ON-RESERVE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Income Assistance and Pre-Employment Supports Program
The Social Development Program provides advisory and support services to its member First Nations in delivering Income Assistance, Pre-Employment Supports, and Assisted Living Programs.
The Day-to-day operation of our program consists of:
- Monitoring the administration of the Social Development programs.
- Providing support and assistance to First Nations in the delivery of their Social Development Programs.
- Advising of new policies, programs, legislation and regulations affecting the Social Development Program.
- Providing training to new Social Development staff at First Nations.
This is a program of last resort for eligible individuals and their families who are ordinarily resident on reserve.
Income assistance includes funds for:
- basic needs (such as food, clothing, and rent and utilities allowance)
- special needs (such as essential household items, personal incidentals and doctor-recommended diets)
- pre-employment and employment supports to move individuals toward self-sufficiency (such as life skills and job training)
Individuals who believe they may be eligible will need to meet all the following criteria:
- ordinarily resident on-reserve
- eligible for basic or special financial assistance
- can demonstrate they have no other source of funding to meet their basic needs
An individual who is eligible and applies for income assistance will be assessed according to the criteria of individual’s:
- financial need
- employability
- family composition and age
- available financial resources in the household
Assisted Living Program
Provides limited and insufficient funds to help provide non-medical, social support services to seniors, adults with chronic illness, adults with disabilities (mental and physical) on reserve to help them maintain their independence.
There are three major components:
- in-home care
- adult foster care
- institutional care (for those needing personal non-medical 24-hour care)
Services can be provided to individuals residing on-reserve, or ordinarily resident on-reserve, who has been formally assessed by a health care provider as requiring social support services.
Individuals must not have the means to obtain such services themselves, or access to other sources of support from the federal or provincial governments.