(a) A State must provide any individual wishing to do so an opportunity to apply for services and determine the eligibility of each applicant.

(b) Except as otherwise specified in this subpart, a State must determine eligibility for and provide refugee social services specified in §§ 400.154 and 400.155 in accordance with the same procedures which it follows in its social service program under title XX of the Social Security Act with respect to determining eligibility, acting on applications and requests for services, and providing notification of right to a hearing.

(c) A State must insure that women have the same opportunities as men to participate in all services funded under this part, including job placement services.

This subpart sets forth requirements concerning formula allocation grants to States under section 412(c) of the Act for refugee social services.

For purposes of this subpart—

Refugee social services means any service set forth in § 400.154 or § 400.155 of this subpart.

The State must use its social service grants primarily for employability services designed to enable refugees to obtain jobs within one year of becoming enrolled in services in order to achieve economic self-sufficiency as soon as possible. Social services may continue to be provided after a refugee has entered a job to help the refugee retain employment or move to a better job. Social service funds may not be used for long-term training programs such as vocational training that last for more than a year or educational programs that are not intended to lead to employment within a year.

A State must plan its social service program and allocate its social service funds in such a manner that services are provided to refugees in the following order of priority, except in certain individual extreme circumstances:

(a) All newly arriving refugees during their first year in the U.S., who apply for services;

(b) Refugees who are receiving cash assistance;

(c) Unemployed refugees who are not receiving cash assistance; and

(d) Employed refugees in need of services to retain employment or to attain economic independence.

A state may provide services directly or it may purchase services from public or private service providers.

Eligibility for refugee social services is limited to those refugees who—

(a) Meet immigration status and identification requirements in Subpart D of this part;

(b) Meet the other eligibility requirements and conditions in this subpart.

(a) A State may provide the social services defined in § 400.154 to refugees who are 16 years of age or older and who are not full-time students in elementary or secondary school, except that such a student may be provided services under § 400.154 (a) and (b) in order to obtain part-time or temporary (e.g., summer) employment while a student or full-time permanent employment upon completion of schooling.

(b) A State may not provide services under this subpart, except for citizenship and naturalization preparation services and referral and interpreter services, to refugees who have been in the United States for more than 60 months.

A State may provide the following employability services—

(a) Employment services, including development of a family self-sufficiency plan and an individual employability plan, world-of-work and job orientation, job clubs, job workshops, job development, referral to job opportunities, job search, and job placement and followup.

(b) Employability assessment services, including aptitude and skills testing.

(c) On-the job training, when such training is provided at the employment site and is expected to result in full-time, permanent, unsubsidized employment with the employer who is providing the training.

(d) English language instruction, with an emphasis on English as it relates to obtaining and retaining a job.

(e) Vocational training, including driver education and training when provided as part of an individual employability plan.

(f) Skills recertification, when such training meets the criteria for appropriate training in § 400.81(b) of this part.

(g) Day care for children, when necessary for participation in an employability service or for the acceptance or retention of employment.

(h) Transportation, when necessary for participation in an employability service or for the acceptance or retention of employment.

(i) Translation and interpreter services, when necessary in connection with employment or participation in an employability service.

(j) Case management services, as defined in § 400.2 of this part, for refugees who are considered employable under § 400.76 and for recipients of TANF and GA who are considered employable, provided that such services are directed toward a refugee's attainment of employment as soon as possible after arrival in the United States.

(k) Assistance in obtaining Employment Authorization Documents (EADs).

A State may provide the following other services—

(a) Information and referral services.

(b) Outreach services, including activities designed to familiarize refugees with available services, to explain the purpose of these services, and facilitate access to these services.

(c) Social adjustment services, including:

(1) Emergency services, as follows: Assessment and short-term counseling to persons or families in a perceived crisis; referral to appropriate resources; and the making of arrangements for necessary services.

(2) Health-related services, as follows: Information; referral to appropriate resources; assistance in scheduling appointments and obtaining services; and counseling to individuals or families to help them understand and identify their physical and mental health needs and maintain or improve their physical and mental health.

(3) Home management services, as follows: Formal or informal instruction to individuals or families in management of household budgets, home maintenance, nutrition, housing standards, tenants' rights, and other consumer education services.

(d) Day care for children, when necessary for participation in a service other than an employability service.

(e) Transportation, when necessary for participation in a service other than an employability service.

(f) Translation and interpreter services, when necessary for a purpose other than in connection with employment or participation in an employability service.

(g) Case management services, when necessary for a purpose other than in connection with employment or participation in employability services.

(h) Any additional service, upon submission to and approval by the Director of ORR, aimed at strengthening and supporting the ability of a refugee individual, family, or refugee community to achieve and maintain economic self-sufficiency, family stability, or community integration which has been demonstrated as effective and is not available from any other funding source.

(i) Citizenship and naturalization preparation services, including English language training and civics instruction to prepare refugees for citizenship, application assistance for adjustment to legal permanent resident status and citizenship status, assistance to disabled refugees in obtaining disability waivers from English and civics requirements for naturalization, and the provision of interpreter services for the citizenship interview.

(a) In order to avoid interference with refugee employment, English language instruction and vocational training funded under this part must be provided to the fullest extent feasible outside normal working hours.

(b) In planning and providing services under §§ 400.154 and 400.155, a State must take into account those services which a resettlement agency is required to provide for a refugee whom it sponsors in order to ensure the provision of seamless, coordinated services to refugees that are not duplicative.

(c) English language instruction funded under this part must be provided in a concurrent, rather than sequential, time period with employment or with other employment-related services.

(d) Services funded under this part must be refugee-specific services which are designed specifically to meet refugee needs and are in keeping with the rules and objectives of the refugee program, except that vocational or job skills training, on-the-job training, or English language training need not be refugee-specific.

(e) Services funded under this part must be provided to the maximum extent feasible in a manner that is culturally and linguistically compatible with a refugee's language and cultural background.

(f) Services funded under this part must be provided to the maximum extent feasible in a manner that includes the use of bilingual/bicultural women on service agency staffs to ensure adequate service access by refugee women.

(g) A family self-sufficiency plan must be developed for anyone who receives employment-related services funded under this part.