Ministry of Human Resources
Regional Services Division

Practice Advisory #12: Intake Appointments for Applicants in Transition Housing

Effective Date: July 31, 2002

Purpose:

The purpose of this practice advisory is to explain the application process for women who are applying for BC Employment and Assistance due to leaving an abusive relationship. This advisory clarifies two possible application processes for women in this situation:

• Women who are staying in a transition house are exempt from the three-week employment search requirement prior to an intake appointment.

For purposes of this practice advisory the term "transition house" includes the safe homes that are funded by the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services in smaller communities.

• Women, who have left an abusive relationship, but are not staying in a transition house, will receive an emergency needs assessment, to determine whether their immediate needs require an expedited application appointment.

Context:

The ministry recognizes that women and children who are fleeing an abusive relationship are in a crisis situation. Exempting applicants who are temporarily in a transition house from the three-week job search requirement assists them to stabilize their situation sooner.

There are reasons why women might not stay in a transition house after leaving an abusive relationship. For example, there might not be a transition house within the community, the transition house could be full, or an alternate safe place to stay might be available on a temporary basis. This does not preclude the need to stabilize the applicant's crisis situation. An emergency needs assessment as set out in Section 6.1 of the BC Benefits Manual must be conducted for an applicant who discloses that she is fleeing an abusive relationship.

Practice Expectation:

Women who are staying in a transition house are to be booked the next available intake appointment, without a requirement for the three-week employment search. If an applicant staying in a transition house indicates that an immediate emergency need exists, that will not reasonably allow the applicant to wait for the next intake appointment (such as a need for medication), an expedited application appointment will be booked as is appropriate to the applicant's situation.

Women who disclose that they are fleeing an abusive relationship, who are not in a transition house, are to be assessed for an expedited application appointment, recognizing the need to stabilize the crisis situation quickly.

Any questions arising from this practice advisory should be directed to the Regional Executive Officer.

Alison Meredith
Assistant Deputy Minister
Regional Services Division