DHS\USCIS: E-Verify Connection for Employers & Workers

E-Verify Connection
A publication of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
September 2012 Issue X

Welcome to E-Verify Connection, an e-newsletter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for U.S. employers and workers. Each issue will bring you updates about E-Verify’s advances and activities, as well as other useful information related to employment eligibility verification. A pdf version of E-Verify Connection is available online. 

What’s Hot in E-Verify?
Announcing the Employee Rights Tool Kit
Workers should understand their rights. The Employee Rights Tool Kit helps our stakeholders educate workers by compiling print and multi-media resources in one online toolkit. This creative new resource features videos, educational brochures, posters, fliers, and more. Topics include E-Verify, Self Check and Unauthorized Practice of Immigration Law. You can view the tool kit, in English and Spanish, in the For Employees section of the E-Verify website and on the Self Check site. Add the Employee Rights Tool Kit link to your website and order your FREE copy of the toolkit on DVD/CDs today.

Tips to Prevent a Mismatch
You now have an additional tool to help E-Verify promptly confirm employment eligibility. The Tips to Prevent a Tentative Nonconfirmation (TNC) webpage gives valuable guidance to reduce the chance that E-Verify will return an avoidable mismatch. For example, remember to use your full legal name, including any hyphens and punctuation, when completing Form I-9, and keep your Social Security Administration (SSA) records up-to-date.

E-Verify Enhancements Make it Easier for You

Great news! U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) just released several new E-Verify enhancements that save you time. You can now access E-Verify from three new web browsers and your mobile devices. And there is a new Quick Audit Report that employers can use to report their E-Verify activity. Learn more by clicking here.

Web-Based Tutorial for Corporate Administrators 

Instead of the limited availability of a live webinar, the new Web-based tutorial for E-Verify Corporate Administrators is available 24/7! Learn more here.

A Self Check Tip

When using Self Check, make sure you select your correct citizenship status and document types to avoid receiving a mismatch. For more Self Check tips, click here. 

Haitian TPS Extension

USCIS has announced that Temporary Protected Status for Haitians will be extended. More information is available here. 

Enrollment Checklist Now En Español

The E-Verify Enrollment Checklist helps employers prepare to enroll. This useful information is now available in Spanish too! See it here on www.uscis.gov/espanol/e-verify.

E-Verify MOUs

USCIS has posted six proposed E-Verify Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in the Federal Register. Three are new, and three are revised versions of the current MOUs. The public comment period ends November 13th.

 Form I-9 Expiration 

Until further notice, employers should continue using the Form I-9 currently available on the Forms Section of www.uscis.gov. Although this current version of the Form I-9 shows the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number expiration date of August 31, 2012, this Form I-9 continues to be effective. USCIS will provide updated information about the new version of the Form I-9 as it becomes available. Subscribe to I-9 Central to receive Form I-9 updates. See the blog for more information.

 I-9 Central Website in Spanish - Coming Soon

¡Buenas Noticias! In October, USCIS will launch a Spanish version of its award-winning I-9 Central website. I-9 Central Spanish will give employers and workers easy access to resources, tips, and guidance on how to properly complete Form I-9. Be sure to see the recently released Spanish language version of the Handbook for Employers (M-274).

E-Verify Outreach

Meet a DHS Expert at an Upcoming Event
October
11, Virginia Statewide Payroll Conference, Richmond, VA

November
8-9, Heartland Latino Expo & Conference, Omaha, NE
28, Human Capital Management Federal Training Event, Arlington, VA

Meet a DHS Expert Online in a FREE Webinar 
October, November and December webinar sessions are available on topics including Form I-9, E-Verify Overview, E-Verify for Existing Users, E-Verify for Federal Contractors and Self Check. Webinars are a great way to learn from our subject matter experts from the comfort of your computer. For more information about how to participate, visit our website at www.DHS.gov/E-Verify and click on Take a Free Webinar.

Stay Connected

Click here to subscribe to E-Verify Connection
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Employee Hotline: 1-888-897-7781
Employer Queries: 1-888-464-4218

E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
M-1011, E-Verify Connection

Health: Take that walk to fight to Diabetes

New on the MedlinePlus Diabetes 

Walkable Neighborhoods Tied to Lower Diabetes Risk

09/24/2012 08:00 PM EDT

People living in communities that lend themselves to walking had a significantly lower risk of developing diabetes than those living in the least walkable neighborhoods in a large new study from Canada.

