The No Wrong Door approach provides clients with a universal gateway to community services and government programs. It enables clients to approach the agency with the problem they need to address, rather than a preconceived idea of the programs or services they think that they should receive. No Wrong Door provides workers with the capability to identify the client's needs upfront and identify the best way to proceed with the client, for example, to refer the client to an external agency or community service, to screen the client for eligibility, or to take an application for benefits. No Wrong Door also incorporates the concept of Priority, Complexity, Risk (PCR), where the agency can provide a differential response based on the client's situation. For example, if a client is homeless and in urgent need of food and shelter, the agency may prioritize that client's application for benefits so it is processed quickly, and assign a specialized worker to work with the client.
CCI provides a flexible approach to the intake process, in that there is no set path that workers must follow. Each of the steps in the intake process is optional for a worker, and the worker decides on the best path based on the needs of the client. For example, if a new client presents at an agency with a number of needs, the intake worker may decide to start by carrying out a triage to identify the client's basic needs. Once the client's needs have been established, services and programs can be identified which address these needs. The intake worker may then continue with a screening to determine the programs for which the client is potentially eligible, and finally complete an application for one or more of the programs. Another client may approach the agency in order to apply for a specific program, in which case the worker can skip the triage and screening steps, and proceed directly to take an application for the program the client is requesting.