Executive/Council Action Form (ECAF)
ITEM TITLE:
Title
Motion 22-051, approve and authorize the County Executive to execute the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services State Afghan Placement and Assistance Program Contract
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DEPARTMENT: Human Services
ORIGINATOR: Nate Marti
EXECUTIVE RECOMMENDATION: Approve - Lacey Harper
PURPOSE: Motion to approve and authorize the County Executive to execute the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services State Afghan Placement and Assistance (SAPA
BACKGROUND: Since Afghans began resettling in Snohomish County in 2021, Snohomish County has been partnering with Volunteers of America Western Washington and Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest to support newly arrived Afghans into Snohomish County. The partners opened the Snohomish County Welcoming Center on October 1, 2021 and since that time, it has served more than 300 Afghans. The model that Snohomish County and our partners created is widely recognized as the "gold standard" for care and service for newly arrived Afghans.
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Office of Office of Refugee & Immigrant Assistance reached out to Snohomish County to ask if we would support up to an additional 150 newly arrived Afghans as the Department of Defense prepares to close bases. This additional work will be supported through a contract with DSHS to offer State Afghan Placement and Assistance (SAPA) program services to SAPA-eligible Afghan settlers for their safe and successful resettlement in our county. Under this contract, Snohomish County and our partners will administer the SAPA program in Snohomish County and ensure the provision of services utilizing our existing partner infrastructures and protocols to serve the additional 150 individuals being resettled in our county.
On January 25, 2022, County staff learned from DSHS that the first family will be arriving next Friday, February 4, 2022 and th...
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