Source: Reuters Health

Justice Center: Consensus Project Newsletter, September 28, 2012

CSG Justice Center Releases Framework for Reducing Reincarceration and Improving Recovery among Corrections-Involved Adults with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center recently released Adults with Behavioral Health Needs under Correctional Supervision: A Shared Framework for Reducing Recidivism and Promoting Recovery. The report is written for policymakers, system administrators, and front-line service providers committed to improving outcomes for men and women with behavioral health disorders that cycle through the criminal justice system. The framework introduced in the report can be used at the corrections and behavioral health systems level to prioritize scarce resources based on objective assessments of individuals’ risk of committing a future crime and their treatment and support needs.

The report outlines the principles and practices of the corrections and behavioral health systems and a structure for state and local agencies to begin building truly collaborative responses. It dispels myths about the link between mental illness and violence, underscores that recovery and rehabilitation are possible, and calls for the reallocation of resources where they will be most efficient and effective.

To download a summary of the report, click here. To download the full report, click here. More information about this project and related resources also can be found at www.csgjusticecenter.org/mentalhealth/bhcorrframework.

Note: On Tuesday, October 2, the CSG Justice Center will host a webinar that will introduce the underlying principles and potential uses of the framework. To register for the webinar, click here.

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New Resource: A Checklist for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices and Programs for Justice-Involved Adults with Behavioral Health Disorders

SAMHSA's GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation and the Council of State Governments Justice Center have produced an easy-to-use checklist to help behavioral health agencies assess their utilization of evidence-based practices and programs (EBPs). A particular challenge for public behavioral health stakeholders is ensuring that EBPs that address the needs of justice-involved people with behavioral health disorders are available and integrated into existing systems of care. This is most often achieved through the collaborative efforts of several agencies working within multiple systems. The checklist provides guidance on how to build successful cross-system collaboration; asks a series of questions to help agencies determine whether their system has the necessary elements in place to support the implementation of EBPs; and outlines the EBPs that researchers, experts, and practitioners have identified as being appropriate for adults with behavioral health disorders who are involved in the criminal justice system.

The checklist is divided into two sections:

• Section One: Building a Cross-Collaborative System to Support the Implementation of EBPs helps behavioral health agencies determine whether their systems have the critical components necessary to effectively implement EBPs and address the needs of clients who are involved in the criminal justice system.
• Section Two: Assessing and Implementing Effective Programs contains a list of EBPs and promising practices and programs for justice-involved clients. Providers can use this list to identify whether their agencies utilize these key practices and programs or to prioritize for future implementation.

To download the checklist, click here.

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JMHCP Success Story: CIT and Outreach Program Work Together to Help Young Man and His Family

The Council of State Governments Justice Center—which coordinates the Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project—has been collecting stories that will be published monthly about individuals whose lives have improved as a result of their involvement in a Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP)-funded grant program. If you would like to provide a story about a successful client in your JMHCP-funded program, please contact Stephanie Joson of the CSG Justice Center.

This story is about a juvenile enrolled in the Recovery from Serious Emotional Disturbance through Family Interventions and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program. All names and other individually identifying details have been changed to preserve confidentiality.

Grant Program: Justice and Mental Health Collaboration
Grantee Type: Expansion
State: Missouri
Grantee: Missouri Department of Mental Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)—St. Louis
Program Name: Recovery from Serious Emotional Disturbances through Family Interventions and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program.

Over the course of a year, 17-year-old Robert became increasingly reclusive. He had stopped eating regularly and was often angry and easily agitated to the point of threatening his mother. On one such occasion, his mother feared for her safety and called the police. Officers assigned to a specially trained crisis intervention team (CIT) responded and persuaded Robert to let his mother take him to a hospital.

There he was diagnosed for the first time with bipolar disorder and admitted for inpatient treatment. When he was discharged a few days later, psychiatrists gave Robert a prescription for medication and advised his mother to connect him to outpatient psychiatric services.

When the sergeant who heads the CIT program reviewed the incident report filed by the responding officers, he referred the case to NAMI St. Louis, which he felt could provide Robert’s family valuable follow-up services. The organization’s family-outreach professional contacted Robert’s mother and set up an in-person appointment. Over the course of several weeks, the NAMI outreach worker met with Robert, his mom, and his sister numerous times. She listened to his mom and sister describe their feelings of isolation and the heavy emotional burden that Robert’s illness had caused for them both. These conversations provided Robert’s mother an outlet to express her anxiety for her son and concerns for his illness’s impact on her daughter.

To continue reading this success story, click here.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

HIV in Prisons, 2001-2010

This bulletin from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics presents national trends among state and federal prison inmates from 2001 to 2010 in the rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), as well as AIDS-related death rates among this population. To download this bulletin, click here.

