies on certification activities and policy issues
related to the trafficking laws. The division certifies victims of
severe forms of trafficking following consultation with appropriate
federal and state government agencies and social service agencies. The
division coordinates with the appropriate entities for the
determination and placement of identified and certified unaccompanied
minor victims of trafficking. It maintains statistical information and
data on each victim, including certification documentation and services
provided. The division compiles an annual report, in coordination with
other federal agencies, on the number of certifications issued to and
services accessed by identified victims.
F. The Division of Refugee Health provides direction for assuring
that refugees are provided medical assistance and mental health
services through the state-administered program and alternative
programs such as the Wilson/Fish projects. The division ensures the
quality of medical screening and initial medical treatment of refugees
through its administration of grant programs, technical assistance, and
interagency agreements in support of comprehensive medical and mental
health services. The division supports coordination of services to
refugees under the Affordable Care Act. The division also supports
mental health services to victims of torture.
The Division works closely with State Refugee Health Coordinators
in the planning and provision of medical and mental health services to
meet the individual needs of incoming populations. The division tracks
all state costs related to refugee medical assistance and screening.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eskinder Negash, Director, Office of
Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, 901 D
Street SW., Washington, DC 20447, (202) 401-9246.
Dated: January 15, 2015.
Mark Greenberg,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
[FR Doc. 2015-01125 Filed 1-22-15; 8:45 am]
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