Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) is an eight-month maximum, needs-based cash benefit for refugees and other eligible beneficiaries who are not eligible for other cash assistance programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). RCA recipients must follow program participation requirements that are designed to lead to employment as quickly as possible after their arrival in the United States.

The Refugee Cash Assistance is coordinated through the DES Refugee Resettlement Program FAA Refugee Unit.

Contact Information

Laura Sandez
FAA Refugee Unit
LauraSandez@azdes.gov

Refugee Medical Assistance is a temporary medical benefit for refugees and other eligible beneficiaries who are not eligible for state Medicaid (AHCCCS). In Arizona, RMA is available for refugees who have lost AHCCCS coverage in the first 8 months after arrival due to earnings from employment. More information is available in the documents below. Refugees can apply for RMA through their resettlement agency.  RMA is administered at the RRP office in the Department of Economic Security.  Refugees who apply for and are granted RMA coverage will receive an RMA medical coverage card that they can provide their health providers.  In order for providers to be reimbursed for costs incurred by RMA covered individuals, providers must register with RRP by submitting this W-9.  An RMA Provider Manual is available to providers to explain coverage and billing procedures. This manual is posted below. Providers will be reimbursed on the AHCCCS fee-for-service schedule.

Screening appointments are available for all refugees and other eligible beneficiaries and coordinated through the resettling agency and the screening coordinator.  The clinic cannot accommodate walk-ins for the DME.

Note on Public Charge: Refugees and other eligible beneficiaries are not subject to public charge when applying for adjustment of status or other benefits. Enrollment in RMA will not affect a refugees eligibility for other services or immigration status change.

Domestic Medical Examination Service Providers

Arizona Refugee Resettlement Program Medical Support Staff

The purpose of  Refugee Health Promotion (RHP) is to improve the health of refugees through health literacy initiatives and connecting refugees and other eligible beneficiaries to health service providers.

The Refugee Health Promotion Program is coordinated through the Arizona Refugee Resettlement Program and services are provided through the Maricopa Integrated Health System in Maricopa County and University of Arizona’s Tucson Family Advocacy Program in Pima County.

Contact Information

DES Refugee Resettlement Program
(602) 542-6045

Maricopa Integrated Health System
2601 E. Roosevelt Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85008
(602) 344-1445

Tucson Family Advocacy Program
707 N. Alvernon Way, Suite 101
Tucson, Arizona 85711
(520) 694-1624

English Language Training (ELT) for refugees and those who qualify focuses on English skills necessary for obtaining and maintaining employment and is consistent with national Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) standards.

Service Providers

Friendly House
602-257-1870

Pima Community College Adult Education
520-795-2754

Case management and employment services that respect the cultures and languages of refugees are provided to help refugees successfully resettle in the U.S. and achieve self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. These services are linked to initial Reception and Placement Services and can be available for up to five years from an eligible beneficiary’s arrival or grant of legal status in the U.S. (services are prioritized based on statutorily defined categories of need).

Service Providers:

The purpose of Intensive Employment Services (IES) is to provide intensive employment integration support designed to supplement services offered under RRP’s contract for refugees who are experiencing particular, persistent barriers to economic self-sufficiency. The services offered should expand upon existing employment services to pilot an employment program grounded in the evidence-based Individual Placement Support (IPS) model along with incentive and IPS coordination programming. The site is responsible for the coordination of IPS efforts, including intensive job development and coordination with other service providers, and will also provide direct job development and support services to IPS participants.

Services

Focus on Competitive Employment
Agencies providing IPS services are committed to competitive employment as an attainable goal for participants with behavioral health conditions or disabilities seeking employment. Mainstream education and specialized training may enhance career paths.

Eligibility Based on Participant Choice
Participants are not excluded on the basis of readiness, diagnoses, symptoms, substance use history, psychiatric hospitalizations, homelessness, level of disability, or legal system involvement.
Integration of Rehabilitation and Mental Health Services
IES programs are closely integrated with mental health treatment teams, and IES Service Coordinators and IES Employment Specialists work to develop an in-depth understanding of behavioral health and disability services provided locally to coordinate employment supports through those providers.

