6.2 Pre-Intake Orientation
6.2.1 PURPOSE OF THE PRE-INTAKE ORIENTATION
Group sessions provide an opportunity for participants to learn
about the program, to ask questions and to gain information from
others in the group. Where group sessions are not available, or
participants are unable to attend due to extenuating circumstances
(such as a conflict with work schedules), orientation packages
are provided to participants as an alternative.
Participants who are not prepared for the intake interview may
be asked to re-schedule their appointment to allow them time to
adequately prepare. Where participants were excused from a pre-intake
orientation session, they will be referred to the next available
session to assist them to prepare for the intake interview.
The pre-intake orientation provides the participant with the
opportunity to:
- decide whether applying to the program is appropriate;
- approach other resources that may be appropriate;
- review and clarify participant obligations;
- review application documents; and
- prepare for the intake interview.
For more information concerning the pre-intake orientation in
Winnipeg, see sections 6.16.1 to 6.16.3.
Initial application
All single-parent and general assistance participants applying
for EIA are required to attend a pre-intake orientation, where
orientations are available, and to complete the Employment History
and Personal Job Plan see section 6.3.1. Where
there are two adults in a potential GA applicant's household,
both adults are usually expected to attend a pre-intake orientation.
If applicants have full-time employment and cannot attend a pre-intake
orientation due to a conflict with their work schedule, they are
not required to attend. Other reasons for which applicants may
be excused from attending a pre-intake orientation include the
same types of extenuating circumstances that could result in a
deferral of employment expectations.
For more on deferring employment expectations, see section
6.5.3.
When an applicant's immediate need is met prior to attendance
at a pre-intake orientation (see section
6.1.7), the applicant is required to attend a pre-intake orientation
before receiving further assistance.
Case category changes
When an adult who is not an EIA participant joins a single-parent
household resulting in a case category change to GA, both adults
are required to attend a pre-intake orientation, followed by a
new intake appointment to reassess the household's financial eligibility
and service needs (see sections 6.1.4,
6.1.5 and 6.16.7.
File transfers from outside Winnipeg
When participants receiving assistance from EIA offices outside
Winnipeg move to Winnipeg, they are required to attend a pre-intake
orientation in Winnipeg. This is because much of the information
provided at a pre-intake orientation is specific to the local
community. Information unique to Winnipeg is provided at pre-intake
orientations in Winnipeg on many topics, including job leads,
job search techniques, EIA's application and case management process,
and other financial and community resources participants transferring
from EIA offices outside Winnipeg must also attend an intake appointment
to have their service needs assessed and a FEMS code assigned
(see section 6.16.7).
Re-enrollment after case closure
When former participants reapply after case closure and a new
adult has joined their household, if the new case category is
GA, both adults are required to attend a pre-intake orientation.
A new intake is also required to reassess the household's financial
eligibility and service needs (see sections
6.1.4, 6.1.5 and 6.16.7).
When former participants reapply after the case has been closed
for longer than 45 days, attendance at another pre-intake orientation,
followed by an intake appointment to reassess the applicant's
financial eligibility and service needs, is required.
Care and caution indicator
When a prior contact check reveals that a potential re-applicant
may require care and caution on the basis of past behaviour, they
will not be invited to attend a pre-intake orientation. An intake
appointment will be scheduled, following the care and caution
protocol for the centralized intake office.
Pre-intake orientations are customized to meet the information
needs of different groupings of potential applicants. Potential
single-parent and general assistance (GA) applicants with children
attend different pre-intake orientations than childless GA applicants.
Topics covered at the pre-intake orientation session include:
- Overview of Employment and Income Assistance:
- explanation of the last resort nature of the program
- explanation of other potential resources
- explanation of eligibility criteria
- review of program expectations such as reporting income,
seeking maintenance and/or child support, and accessing
all other financial resources.
- Explanation of employment expectations:
- requirement to seek self-sufficiency
- assistance available from staff
- required reporting
- sanctions
- job-searching in the context of the local labour market.
- Discussion of other possible resources or sources of financial
support:
- income support (e.g. EI, CPP, SAFER/SAFFR, CRISP, 55
PLUS, NCB)
- employment search (Human Resources Centres, employment readiness
courses and programs).
- resources to assist in pursuing maintenance (such as the
Child Support Office, maintenance enforcement, legal aid).
- Explanation of application process:
- requirement to complete the "Employment History and
Personal Job Plan" form
- documents and information to bring to the intake appointment
(documents, information)
- questions the worker will ask.
- Discussion:
- worker's card, or name and phone number, given to each
potential applicant
- how to make an intake appointment.
Printed information on most of these topics is available in the
orientation package.
See section 6.12.2 for "Information
Provided at Pre-Intake Orientations in Winnipeg."
The pre-intake orientation package contains basic fact sheets
about EIA. It also contains an "Employment History and
Personal Job Plan" form which the potential applicant
is expected to consider thoughtfully and to complete prior to
the intake appointment.
The pre-intake orientation package is given to all potential
applicants who attend a pre-intake orientation session. Participants
who are required to attend the pre-intake orientation but cannot
do so because of their remote location or extenuating circumstances
are also provided with an orientation package.
The pre-intake orientation package contains basic fact sheets
about EIA, a copy of the EIA application form and material to
complete action plans for finding employment.
For all potential applicants attending a pre-intake orientation,
including single parents with children under six years old, the
EIA application form includes:
- questions regarding the identity of all household members;
- questions regarding current and previous shelter arrangements;
- questions regarding the assets, debts and income of all household
members;
- the education, training and employment history of all adult
applicants;
- the marketable skills of all adult applicants;
- a personal job plan to be completed by all adult applicants;
- some optional information that might assist EIA in meeting
the applicant's service needs;
- a declaration regarding the accuracy and completeness of the
information provided by the applicant; and
- the applicant's consent to the collection, use and disclosure
of any personal information needed to determine or verify household
members' eligibility for EIA.
Potential applicants are advised to complete the entire application
form, including the personal job plan, to the best of their ability
before scheduling an intake appointment. This will ensure that
applicants are well prepared for their intake appointments and
do not experience needless delays in the assessment of their eligibility.
In addition to completing the EIA application form, potential
applicants may be asked to complete certain tasks before scheduling
an intake appointment. Such tasks could include:
- assembling any documents necessary to establish EIA eligibility,
including appropriate identification to verify the identity
of all household members for whom assistance is sought (see
section 6.4.10);
- if a potential general assistance applicant is childless,
that he or she has not unreasonably terminated or refused a
job (see section 6.5.4); and
- how the applicant's employment and other service needs can
best be met (see section 6.16.7).
If the applicant is eligible for EIA, his or her immediate needs
will be met. If the pre-intake orientation facilitator assigned
one or more tasks at the pre-intake orientation, the participant
must complete these tasks before receiving further assistance.
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