(a) (1) In counties receiving federal refugee social services or federal targeted assistance funding, or both, the county welfare department shall include in its GAIN plan a section which specifically addresses the provision of services for refugee applicants for, and recipients of, aid pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) and the orderly transition of those applicants and recipients into the GAIN program.
(2) County staff responsible for the administration of Chapter 2 shall work in conjunction with county staff responsible for the administration of refugee programs, as well as with representatives of local mutual assistance associations, voluntary agencies and other organizations involved in refugee resettlement to ensure that the section of the GAIN plan specified in paragraph (1) reflects the needs of the refugee applicants for, and recipients of, aid under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, the services are delivered in accordance with the provisions of that section of the county’s GAIN plan which is specified in paragraph (1), and that this transition occurs as quickly as possible within resources available to the GAIN program.
(b) The department shall annually reevaluate that section of the county’s GAIN plan which is developed pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). This reevaluation shall be made in conjunction with the county’s development of its annual overall GAIN plan update and will be subject to approval of the department.
(c) If a county submits a plan for statutory reductions, as defined in subdivision (h) of Section 11320.21, the county shall assess the effects of these reductions on the provision of GAIN services to refugees and discuss these effects in its statutory reduction plan.
(d) (1) A county may maintain within the GAIN program a supplemental services component for refugees who would otherwise be temporarily excepted from the full range of GAIN services. These services shall complement regular services provided through Article 3.2 to prepare the refugee for self-sufficiency or eventual transition into the GAIN program and shall be funded through federal funds provided by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement. County boards of supervisors may determine how the services are administered, subject to federal funding requirements.
(2) Any county which elects to implement the supplemental services component authorized by paragraph (1) shall fully describe the component in the section of its GAIN plan required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). The description shall specify the types of services planned to meet the special needs of refugees. Those services shall be in accordance with the department’s guidelines governing the use of federal refugee social services and targeted assistance funds.
(3) The GAIN refugee supplemental employment services authorized by paragraph (1) for refugee AFDC applicants and recipients, to the extent permitted by federal law, shall meet the requirements of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training program under Title IV-F of the federal Social Security Act (Part F (commencing with Section 681) of Subchapter 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code), and shall be subject to the approval of the department.
(4) Refugee AFDC applicants and recipients who are referred for participation in the supplemental services component authorized by paragraph (1) shall participate in the component services as a condition of eligibility under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) and shall be subject to the sanctions specified by Section 11320.6 if the services meet the requirements of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training program under Title IV-F of the federal Social Security Act (Part F (commencing with Section 681) of Subchapter 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States Code), and are determined by the county to prepare a refugee for self-sufficiency.
(5) Refugee AFDC recipients already participating in a GAIN component provided through Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 11320) of Chapter 2 shall not be removed from that component for the purpose of participating in the supplemental component authorized by paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
(e) Any county which elects to implement the supplemental services component authorized by paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) shall provide the supportive services described in subdivision (e) of Section 11320.3. These supportive services shall be funded with federal refugee funds. GAIN supportive services funds shall not be used to fund those supportive services.
(f) This section shall be implemented only in counties where federal refugee social services funds or targeted assistance funds, or both, are available to the county.
(Added by Stats. 1990, Ch. 379, Sec. 7. Effective July 20, 1990.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018