AB 2218: Enhanced Services for Asylees and Vulnerable Noncitizens (ESAVN) program.

Existing law, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, establishes the Enhanced Services for Asylees and Vulnerable Noncitizens (ESAVN) program to provide resettlement services for persons granted asylum by the United States Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security or who are eligible to receive refugee cash assistance and services as victims of crime. Existing law requires the program, under the administration of the State Department of Social Services, to provide specified services for up to 90 days within the first year following a persons grant of asylum or eligibility for services as a victim of a crime, respectively.

Existing law requires that grants or contracts awarded pursuant to the program be executed only with nonprofit organizations that meet specified requirements, including that an organization have as least 3 years of experience providing both case management services and culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

This bill would instead require that a nonprofit organization have at least one year of providing the above-described services.

Existing law requires the department, in collaboration with service providers, to determine outcome metrics to define program success.

This bill would require the department to collect data related to those outcome metrics from grantees and post the findings on the departments internet website.