Attention to Worker Preferences
Services are based on each person’s preferences and choices, rather than providers’ judgments. Job development is conducted in a manner that meets individual needs and goals. Disclosure of information related to medical, mental health or disability information is left to the discretion of each IES participant and is not shared with potential employers or other service providers without the express consent of the participant. IES Employment Specialists and IES Service Coordinators discuss the pros and cons of disclosure with each IES participant, particularly in relation to potential employment accommodations.

Personalized Benefits Counseling
IES Service Coordinators and IES Employment Specialists help participants obtain personalized, understandable, and accurate information about their Social Security, Medicaid, and other government entitlements.

Rapid Job Search
IES programs use a rapid job search approach to help job seekers obtain jobs directly, rather than providing lengthy pre-employment assessment, training, and counseling. If further education is part of their plan, IES specialists assist in these activities as needed.

Systematic Job Development
Employment specialists systematically visit employers, who are selected based on job seeker preferences, to learn about their business needs and hiring preferences.

Time-Unlimited and Individualized Support
Job supports are individualized and continue for as long as each worker wants and needs the support throughout the duration of IES funded programming. Should a participant lose a job, services are offered to obtain another job. Employment Specialist have face to face contact at least monthly.

Eligibility

This program serves eligible beneficiaries from the below group for up to five years from their entrance date in the U.S.

▪ Refugees
▪ Asylees
▪ Cuban/Haitian Entrants
▪ Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Holders
▪ Amerasians
▪ Victims of Human Trafficking

In addition, eligible participants must fall under one of the following categories:

▪ Participants enrolled in Preferred Communities (Intensive Case Management) programming who are not receiving employment services through that program but seek to obtain employment
▪ Participants with physical disabilities who seek to obtain employment
▪ Participants diagnosed with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) or who seek to obtain employment

Where

The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identify refugee children from birth to age 18 who are without a parent/guardian and are eligible for resettlement in the U.S as an unaccompanied refugee minor. Upon arrival in the U.S., these refugee children are placed into the URM program to receive safe and nurturing foster care placement along with other services and benefits.

The Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program (URM) is currently coordinated through Catholic Charities.

Catholic Charities
(602) 997-6105

The Refugee School Impact (RSI) Program addresses educational needs of refugee children in Arizona public schools through culturally appropriate and language sensitive services that are designed to help refugee children culturally adjust and meet or exceed Arizona’s academic standards.  Supports through this program are available to refugee students for up to three years after arrival in the U.S.  Services are provided directly by schools, along with the support of two refugee school liaisons, one in Maricopa County and one in Pima County.

Coordination Service Providers

The International Rescue Committee (Phoenix)
(602) 433-2440

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest
(520) 721-4444

The goal of the Youth Mentoring Program (YMP) is to promote positive civic and social engagement and support individual education and vocational advancement. To accomplish this goal eligible youth will be matched with positive adult mentors who will provide the youth with personalized interaction. Youth will also be provided case management to support education and career development.

Services

As a part of YMP program the responsible party will do the following:
▪ Perform initial assessment to determine the needs and goals of the youth and develop a plan to meet those goals through educational, vocational, and social activities
▪ Provide case management that includes documenting services provided and the progress of each youth toward meeting the youth’s needs and goals
▪ Recruit and train mentors on how to support refugee youth
Activities under the YMP program will focus around the following areas.
▪ Development of social and life skills
▪ Helping youth to learn American culture while maintaining and celebrating the youth’s cultural heritage
▪ Providing opportunities for social engagement with peers
▪ Providing information about opportunities to participate in civic and community service activities
▪ Supporting youth in learning English, math, and other skills
▪ Providing academic support, such as helping with homework, and assisting with transitions in school such as the transition between middle school and high school or high school to post-secondary education
▪ Helping youth with career development including skill building, resume drafting, worker’s rights, and training opportunities
▪ Supporting youth in developing health and financial literacy

Eligible Populations
YMP program services may be provided to all ORR-eligible individuals between the ages of 15-24. Under the YMP program services may be provided to ORR-eligible youth within the first five years of their arrival but recipients will prioritize services to youth who have been in the U.S. for one year or less and those requiring additional social, academic, vocational, or emotional support.

