IDHS

The Illinois Welcoming Centers Program (IWC) is a one-stop-shop program model that provides an array of services to immigrants, refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and Limited English Proficient (LEP) populations. A hallmark of this innovative model includes a strength-based and family centered intake assessment that guides the entire case management plan. The Illinois Welcoming Centers Program (IWC) has four fundamental components: Comprehensive Case Management, Community Education, Community Alliances, and Co-location. The goals of the Illinois Welcoming Center Program are to strengthen the overall human service delivery system for immigrants, refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and LEP populations, and to build the capacity of organizations serving immigrant, asylee and refugee communities. The IWC coordinates state and public services across multiple state agencies and other organizations, and partners with community providers to help ensure services are provided in a linguistically and culturally appropriate and welcoming environment. Capacity building, training, and technical assistance will be provided to current and new providers. The purpose is to help strengthen and support new and existing Welcoming Centers.

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SB1810

The program is designed to deliver services in a one-stop human service center model that provides comprehensive and holistic case management, crisis management services, referrals and service coordination to immigrants, refugees and Limited English Proficient (LEP) populations in a linguistically and culturally competent manner. -Provide linguistically and culturally responsive case management and service coordination for immigrants, refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and other LEP individuals and families. Provide emergency services and crisis intervention for immigrants and refugees to stabilize the client's conditions and help find immediate solutions. -Provide referrals for services not offered in-house, which must include follow-up, to ensure client successfully received services. -Organize workshops to help immigrants and refugees expand their knowledge on various topics and resources that will facilitate their integration to life in the U.S. and strengthen the capacity of the immigrant community. -Conduct community outreach activities to educate the public on IWC services. -Facilitate monthly community alliance meetings with local stakeholders who share mutual interest in serving immigrants effectively.

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Nonprofit Organizations;

This competitive funding opportunity is limited to applicants that meet the following requirements: Is a non-profit organization subject to 26 U.S.C. 501(c) (3) in good standing with the State of Illinois. Has experience and successful track record of providing immigrant and refugee services. Has bilingual and bicultural staff providing Illinois Welcoming Center services. Has prior experience or knowledge of the Illinois Welcoming Center program model. Has knowledge and expertise in working with federal and state policies regarding immigrant and refugee status Demonstrates understanding in ethnic diversity of the immigrant and refugee populations and the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate services unique to this program. Is able to meet the program goals described in this NOFO The applicant has met the Prequalification and Mandatory Requirements listed in this funding opportunity. Applicants seeking to provide technical assistance/capacity building must be able to prove expertise and history in that area along with established record successfully training and advising partner organization or agencies must also meet the following criteria: Have at least five years of successful experience in direct services, including: training, monitoring and service evaluation. The capacity to manage system planning and program operation. The capacity to provide technical assistance, collect service data, and generate program reports using the data provided by the service providers via the prescribed database system. The capacity to provide administrative, programmatic, and fiscal development.

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Project Grants

Human Services

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Pre-Award Requirements All successful applicants are required to complete a risk assessment prior to execution of a grant award. The Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ) is one instrument used to assess risk of grantees by identifying an organization's potential weaknesses. The ICQ is accessed through the Grantee Portal.

Application Due Date and Time The Department must receive the Full Application Due on Monday, May 6, 2024 at 5:00pm CST. Applicants must electronically submit the complete application including all required narratives and attachments in the prescribed order. Applications must be sent electronically to DHS.BRIS@Illinois.gov and lauren.reyes@illinois.gov. The application will be electronically time-stamped upon receipt. The Department will ONLY accept applications submitted by electronic mail sent to DHS.BRIS@Illinois.gov. Include the following in the subject line: NOFO number and your agency name. Application submissions or delivery to any other email address or contact, including other IDHS offices or employees, will not be considered for review or funding. Applications will NOT be accepted if received by fax machine, hard copy, disk or thumb drive. Applicants are required to notify the Department within 48 hours of the deadline, if they did NOT receive an email notifying them that their application was received. If the applicant does not receive an email and/or does not notify the Department within 48 hours, their application will be considered a late submission and will NOT be reviewed or scored. The applicant will NOT have the right to protest the submission/receipt of their application to the Department after the 48 hours. In the event of a dispute, the applicant bears the burden of proof that the application was received on time at the email location listed above. Applications received after the due date and time will not be considered for review or funding. All applicants/applications determined to be non-compliant or otherwise determined to be disqualified from consideration will be separately notified in writing, by email, upon determination. This email will be sent to the email addresses provided in the application and will identify the reason for disqualification. For your records, please keep a copy of your submission with the date and time the application was submitted along with the email address to which it was sent. The deadline will be strictly enforced.

