1. Refugee and Immigrant Citizenship Initiative
    1. Citizenship Education - An important purpose of this initiative is to implement community-based, classroom instruction for Citizenship Education. Allowable activities include, but are not limited to:
      1. Recruitment and training of volunteers/instructors;
      2. On-going review and evaluation of curricula;
      3. Recruitment, screening, and placement of clients;
      4. Instruction in English language and civics in preparation for the naturalization process;
      5. Coordination with or provision of application services.

      Providers should address:

      1. The special needs of women, the disabled, and the elderly as appropriate to program design;
      2. The ways in which client ethnicity affect curriculum content and/or instructional methodology;
      3. The availability of services beyond normal work hours;
      4. The geographic accessibility of services.
    2. Application Services - Allowable services include, but are not limited to:
      1. Client outreach;
      2. Application instruction;
      3. Application review/quality control;
      4. Preparation for USCIS testing;
      5. Volunteer recruitment, training, and coordination;
      6. Coordination of group swearing-in events.
    3. Technical Assistance/Legal Services/Research -Allowable services include, but are not limited to:
      1. Consultation and training on legal issues as they apply to naturalization.
      2. Monitoring USCIS policy and procedure to assure that citizenship programs are responsive to changes as they occur.
      3. Conducting materials research, leading toward enhanced assessment, education, testing and application procedures.
      4. In consultation with direct service providers, assuring that clients are fully eligible for the naturalization process, and that clients with unusual circumstantial backgrounds are fully aware of potential barriers to successful naturalization.
      5. In consultation with direct service providers, coordinating the development of guidelines for the placement of clients within appropriate service tracks: e.g. need for intensive citizenship education contact hours, moderate contact hours, or short term hours; suitability for immediate application assistance; need for citizenship education with English language training component.
      6.  Assist in the promotion of public awareness and special events.
    4. Providers must implement services as proposed.
  2. Immigrant Family Resource Program
    The Immigrant Family Resource Program (formerly Outreach and Interpretation) is administered by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights on behalf of IDHS. Providers must implement services as proposed. Failure to perform will result in corrective action, including the possibility of contract termination.
    1. Case Counseling, Case Management, and Referral Services - Agencies provide bi-lingual case counseling services through one-on-one meetings with immigrants and/or immigrant families to determine their needs, identify appropriate safety net programs and services, and assist clients in applying for/accessing these programs. Agencies mediate with IDHS as needed to insure receipt and maintenance of IDHS-administered benefits. Persons not eligible for IDHS-administered benefits are referred to and assisted with accessing other safety net programs. Case management includes the above services with the addition of a service plan of action for the client's family and periodic follow-up with the client. Follow-up includes assisting clients in required reporting and other measures needed to maintain benefits.
    2. Interpretation and Translation Services - Agencies assist immigrant clients in applying for and maintaining benefits by providing skilled language interpretations between clients and IDHS or other agency staff, in person or by phone. Interpretation work plans may include co-location of agency staff at IDHS offices for set time periods each week. Language interpreters must have the capacity to fully understand and negotiate the application and re-determination processes of a range of IDHS public assistance programs. Translation services are limited to verbal translations of brochures, forms, and application instructions as required to access services. Unlike interpretation, translation services do not include language mediation between parties.
    3. Outreach - Outreach activities provide general information on public benefit programs and other safety net services, eligibility criteria, and immigration-related consequences to immigrants and service providers with immigrant clients. Outreach activities must be linked to the provision of case counseling, case management, interpretation, and/or translation services.
  3. Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements (other than Refugee Social Services)
    1. Monitoring and Programmatic Review
      IDHS or another authorized representative have the right to examine all records, books, papers, or documents related to the contract.
      Providers should anticipate on-site programmatic review by ICIRR, as appropriate, and/or IDHS staff twice a year. The on-site visit will include a review of case files to determine accuracy of record keeping, compliance with reporting requirements, as well as agency performance.
    2. Reporting to Illinois Department of Human Services
      1. Refugee and Immigrant Citizenship Initiative: Agencies are responsible for submitting quarterly service reports, including required demographic data, on the forms provided by IDHS.
      2. Immigrant Family Resource Program: Agencies must submit quarterly performance reports to ICIRR, which includes a performance report and a narrative report. ICIRR is responsible for submitting quarterly reports to IDHS.
    3. Documentation Requirements for Immigrant Services and Special Projects
      Agencies should be prepared to document service provision to their targeted population and documentation may differ across approved special projects depending upon the nature of the project. Using the approved workplan, agencies will need to have supporting documentation that verifies the submitted narrative report. Verification may include, but is not limited too, client attendance lists/sign in lists, printed schedules of activities, flyers, etc.