The ground work for the program, laid when team member invited clients to report at the same time and place, is discussed; the formation of the induction group, designed to focus on clients' offending behavior, is examined. The team context is analyzed, and examples of different team approaches to developing an intake model are given. The role and stance of management are assessed; the rationale for induction, assessment, introduction, and intake groups is supplied. Pregroup planning and group structure are considered, and the 'after- group' stage is addressed. Further, the need for team members to evaluate their actions and to be aware of the actions of other team members is cited. The four major steps in evaluating the group process are discussed: clarifying, working out a strategy, administering the plan, and making sense of the information collected. The importance of practitioners reporting the results of their evaluations to others, possibly through ongoing meetings or newsletters, is emphasized. Management issues raised by the intake groups are identified, and the use of coercion is considered. Finally, the development of intake groups in different settings and agencies is addressed. Three figures and 48 references are included.