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USCCB HS/PRS Monthly Update
January 2024
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FY 2024 Case Referral Goals | |
Congratulations on reaching our 2023 case referral and acceptance goals in 2023! As we start off this year, we wanted to provide you with our yearly goals and current progress so far. | |
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| Recommended | Accepted | Percentage | | HS | 400 | 46 | 11% | | PRS | 2600 | 150 | 6% | | Total | 3000 | 196 | 17% | | |
HS/PRS New Director's Orientation
Date: Wednesday, February 28th - Friday, March 1st, 2024.
Where: USCCB Office, Washington DC
Who: HS/PRS New Programs and any new HS/PRS Program Directors or Assistant Directors hired recently.
A logistics e-mail with hotel block information was sent on 1/29/2024. A tentative agenda will be shared soon!
If you have questions, please reach out to Simy Cuervo at scuervo@usccb.org.
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USCCB Office Closures & Holidays
USCCB will be closed on the following days:
- February 19th, 2024 – Presidents' Day
- Thursday, March 28th, 2024 – Holy Thursday
- Friday, March 29th, 2024 – Good Friday
- April 1st, 2024 – Easter Monday
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USCCB Q3/Q4 Audit Results and Program Spotlights
These programs received a 100% in either Q3 or Q4!
- CC Arlington - Q4.
- CC Baltimore - Q3.
- CC Houston - Q3.
- CC Newark - Q3.
- CC New York in both Q3 and Q4!
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USCCB HS/PRS Program Assignment
Please see below for our program assignment list. There will be a number of program assignment changes in the coming months due to the addition of new headquarters staff and new HS/PRS programs to our network. These changes have not yet been finalized. Once they have, you will be notified by your CSS.
Simy Cuervo, Associate Director, HS/PRS
- At Promise Youth Solutions
Kailey Cano, CSS
- Catholic Charites of Atlanta
- Catholic Charities of San Diego
- Catholic Charities of Nashville
McKenna Heap-Garner, CSS
- Catholic Charities of Ohi0
- 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
New HS/PRS Programs - To be assigned.
Reach out to Simy Cuervo for current questions.
- Catholic Charities of Dallas
- Catholic Charities of Jacksonville
- We Speak your Name - FL
- Catholic Charities of West Michigan
- Catholic Charities of S. Minnesota
- International Christian Adoptions (ICA) - North Carolina
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For a complete list of ORR policies and procedures, click here.
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Here is the latest UAC program assignment list. Please use this updated list to find the Federal Field Specialist (FFS) when submitting home study reports.
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USCCB HS/PRS ORR Project Officer (PO) is Rebecca Packer as of July 14th, 2023 (rebecca.packer@acf.hhs.gov). The PO is to be copied on certain NOC submissions: Click here to see guidance.
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ORR and Department of Education - Explained Rights of UC to Enroll in School - Click here.
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Sponsor Unification Application App: Click here
- ORR Interpretation and Translation Request SOP
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UC Program Guidance Library: click here
- UC Policy Guide Updates
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UC Policy Guide Update Section 4.3.3: Employee Background Investigations - Click here to see notice.
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Mental and Behavioral Health Services: A list of certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) by state can be found here.
- Over 500 CCBHCs across the country - funded by SAMSHA.
- Provide care regardless of status of ability to pay
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Additional info: click here.
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Updates on Mandated Reporter Guidance: NOC Submission
Please see email from ORR linked below and read carefully as there is information related to submission of NOCs that are relevant to the network.
Please click here for NOC guidance provided by ORR.
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As a reminder, NOCs now need to be submitted within 24 hours of providers learning of the incident.
- Failure to report within required timeframes results in USCCB being out of compliance with ORR policy and procedure.
- You are responsible for uploading the NOC form to the UC Portal (UCP) and flagging sponsors if needed (this must also be done within 24 hours).
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The NOC that is uploaded to the UCP does not need to be password protected.
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However, the email attachment must be password protected utilizing the standard ORR PW.
- Therefore, we recommend you upload the NOC to the UCP prior to emailing to avoid adding and then removing protections (similar to HS submission).
- Per recent guidance, if a Sponsor and Minor change address, we need to submit an NOC for "Change of Address" to document the address change. If you have questions please reach out to your CSS.
- Questions about who you should CC?
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Click here to view the most recent guidance.
Please contact me or your CSS should you have any questions!
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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.
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NEW ORR NOC FORM & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
We would like to provide a re-cap on the new ORR NOC form and email template. (Attached is an example below.)
Please connect with your team and familiarize yourselves with the updated guidance and template and ensure the template is being used and we are uploading NOC's to the UC Portal moving forward.
NOC Update: 9/12/2023
NOC Update: 9/21/2023
NOC Update: 10/2/2023
NEW ORR NOC Template
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NEW ORR PRS EVENT FORM:
- We are working on integrating ORR's PRS Event form into MRIS.
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Event form will be utilized for 14-day, semi-annual, monthly contacts, and case closure reports starting March 1st, 2024. USCCB will host network call on February 22nd, 2024 at 2pm EST to discuss details.
- Case closure reports will incorporate all previous reports.
- Home visit questionnaire will be updated to reflect the PRS event form.
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Service Delivery Reminders:
- Age out cases:
- Minors aging out within 30 days are now being referred again at Level 2
- If a virtual visit will be needed, please reach out for approval.