Where

Services for Older Refugees – Educational and case management services and socio-cultural opportunities for older refugees (60 years of age and older), including assistance with acquiring U.S. Citizenship, are available until U.S. citizenship is achieved.

Service Providers

Area Agency on Aging Region One

Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona
(520) 623-0344

The Arizona RRP works in partnership with AmeriCorps VISTA to support non-profit agencies in central and southern Arizona with creating and developing sustainable projects that promote and enhance effective refugee resettlement and integration. The projects range in scope from job preparation and prevention programs to naturalization preparation.

Contact Information

DES Refugee Resettlement Program
(480) 647-2309

This program is designed to contribute to and enhance the effective resettlement of refugees and other eligible beneficiaries. In order to best assist refugees’ long-term integration, RRP seeks to support new approaches to service delivery that provide enhanced partnerships and leveraging of resources to assist refugees with longer-term support that leads to refugees successfully navigating mainstream services, accessing community support systems, and successfully adjusting to life in their new communities.

Outreach Services

Activities designed to familiarize refugees with available services, to explain the purpose of these services, and to facilitate access to these services, including both refugee-specific services and mainstream services.

Information and Referral Services

Including, but not limited to, short-term training programs based on identified community needs (e.g., transportation trainings, childcare trainings, legal trainings, U.S. law and law enforcement trainings, ongoing orientation needs, etc.) and referral to mainstream service providers.

Social Adjustment Services

Emergency services: 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.

Health-related services: Information regarding appropriate resources; assistance in scheduling appointments and obtaining services; and obtaining counseling for individuals or families to help them understand and identify their physical and mental health needs and maintain or improve their physical and mental health.

Home management services: Formal or informal instruction to individuals or families in management of household budgets, financial literacy, home maintenance, nutrition, housing standards, tenants’ rights, and other consumer education services.

Citizenship and Naturalization Preparation Services

Civics instruction to prepare refugees for citizenship, application assistance for adjustment to legal permanent resident status and citizenship status, assistance to refugees with disabilities in obtaining medical certification for disability exceptions to the English and/or civics requirements for naturalization, and the provision of interpreter services for the citizenship interview.

Capacity Building Services for ethnic community-based organizations and refugee community members

Leadership training and development for predominant and new refugee arrival groups. Assistance in identifying resources and program models and implementing train-the-trainer programs to support outreach and information services.

Volunteer Recruitment and Volunteer Management

Programs designed to support and augment the Center’s activities.

Cultural and Social Services

Provide or identify community spaces for refugees to organize cultural and social events to strengthen social connections and social bonding amongst and between refugees and the broader community (e.g., ceremonies and observance that mark important life transitions such as births, coming of age, marriage, death; cultural celebrations; informational meetings; sporting events, etc.). Coordinate community education opportunities for refugees to teach about refugees’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds and service needs.

Behavioral Health and Occupational Therapy Services

Facilitation and provision of education, workshops and resources to assist refugees with emotional, psychological and physical healing needs.

Education Services

Facilitation and provision of education, workshops and resources to facilitate college readiness events for refugee youth and self-sufficient refugee adults to prepare for, apply to, and attend college programs as appropriate to their individual goals.

Career Advancement Services

Facilitation and provision of regular career advancement workshops, refugee-specific job fairs, and short-term training programs to assist refugees in identifying and preparing to become employed in occupations paying a wage sufficient to meet basic needs for themselves and their families and meet personal occupational goals.

Youth Services

Facilitation and provision of regular opportunities for refugee youth to engage in such activities as high school graduation support or high school equivalency support, creative workshops, sports activities, leadership programming, and socio-emotional learning opportunities.