pals intake process

This summary is to explain the process you will be going through to become a PALS volunteer. It lets you know what to expect once you have submitted your application.

Intake Flow Chart

You will receive an email, letting you know that your application has been received. If you do not have an email address, you will be phoned. If you have not submitted both parts of the application, we will ask you to submit the missing part.

PALS does two series of intakes per year - one in January/March and one in September/October. Intake sessions are held at these times due to the heat buildup which can occur in the PALS offices during the warmer weather.

When the time for the next intake approaches, the first step is to book interviews. You will be contacted at that time (usually via email) to arrange for an interview. All the other applicants will be contacted at the same time. By necessity, interviews are booked on a first-response / first-choice basis.

The primary purpose of the interview is to find people who are suitable for the PALS program. The best way to prepare for the interview is to think of it as a job interview. However, we do ask you to bring your pet with you to the interview. It gives your pet a chance to see the PALS office and to realize that it isn't a scary place. When you come for your interview, we will ask you to provide written proof of your pet's protection against rabies (it will be photocopied and the original returned to you).

If your interview goes well, you will be invited to attend a Pet Screening with your pet. When you are back for the Pet Screening, your pet will likely feel a little more at ease since he will have already been to the office.

The purpose of the Pet Screening is to find pets that are suitable for the program. While the focus will be on the pet at that time, we will also be assessing how well you handle your pet in a group situation. You and your pet will be taken into a separate room where specific tests will be done (how your pet reacts to wheelchairs, crutches, being picked up or handled etc.) You will know on the day of the Pet Screening whether or not your pet has passed. We will tell you, but one other way that you will know you have passed is that a picture will be taken of you and your pet.

Following your successful screening, you will be provided with the necessary paperwork to apply for a Calgary City Police (CPS) clearance, sometimes referred to as a Police Information Check (PIC). This clearance is required by Alberta law and no volunteer can start visiting until it is completed. Between the Pet Screening and the Orientation session (more about that below), we will look at your schedule, where PALS is in need of volunteers and where you live and try to find a placement which works. Since the vast majority of the need for our visits is with seniors in long-term care, it is most likely that type of facility would be where you are placed.

Ten days after the Pet Screening (usually on a Wednesday evening), you will be expected to attend an Orientation Session if at all possible. This session is held at the PALS office and is designed to help prepare you for visiting. Depending upon where you are placed, you may also be required to attend a facility orientation.

When you receive your completed Police Clearance, you are asked to fax it to the PALS office, and then to mail the original. We will notify your Team Leader and the facility that you are ready to start visiting.

If you have any questions or concerns about the intake process, please do not hesitate to contact PALS.