After a period on the program waitlist, you will be invited to meet with a selection panel that will determine your eligibility for Direct Funding. You will be given resources Link opens in new tab and support to help you prepare for the interview. Even if you have managed staff on a payroll before and you’re familiar with employment law, it is best to review the all the information on the website, including the study materials Link opens in new tab. You must also be able to discuss your needs and be familiar with the schedule of attendant services you requested in your application. Please bring a copy of your application; if you need to update the information on the application, it’s best to provide it to the panel in advance. The interview will last 2 to 3 hours, so please keep this in mind when arranging transportation.
The panel will ask you to explain your needs and how you think Direct Funding will work for you. You will be asked about your current attendant services, how they work or don’t work for you and how managing your own attendants on Direct Funding would be different from your current situation. How many visits (or shifts) do you anticipate needing throughout the day and how long will each visit be? If you have only ever received help from family and friends, you will need to think about grouping the activities they assist you with into efficient blocks of time when you would schedule attendants.
You will be asked some basic math questions since the panel needs to see you can manage the funds that would be granted to you. While you will hire a bookkeeper to help you on Direct Funding, you are personally responsible for both the funds and the work your bookkeeper does for you in maintaining your payroll.
The panel will question you about employee payroll deductions and the costs related to being an employer (mandatory employment related costs, or MERCs); these are described in the program Application Guide which can be found here Link opens in new tab on the Direct Funding website. You will also answer questions about general employment legislation.
Sample interview questions can be found on the How to Prepare Link opens in new tab page.
Each applicant is interviewed by three panelists (the panelists are also aided by a note taker, who does not participate but works remotely by telephone).
- A representative from the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT), which administers the program
- A representative from the local Independent Living Resource Centre Link opens in new tab
- A peer or local “consumer” of attendant services (typically, a Direct Funding program participant).
The panel meets after the interview to determine if an applicant is eligible based on the Eligibility Criteria Link opens in new tab. Typically, the program will respond to the applicant in writing within three to six weeks of the date of the interview. Applicants who are eligible will receive an information package about getting started; applicants who are not eligible will receive a letter identifying all the eligibility criteria they did not meet.
