USCCB/MRS Program Updates

It is with great pleasure and pride that we can announce that we have fully met our FY23 new cases goal! This is a HUGE accomplishment, and we want to take a moment to thank you for your hard work and dedication to these children and their families.

We know this year has been a challenging one with increased case volume, but you all have dedicated your time and passion to providing these families with excellent home study and post-release services. We are so grateful for your hard work and look forward to our continued partnership in FY24.

USCCB Family Reunification Program Assignment

Please see below for the new program assignment list. You should have been notified by your previously assigned CSS of the transition. Please note that for the next month, Asma and Dory will still be shadowed by previous CSS's to complete their last phase of CSS's training. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Simy Cuervo, Associate Director, Family Reunification

• At Promise Youth Solutions

Kailey Cano, CSS

• Catholic Charites of Atlanta
• Catholic Charities of San Diego
• Catholic Charities of Nashville
• Bethany Christian Services of Florida

McKenna Heap-Garner, CSS

• Catholic Charities of Ohio
• Bethany Christian Services of Maryland
• Catholic Charities of Newark
• Catholic Charities of Baltimore

Dory Dinoto, CSS

• Catholic Charities Arlington
• Catholic Charities Boston
• Catholic Charities of Los Angeles
• International Christian Adoptions, Inc.

Asma Rehman, CSS

• Catholic Charities of New York
• Catholic Charities of San Antonio
• Catholic Charities of Trenton
• Catholic Charities of Houston

ORR Program Updates

ORR Policy Notification

5.6.3 Record Management, Retention and Safekeeping

We have recently been informed of ORR's "No Shred" Policy regarding record keeping and shredding.

Please read the policy in its entirety as we glean clarification on how it applies to each program.

Click here to read.

Quarterly Network Call

The 1st Quarterly network call of FY24 is scheduled for:

Wednesday, January 24th, 2024

2 -3:30 PM EST

Use this LINK to access the call via Zoom on the indicated day/time.

Meeting ID: 993 6384 8850

Passcode: 108855

Should you have any questions to submit prior to the call, please do so using this link. Questions must be submitted by 5pm EST on January 22nd.

To find recordings of past meetings see resource section below.

Please reach out to Kailey Cano at kcano@usccb.org if you would like to volunteer to chair the meeting or submit a topic for discussion.

USCCB FR Network Meeting Recordings and Handouts:



• First Network Call:
• The recording and handout for the first network call of FY23 (held January 11, 2023) can be accessed here.
• Password= Standard ORR PW.
• Network Call to discuss HS Expansion
• The recording and handout for the network call on February 2nd.
• Password= Standard ORR PW.
• Network Call to discuss new forms on February 17th.
• The recording for the network call on February 17th.
• Password=Standard ORR PW.
• Second Network Call:
• The recording and handout for the most recent network call held on April 12th, 2023 can be accessed here.
• Password = Standard ORR PW.
• Third Network Call:
• The recording and handout for the most recent network call held on July 12th, 2023.
• Meeting minutes - Click here
• Password = mA@8hj#H
• Community of Practice Call:
• The recording from the last CoP call held on April 21st, 2023 can be accessed here.
• Password = Standard ORR PW.
• The materials shared can be accessed here.
• USCCB FR Network Call to Discuss PRS Sprint
• Click here for the Recording.
• Password = Standard ORR PW
• Fourth Network Call:
• The recording and handout for the most recent network call held on October 12th, 2023.

HS/PRS Family Reunification Training

As a reminder, all NEW staff are required to complete 40 hours of pre-training prior to case assignment.

• Pre-recorded** UAC Portal Trainings - Below are the updated links: 
• Cybersecurity Training
• Privacy 101 Training
• Rules of Behavior
• Pre-recorded** Trauma Informed Care: Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Unaccompanied Children (For new staff. Existing staff can complete any trauma informed training that focuses on unaccompanied/immigrant children.)

New Directors Orientation

New Program/Staff Onboarding Training:

• Introduction to HS/PRS Family Reunification Training (handout)
• Platforms Training (handout)
• Home Study Training (handout) *
• Post Release Services Training (handout) *
• Monitoring and Quality Assurance Training (handout)

Program Directors/Managers:

• Please complete the new FY23 ORR Waiver Training Course found here and on MRS Connect.

*Partial recordings due to technical difficulties

All New Staff MUST complete Child Abuse and Neglect Background Checks before serving children. These must be completed for every state the employee has lived in for the past 5 years.

• Please send your CSS the confirmation when their checks are complete.
• For staff that are recently hired or renewing - you may fill out this ORR waiver form while you wait for the results to come in.
• Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Waiver Request Form
• Please see this Write up Guide for instructions on how to fill this out.