Considerations in Assessing State-Specific Fiscal Effects of the ACA's Medicaid Expansion

This brief report from the Urban Institute's Health Policy Center explores how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will impact states. The report's focus is limited to the effect the ACA will have on state costs, state savings, state administration, and state revenue. Developing a definitive fiscal analysis for a particular state requires analyzing unique, state-specific information sources. The goal of this report is to aid those efforts by flagging issues for consideration by state-level analysts. To download the report, click here.

The Affordable Care Act: Implications for Public Safety and Corrections Populations

This report from the Sentencing Project introduces key provisions of the Affordable Care Act as they relate to correctional populations, and includes links to organizations that are closely following the implementation of the act. To download the report, click here.

2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

This survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) showed the rates of recent drinking, binge drinking, and heavy drinking among underaged people continued a decline from 2002. Alcohol use within the past 30 days among 12- to 20-year olds declined from 28.8 percent in 2002 to 25.1 percent in 2011, while binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks on a single occasion on at least one day in the past 30 days) declined from 19.3 percent in 2002 to 15.8 percent in 2011, and heavy drinking declined from 6.2 percent in 2002 to 4.4 percent in 2011. Overall, the use of illicit drugs among Americans age 12 and older remained stable since the last survey in 2010. The survey shows that 22.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug users—8.7 percent in 2011 versus 8.9 percent in 2010. To download the survey, click here.

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CJ/MH IN THE NEWS

Articles from newspapers around the country covering issues at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice can be found on the Consensus Project website. Some recent headlines are posted below.

ENews Park Forest (IL) — Health care law increases number of mental and behavioral health providers

9/25/12 — Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a new program, made possible by the Affordable Care Act, which will boost the number of social workers and psychologists who work with Americans in rural areas, military personnel, veterans, and their families.

Newsworks (PA) — Philly's mental health court celebrates series of successes

9/20/12 — For three years, Philadelphia's Mental Health Court has identified lower-level felons who suffer from mental illness and worked to help them become more productive members of society.

Palo Alto Weekly (CA) — Police training session focuses on mental illness

9/20/12 — In a bid to reduce conflicts and better help mentally ill people, Palo Alto police officers completed an innovative training program Wednesday, Sept. 19.

The Renton Reporter (WA) — Crisis Solution Center another option for offenders with mental health issues

9/19/12 — The Crisis Solution Center was created as a therapeutic alternative for people experiencing a behavioral crisis to go for help, instead of jail or an emergency room.

ThisWeek Community News (OH) — Mental health services added for jail inmates

9/17/12 — The Delaware County commissioners voted unanimously on Monday, Sept. 10, to approve a memorandum of understanding between the county jail and Recovery and Prevention Resources of Delaware and Morrow Counties Inc. to provide mental health services.

Indy Star (IN) — Crisis Intervention Training teaches Johnson County officers to deal with mentally ill

9/17/12 — Forty-five officers, dispatchers, prosecutors and probation officials from Johnson County, Greenwood and Franklin recently attended the Crisis Intervention Training.

Green Bay Press (IN) — Group offers support to mentally ill inmates

9/15/12 — Since March, the Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance of Brown County has provided separate support groups for male and female inmates.

Kent Patch (OH) — Kent cop named Crisis Intervention Officer of the Year

9/14/12 — Kent Police Officer James Fuller was named the 2012 Crisis Intervention Team Officer of the Year by the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County and the Portage County Police Chiefs Association.

KCTV (KS) — New push to get mentally ill out of Kansas jails

9/12/12 — Mental health advocates are looking at a successful jail diversion program to get the mentally ill out of Kansas jails.

Tallahassee Democrat (FL) — Leon commission funds mental-health court with one-time $100,000

9/11/12 — Leon County commissioners voted 5 to 2 to put $100,000 toward one year of competency services to help those with arrested who suffer from mental illnesses.

Santa Maria Times (CA) — Consolidated county mental health facility applauded

9/12/12 — Consolidating mental health treatment services at a vacant facility owned by Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria was heralded Tuesday by Santa Barbara County supervisors, doctors and others as a major step toward meeting the county’s longstanding mental health needs.

