[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 218 (Thursday, November 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70149-70150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29075]



[[Page 70149]]

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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 Organizations, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority. The Administration for Children and Families has reorganized 
the Office of Refugee Resettlement. This reorganization includes the 
organization and its substructure components as listed in this 
document. This reorganization establishes the Division of Refugee 
Health. It renames the Division of Community Resettlement to the 
Division of Refugee Services. It renames the Division of Unaccompanied 
Children's Services to the Division of Children's Services. It deletes 
the Division of Budget, Policy, and Data Analysis and moves the 
function to the Office of the Director. The notice also serves to 
establish an Associate Deputy Director position.

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.
    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), Administration for Children and 
Families (ACF) as follows: Chapter KR, the Office of Refugee 
Resettlement (ORR) (73 FR 5199), as last amended January 29, 2008.
    Under Chapter KR, Office of Refugee Resettlement, delete KR in its 
entirety and replace with the following:
    KR.00 Mission. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) advises the 
Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, 
on matters relating to refugee resettlement, immigration, victims of 
severe forms of trafficking in persons, victims of torture, 
unaccompanied alien children and the repatriation of U.S. citizens. The 
Office plans, develops and directs implementation of a comprehensive 
program for domestic refugee and entrant resettlement assistance to 
include cash assistance, medical assistance and associated social 
services in support of early self-sufficiency. It develops, recommends, 
and issues program policies, procedures and interpretations to provide 
program direction. The Office monitors and evaluates the performances 
of States and other public and private agencies in administering these 
programs and supports actions to improve them. It provides leadership 
and direction in the development and coordination of national public 
and private programs that provide assistance to refugees, asylees, 
Cuban and Haitian entrants, and certain Amerasians and victims of 
severe forms of trafficking in persons. The Office is also responsible 
for the care and custody of unaccompanied alien children, the issuance 
of eligibility letters for victims of severe forms of trafficking in 
persons, the provision of specific consent in Special Immigrant 
Juvenile status cases, and the policies, procedures and interpretations 
needed in these program areas.
    KR.10 Organization. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is 
headed by a Director who reports directly to the Assistant Secretary 
for Children and Families.
    The Office is organized as follows:

Office of the Director (KRA);
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).

    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 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 (SIJ) status 
and makes determinations of eligibility for the Unaccompanied Refugee 
Minors (URM) Program.
    The Office 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, 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. Division of Refugee Assistance represents ORR in coordinating 
services and capacity for refugees in a manner that helps refugees to 
become employed and economically self-sufficient as soon after their 
arrival in the United States. The Division monitors and provides 
technical assistances 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; 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. Division of Refugee Services directs and manages effective 
refugee resettlement through the programmatic implementation of grants, 
contracts and special initiatives, such as the Match Grant Program. The 
Division oversees

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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. 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 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 (URM) 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. 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. 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.

    Dated: November 1, 2011.
George H. Sheldon,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
[FR Doc. 2011-29075 Filed 11-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-27-P