The first point of contact with the Children’s Aid Society of Algoma is generally with the Intake department.  When individuals contact the Society to report concerns regarding a child or family or when a parent or child contacts the Society requesting assistance for themselves, they speak to a telephone intake screener. 

There are three telephone intake screeners located in our Central office on Northern Ave.  They receive all of the referrals / contacts for the central region and the East region.  In the North, the screening function is managed within the specific locations including Wawa and Hornepayne. 

When contact is made with the telephone screener all applicable information about the family is collected and documented to determine if child welfare intervention is necessary.  Upon approval to become involved with the family, a child protection worker is assigned to conduct an assessment. Intake, which includes the initial assessment phase, identifies a potentially serious problem and begins the Child Protection helping process.

If ongoing intervention is required, the family is then assigned to a child protection worker with the Family Services Department.  In the North, workers are more generic and rotate intake duties for all of North Algoma and also provide families with ongoing services.

The Society is mandated to provide services 24 hours per day and as a result have an on call system.  Each of the three areas, Central, East and North always have an on call worker available to respond to requests for service.  A supervisor is also on call to provide direction and assistance to the worker.