Applications that fail to meet the criteria described in Section C "Eligibility Information" will not be scored and/or considered for funding. All applicants / applications determined to be non-compliant or otherwise determined to be disqualified from consideration will be notified in writing, by email, upon determination. This email will be sent to the email addresses provided in the application and will identify the reason for disqualification. ALL applicants must demonstrate that they meet all requirements under this NOFO as described throughout. Grant applications received will be reviewed by IDHS staff, including staff from the Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Services; persons with expertise on immigrant issues may also be included.

Applicants recommended for funding under this NOFO following the above review and selection process will receive a Notice of State Award (NOSA). The NOSA shall include Grant award amount The terms and conditions of the award Specific conditions, if any, assigned to the applicant based on the fiscal and administrative (ICQ), programmatic risk assessments (PRA) and merit-based review. Note: The Department cannot issue a NOSA until the successful applicant has an approved budget entered into CSA. The applicant shall receive the NOSA through the Grantee Portal. The NOSA must be signed by the grants officer (or equivalent). This signature effectively accepts the state award amount and all conditions set forth within the notice. This signed NOSA is the document authorizing the Department to proceed with issuing an agreement. The Agency signed NOSA must be remitted to the Department as instructed in the notice. The notice is not an authorization to begin performance (to the extent that it allows charging to State awards of pre-award costs at the non- State entity's own risk). A written Notice of Denial shall be sent to the applicants not receiving the award.

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Competitive grant appeals are limited to the evaluation process. Evaluation scores may not be protested. Only the evaluation process is subject to appeal and shall be reviewed by IDHS' Appeal Review Officer (ARO). Submission of Appeal Appeals submission IDHS contact information Name of Agency contact for appeals: Lauren Reyes Email of Agency contact for appeals: DHS.BRIS@Illinois.gov Email Subject Line: Appeal (Illinois Welcoming Center 25-444-80-1493) An appeal must be submitted in writing to appeals submission IDHS contact listed above, who will send to the IDHS Appeal Review Officer (ARO) for consideration. An appeal must be received within 14 calendar days after the date that the grant award notice has been published. The written appeal shall include at a minimum the following Name and address of the appealing party Identification of the grant Statement of reasons for the appeal. Supporting documentation, if applicable Response to Appeal IDHS will acknowledge receipt of an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was received. IDHS will respond to the appeal within 60 days or supply a written explanation to the appealing party as to why additional time is required. The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by IDHS within the time period set in the request.

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There is no cost-sharing requirement for this program.

The Welcoming Center is designed to focus on providing services to immigrants and refugees navigate service systems and coordinate services to help customers, especially those with limited-English proficiency and those in crisis.

Successful applicant will be required to submit: a) Monthly expenditure reports in the format prescribed by IDHS. b) Monthly program/service provision reports in the format developed jointly with IDHS. c) End of contract fiscal and program reports as required by IDHS.

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Immigrant Integration, Refugee Social Services

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3/29/2024

FY 2015 : $1,181,772
FY 2016 : $1,361,500
FY 2017 : $2,630,700
FY 2019 : $1,499,000
FY 2021 : $3,700,000
FY 2022 : $5,000,000
FY 2023 : $25,000,000
FY 2024 : $25,000,000
FY 2025 : $25,000,000