In the event that you are unable to print the certificate of completion for any mandatory training, please take a screenshot of the final screen, including your training score, and forward it to your assigned CSS.

• ORR OLC Learning Center:
• Please start logging into the ORR OLC learning center to access trainings.
• Please reach out to Kailey Cano at Kcano@usccb.org if you do not have access.
• ORR OLC Trainings: Airtable - External Training Opportunities
• E-Learning – ORR TTA Center (lsidc.net)
• ORR OLC TTA Newsletter Click here.
• ORR/OTIP SOAR to Health and Wellness Training - How to respond to Human Trafficking.
• Reoccurring OTIP Trainings - A calendar invite was sent via email. Please reach out to your CSS if you did not receive it.
• Responding to Foreign National Minor Victims of Trafficking
• SOAR training equips professionals with skills to identify, treat, and respond appropriately to human trafficking.
• Additional Trauma Trainings:
• TFCBT Training
• CBT Orientation & Fundamentals
• CBT Part 3 Screening and Assessment
• Interventions: Trauma Focused CBT
• Stigma Surrounding Trauma & Treatment. Recommendations Hispanic Community Engagement
• Course: Adolescent Trauma and Substance Abuse Online, Topic: Curriculum (nctsn.org) 
• Trauma Screening Trainings for Professionals:
• ScreenTime Training
• Switchboard Connecting Resettlement Experts:
• Upcoming events
• Switchboard Course List: Click here
• Preventing Child Labor Training and Resources
• Resource List
• FFTA Webinars
• Resources and Trainings on Preventing Domestic Violence and VAWA Training
• Click here 
• ORR Home Study Training - OLC Learning Center
• One Pager Handout: Click here
• NCMEC Training Resources:
• MCD Flyer English
• MCD Flyer Spanish
• Guide for Filing Missing Person's Report
• Capacity Building for States: Trainings

New trainings completed in 2023 should be noted in this FY23 Training Tracker

Resources & News

USCCB FR New Staff Onboarding Tools

As many of our programs continue to hire for FY23, and in anticipation of expansion for FY24, we wanted to provide you with a few new resources to utilize in the process of onboarding new staff. Attached, you will find the following:

1. New Hire Checklist - Updated as of 10/4/2023
2. Pre-Service Training Tracker for New Hires - Updated as of 10/4/2023

The New Hire Checklist contains a list of all the items that are required to be in staff personnel files as well as the items that need to be confirmed with USCCB before new staff may begin serving children. For all new hires moving forward, please complete this checklist and send it to your assigned CSS. This will help us ensure that all pre-service requirements are completed for new staff.

The Pre-Service Training Tracker for New Hires is an updated version of the current training tracker, specific to pre-service training requirements. You will notice that we are now requiring a statement on how knowledge of each topic has been assessed and a supervisor signature to confirm completion of the training. This training tracker will only be used for new hires; all other staff will continue to use the current training tracker to document their 40 hours of annual training. Please ensure that this new training tracker is completed for all new staff moving forward within one month of their start date and send the completed tracker to your assigned CSS.

*Important Note: ORR recently clarified that staff are NOT to have direct access to children until they complete the pre-service training requirements. New staff may still shadow visits before taking their own cases, but this will need to begin AFTER the 40 hours of initial training have been completed and the tracker as been submitted to USCCB.

Please each out to your assigned CSS if you have questions.

Reminders/Action Items

CA/N Checks, FBI Clearance, and ORR CA/N Check Waiver Guidance

All New Staff MUST complete Child Abuse and Neglect Background Checks before serving children. These must be completed for every state the employee has lived in for the past 5 years.

• Please send your CSS the confirmation when their checks are complete.
• For staff that are recently hired or renewing - you may fill out this ORR waiver form while you wait for the results to come in.
• Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Waiver Request Form
• Please see this Write up Guide for instructions on how to fill this out.

Monthly reports

• Monthly Reports are due the 2nd Friday of the following month. There are several data components from the reports that are used to complete subsequent reports that USCCB/MRS HS/PRS Family Reunification submits to ORR. Please remember to submit your monthly reports on time. This month, please submit your team's training trackers along with the monthly report.

• The 2023 Updated Monthly Report Form can be found here.
• Next Monthly Report is due today - January 12th, 2024

General Reminders

Capacity Issues - If any sub-recipient program experiences capacity issues due to staffing challenges, medical leave, etc., please notify your CSS immediately via email and be sure to include Minh Martinez, Referral and Placement Specialist.

MRIS Updates:

• We are actively working on adjusting MRIS to reflect the new FY23 Level System inputted by ORR. However, in the meantime, 
• Please indicate the level of the case in the PRS reports.