- 90-day visit:
- All cases should be receiving a 90-day in-person visit; a report is not required for this visit but should be documented in case notes.
- If case closure occurs within 30 days of the 90-day visit, a case closure phone call will suffice.
- TVPRA cases:
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60-day report no longer required
- 90-day visit should be conducted, same as with all other cases
- Case may close after one year if stable.
- PRS Level Assessment:
- Assessment should be completed after the first visit for every case (unless the youth is aging out within 30 days)
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Send completed assessment to CSS if the level will change to L1 or L3
- If the assessment results in a L1 but you believe the case should remain at L2, you may continue serving the case at L2 without CSS approval.
- Save completed assessment in the child’s case file.
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Change in Program Terminology:
HS/PRS
- The HS/PRS program is no longer being referred to as “Safe Passages” or "Family Reunification."
- To be consistent with ORR, please use “HS/PRS” instead of “Safe Passages” and “Family Reunification” when referring to this program.
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USCCB HS/PRS Upcoming Events | |
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Quarterly Network Call
The 2nd Quarterly network call of FY24 is scheduled for:
Wednesday, April 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
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.
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Community of Practice Call
The first Community of Practice call will take place on February 16th, 1pm - 2pm EST.
Use this LINK to access the call via Zoom on the indicated day/time.
Meeting ID: 873 8791 7055
Passcode: 523485
To find recordings of the past meetings see resource section below.
The schedule and topics as follows:
- Capacity Development & Referrals – February 16th, 1pm-2pm EST
- Staff Retention, Self-Care, and Setting Boundaries – April 19th, 1pm-2pm EST
- Home Study Best Practices – June 21st, 1pm-2pm EST
- PRS Best Practices – August 16th, 1pm-2pm EST
- Working with High Needs Cases – October 18th, 1pm-2pm EST
- *Supervision Session – December 20th, 1pm-2pm EST* (supervisors only)
There will be program assignments. Your CSS will reach out to you to let you know.
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HS/PRS Office Hours
The first Office Hours session is scheduled for:
Friday, February 9th, 2024
1 -3:00 PM EST
Use this LINK to access the call via Zoom on the indicated day/time.
To find recordings of past meetings see resource section below.
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USCCB Network Call - PRS Event Form
USCCB HS/PRS program will host a network call to discuss the new ORR PRS Event form on:
Thursday, February 22nd, 2024
2 -3:30 PM EST
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Use this LINK to access the call via Zoom on the indicated day/time.
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USCCB FR Network Meeting Recordings and Handouts:
- First Network Call:
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Click here for the recording and here handout for the first network call of FY24 (held January 24, 2024).
- Password= Standard ORR PW.
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You can also access the materials on MRS connect here.
*Previous calls, resources, newsletters are archived on MRS connect here.
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As a reminder, all NEW staff are required to complete 40 hours of pre-training prior to case assignment.
*FY24 HS/PRS Trainings will be available after the NDO meeting.
Program Directors/Managers:
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Please complete the new FY23 ORR Waiver Training Course found here and on MRS Connect.
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.
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.
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Additional Training Opportunities | |
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FY2023 Completed Training Trackers for ALL staff due to your CSS on 1/31/2024.
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Monthly Webinars: Responding to Foreign National Minor Victims of Trafficking
This training will help participants understand the resources available to assist foreign national minor victims of sex and labor trafficking as well as the reporting requirements under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, as amended. Participants will receive an overview of the process to submit a Request for Assistance to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) as well as gain an understanding of Interim Assistance Letters, Eligibility Letters, and the benefits and services provided to minors who are potential and determined victims of trafficking.
Website Link for Webinar Details
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ORR Learning Center
ORR has created a learning center where required trainings for ALL HS/PRS staff complete.
Please log on to the UC portal and click on the ORR OLC tile to start your courses.
New website with Upcoming related Training:https://orrttacenter.lsidc.net/live-training/
Please reach out to Kailey Cano kcano@usccb.org if you have issues.
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MRS Connect Library
We have started updating and making changes to MRS Connect. Please be patient as we will be redesigning and restructuring but the content is up to date and accessible for use.
If you do not have access please reach out Kailey Cano and Elizabeth Throm.
MRS Connect Link
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Help for Border Crossers from Catholic Organizations
Global Sisters Report launches a new series, "Welcoming the Stranger," which takes a closer look at women religious working with immigrants and migrants. The series will feature sisters and organizations networking to better serve those crossing borders, global migration trends and the topic of immigration in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
Link Here
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USCCB HS/PRS New Program Documents
As many of our programs continue to hire 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:
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New Hire Checklist - Updated as of 10/4/2023.
- Monitoring and Quality Assurance Checklists updated as of 1/31/2024
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USCCB MQA Case File Check List - click here
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USCCB MQA Personnel File Check List. - click here.
Coming soon!
- FY24 Monthly Report Template
- FY24 Training Tracker
- FY24 Program Operations Manual
- FY24 Updated Training Materials
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.
*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.
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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.
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Due dates to Remember:
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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.
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The 2023 Updated Monthly Report Form can be found here.
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Next Monthly Report is due today - February 9th, 2024.
- FY2023 Completed Training Trackers for ALL staff due 1/31/2024.
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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 Level System inputted by ORR. However, in the meantime,
- Please indicate the level of the case in the PRS reports.
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