The sequence of required activities began with a two-week job search workshop. Next, participants completed three months of unpaid work experience (typically 20 to 30 hours per week) with concurrent job club sessions every other week, followed by assessments and referrals to outside education or training programs, if necessary. Part-time employment could substitute for some SWIM activities. People were placed in SWIM if they were applying for or receiving AFDC benefits from participating AFDC offices and met criteria for required participation.

The Grand Rapids LFA program encouraged clients to move quickly into work without being selective about which job to take. Participants spent two weeks in a job club operated by public school staff, then began applying to jobs for up to three weeks. Participants who did not find a job during this period participated in unpaid work experiences, more job searching, vocational training, or basic education. Participants who completed the job club but remained unemployed could receive multiple rounds of short-term education or vocational training for periods of nine months.