SAMHDA: Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Available for Download and Online Analysis

2010 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Available for Download and Online Analysis  The 2010 DAWN emergency department (ED) public use data files are now available for download and online analysis through the SAMHDA website. DAWN is a nationally representative public health surveillance system that continuously monitors drug-related, hospital ED visits and drug-related deaths reported by select coroner and medical examiner offices across the country. All types of drugs (licit and illicit) are covered, including all alcohol involvement for patients under 21, and alcohol involvement in combination with other substances for those age 21 and older. Variables in DAWN provide details on the ED visit, including type of case, case disposition, drug involvement, route of administration, and the number of unique drugs reported. Highlights of the 2010 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Findings on Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits report is available from SAMHSA. The 2004 through 2009 DAWN ED public use data and documentation files are also available on the SAMHDA website for download and online analysis. Access the 2010 DAWN study | View previous years of the DAWN study Learn more about DAWN on the DAWN series home page. SAMHDA is sponsored by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (formerly the Office of Applied Studies), SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is located at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.

CDC: Spotlight on Children

National Preparedness Month: A Spotlight on Children

Categories: General, Preparedness, Response

September 28th, 2012 12:54 pm ET  -  Blog Administrator

by Robert W. Block, MD, FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics

Children are not just small adults; their growing minds and bodies have unique physical, physiological, developmental and mental health needs. These differences become especially apparent—and warrant increased attention and care—before, during and after a disaster strikes.
Children breathe faster than adults, spend more time outside, and have proportionately greater skin surface exposed to the environment, making them uniquely vulnerable to biological or chemical substances. Because these agents are heavier than air, they accumulate close to the ground, right in the breathing zone of children. Children’s organs are also still developing, so lasting damage can be done during a chemical outbreak, and their smaller physical size means they aren’t able to use equipment like oxygen masks or life vests made for adult-sized faces and bodies. Children also require different formulations and doses of medicine than adults, not only because of their smaller size, but also because some medications have different effects in children.

Unlike adults, children are still developing their cognitive skills and ability to process emotions, especially in response to a traumatic event. When children are exposed to circumstances beyond the usual scope of human experience (such as a terrorist attack, natural disaster or acts of violence), they may have difficulty coping and develop a range of symptoms, including depression, anxiety, or, if deaths are involved, bereavement. Disasters are rarely isolated, and often initiate a cascade of secondary stresses and losses. This protracted period of time may be especially significant for a child; a year is a long time for an adult, but for a 2-year-old, it’s half his life. While sometimes harder to detect, children’s emotional and mental health needs cannot be overlooked in disaster planning.



For all of these reasons, children need our help. There are steps families can and should take— like taking time to prepare a disaster readiness kit with non-perishable food, water, medications and batteries; understanding what kinds of natural disasters might happen in your region and how to react; and developing a plan for reunification if you and your child are not together when disaster strikes. Talking to children is important. Children can cope more effectively with a disaster when they feel they understand what is happening and what they can do to help protect themselves, family, and friends. One of the most important things parents can do to reassure their children is to talk to them about what parents, schools and communities are doing to be ready and to have the right things in place in the event of any type of disaster. Learn more about ways you can prepare with resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) at www.aap.org/disasters.

There are also steps the federal government is taking to make sure children are protected:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the leadership of Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, plays a key role in preparing the nation for all types of public health threats, whether nuclear, biological, chemical or natural. When a disaster occurs, CDC supports local and state public health departments to help save lives and reduce suffering. CDC also plays a pivotal role conducting research on infectious diseases and identifying and tracking epidemics. The AAP is partnering with the CDC on a variety of preparedness initiatives, including supporting children and youth with special health care needs. As part of this effort, we are working to make sure that children at high risk for influenza complications receive the seasonal influenza vaccine as soon as it is available, and to treat them early and aggressively if they develop influenza-like illness.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is also helping lead preparedness and recovery efforts. Under the leadership of Administrator W. Craig Fugate, FEMA’s Children’s Working Group has made significant strides toward meeting children’s needs. This month, please join AAP and become a member of the National Preparedness Coalition at http://ready.gov and learn more about what your family, your child’s school and your local community can do to be prepared for an emergency.
• As we speak, Congress is working to finalize key legislation, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) Reauthorization, which would renew and strengthen the nation’s public health and medical preparedness and response for emergencies, including several new and vital provisions for children. Among those advances for children that have been championed by the AAP are provisions that will:
  • Create a National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters, which brings together governmental and non-governmental experts to provide guidance and recommendations on our nation’s medical and public health preparedness for children before, during and after a disaster or public health emergency.
  • Improve the development and stockpiling of medical countermeasures for children;
  • Ensure that public health preparedness programs address the unique needs of children;
  • Prioritize children’s needs within the federal government’s disaster preparedness and response efforts; and
  • Increase pediatric subject matter expertise throughout all national disaster planning and response efforts.

During National Preparedness Month, let us all take a moment—parents, pediatricians and the federal government alike—to refocus our awareness and renew our commitment to improving the lives of children affected by disasters. No step is too small to take, and no time is better than now.