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From:Kim Jacobson <br />To:Wilson, Robert <br />Cc:Kim Jacobson <br />Subject:Leased Office Space Consideration <br />Date:Tuesday, May 24, 2022 2:08:14 PM <br />Attachments:image001.png <br />CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL <br />Robert, <br />Thank you for the time to meet today and discuss a potential space collaboration between Cass <br />County and Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone. AVHSZ has expanded its services and has a specialty <br />team located in Fargo. We are seeking office space to support the needs of our 9+ member team <br />and clients. <br /> <br />Our newly expanded services includes the administration of the URM (unaccompanied refugee <br />minor) program. URM is a federal program that serves eligible and approved refugee youth. There is <br />a federal agreement between the State of North Dakota and the Office of Refugee Resettlement <br />(ORR) to provide these services in North Dakota. AVHSZ is one of 15 programs in the nation that <br />administers this program. The closest neighboring program is in Michigan. ND DHS partners with <br />AVHSZ in the delivery of this program. The URM program is part of the ND DHS Refugee Coordinator <br />Division and has close coordination with ND DHS Children and Family Services Division. As a point of <br />reference, the URM program mirrors domestic foster care whenever possible. Culturally sensitive <br />placement services are a high priority for the program. <br /> <br />The URM program has been successfully administered in North Dakota since 1981. Until January <br />2021, the URM program was administered by Lutheran Social Services. Upon their closure, the <br />program moved temporary to ND DHS and at that time I was named the legal guardian of URM <br />youth in North Dakota. This relationship continued until early 2022 when AVHSZ was named the <br />subrecipient grantee of ND DHS to administer the URM program and began to employ dedicated <br />URM personnel as part of the AVHSZ family. All AVHSZ URM team members are official employees <br />of Traill County. In my official capacity as AVHSZ Director, I continue to serve as the court-appointed <br />legal guardian of URM youth placed in North Dakota as well as serve as the legal appointing <br />authority for the AVHSZ URM team. <br /> <br />AVHSZ has a dedicated team to provide URM services. This 9-member team includes case <br />managers, foster care licensing specialists, and a lead worker. They are located in Fargo as the <br />majority of youth in the program are located in the Fargo area. In addition, Beth Morrow, AVHSZ CFS <br />Supervisor and myself provide supervision and oversight over the URM program. There are currently <br />44 youth served by the program with some growth anticipated. URM youth placement trends follow <br />world-wide humanitarian efforts. Our newest arrival is from Afghanistan. We will be also preparing <br />for future arrival of Ukrainian youth. Current youth served by the program include Mid-East/South <br />Asia, Africa, and Central American countries. AVHSZ provides foster care case management services, <br />independent living services, family strengthening services, and foster care licensing services and <br />partners with other agencies to ensure housing, medical, educational, social, and mental health <br />needs are met. <br />