Addiction and Mental Health - Domestic Abuse Response Team

Domestic violence can take many forms, including verbal, physical, sexual, psycological, emotional, spiritual, and the violation of rights which can happen in any relationship based on intamcay, dependency, or trust. The Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) offers specialized support to patients of all genders who are experiencing any form of domestic violence. Individuals do not have to be in a crisis to access the DART response, and can request a referral at select emergency departments, urgent care centres, and maternity units. Participation is voluntary and at no cost to the patient.

Although, as of November 30th, 2023, the DART project has sunset, domestic violence services are still being provided through localized shelter response, while individuals are present within the Alberta Health Services (AHS) or Covenant Health facility. Referrals of patients to the respective shelters remain confidential, nonjudgemental, and choice-based. A referral is initated through the patient or by an AHS or Covenant Health employee. A shelter responder will connect with the individual over the phone to conduct further assessment and provide the following services based on their needs.

• emotional support
• information and education about domestic violence
• assistance with safety planning
• information about and referrals to local supports, including financial assistance, counselling, food bank, etc.
• assistance with contacting local law enforcement and / or Children's Services
• access to safe accommodations, including emergency shelter or hotel

This service is provided by AHS or Covenant Health and external shelter service providers.

Audiology and Children's Allied Health Services

Services are goal-driven; starting and continuing services is based on having functional reasons / goals for rehabilitation. The length of service will vary and is based on a child's needs and goals, and the availability of local programs. Assessment is part of rehabilitation and it comes in many forms. The purpose is to understand your child's strengths and needs. We will talk with you about next steps that guide the (rehabilitation) care plan. We will work together so you and your child are supported to move to the next developmental stage or between providers and services. Families and caregivers are actively involved as therapy may look like "play", depending on your child's age. We want to understand what's important to your child and family (what matters to you) e.g. daily routines, family and friends, activities you enjoy and we'll work with you to find home ideas that fit with your life. Services may be in-person, by phone, or videoconference. They may be in a group or one to one. Services provided are related to (neuro)developmental and / or medical conditions.

Team Based Services
Are provided for children with a variety of needs.

• hearing - responding to sounds, noise, voices, words
• moving - sitting, crawling, walking, coordination
• using hands - playing with toys, using utensils
• taking care of self - dressing, toileting, doing chores, sleeping
• equipment needs - wheelchair, splints, orthotics, walking aides, adaptive aides, seating clinic
• physical symptoms - pain, muscle / joint tightness, breathing, head shape, sensitivity to noise or touch
• managing emotions - behavior, becoming overwhelmed
• communication - understanding directions, babbling, using words and sentences
• clear speech - being understood by others, stuttering, voice quality
• eating, feeding and swallowing - coughing, gagging, choking, refusing to eat certain foods
• diagnostic clinic for queries on Autism Spectrum Disorder and other diagnoses in partnership with pediatricians

Audiology
Helps children and their families with hearing and hearing health, so they can participate in activities that are important to them.This service supports children's:

• hearing - screening and assessment to identify hearing loss
• management of hearing loss
• hearing health

Occupational therapy services
Supports children and their families with self-care; eating, feeding and swallowing; and motor development, so that they can participate in activities that are important to them.

• motor development
• self-care - dressing, toileting, sleeping, personal hygiene
• participation in activities typical for their development, such as play
• eating, feeding and swallowing
• specialized equipment - access and use (e.g., seating clinic)

Physiotherapy
This service supports children and their families with development and movement, so they can participate in activities that are important to them.

• motor development
• movement and function
• specialized equipment -access and use (e.g., seating clinic)

Speech-Language Pathology
This service supports children and their families with communication and eating, feeding, and swallowing, so they can participate in activities that are important to them.

• communication (speech, language, voice, resonance and fluency)
• eating, feeding and swallowing

Available at some locations:
Child and Youth Developmental Specialists and Social Work

Cafeteria Services

Cafeteria services offer food and beverages at Alberta Health Services facilities. Catering services and vending machines are available at some sites. Each cafeteria services site team is dedicated to creating great food, inspiring healthy eating, and providing outstanding customer service to support the health of Albertans.

**Please note hours of operation may vary from site to site.

Continuing Care Services (East)

Provides care for people with long-term health concerns. In addition to 24 / 7 residential nursing care, this service offers:

• physical, occupational, or recreational therapy
• pharmacy, podiatry, social work, or pastoral counselling services

Also offers services for clients who live in the community, including:

• respite
• day programs

Visit the Alberta Health Services Continuing Care website for more information.

Emergency Services

If you have an emergency, call 911.

Emergency departments:

• take care of people that are very sick or injured on a priority basis. This means the sickest people are seen first. If you go to an emergency department for care that isn't urgent, you will not likely be seen right away.
• provide medical care, which includes assessment and treatment
• stabilize people and get them ready to transport to a higher level of care facility (if needed)
• provide follow-up care including referrals to a family doctor or specialist (if needed)

Emergency Department wait times are now available for Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Red Deer.

Get the right care when you need it, to learn more visit Know Your Options

This service may be impacted by the COVID pandemic. View the Hours of Operations to see if the location has been impacted. Visit https://ahs.ca/covid for up-to-date information.

Environmental Public Health - Water Sample Bottle Pick-up and Drop-off

Drinking water, beaches and swimming pool water can be tested. Chemical water sampling testing is available and looks for common chemicals and trace metals found in water. Bacteria water sampling tests water samples for indicator bacteria to ensure water is safe.

For additional information,

• Environmental Public Health - Drinking Water
• Sample Your Water - Environmental Public Health
• Testing your drinking water in Alberta

General Radiography (X-Ray)

General Radiography uses x-rays to produce images of the structures inside the body, particularly bones. X-ray beams can pass through the body, but they are absorbed in different amounts depending on the density of the material they pass through.

Health Information - Access and Disclosure

In accordance with Alberta's Health Information Act, this is a service which enables the release of individually identifiable health information with or without the consent of an individual.

For health information, please contact the hospital or health care centre where you received treatment.

For detailed instructions, frequently asked questions and forms, please visit Access & Disclosure | Alberta Health Services.

Health Information / Records Management

Completes patient charts, collects data, data entry and coding, collects patient information, dictates notes, and transcribes inpatient and outpatient charts.

Hospitals

To access contact information and a list of services offered, select a hospital.

Search through a complete list of progams and services, or hospital and facility information with the following:

Find Healthcare:

• Progams & Services
• Hospitals & Facilities

Laboratory Services

Laboratory Services provides collection of blood and body fluids for tests ordered by your doctor or healthcare provider including a comprehensive range of routine and specialized lab testing and clinical consultations:

• blood and body fluid sample collection
• biochemistry and toxicology
• electrocardiogram (ECG)
• genetics and genomics
• urinalysis
• transfusion medicine
• hematology
• coagulation studies
• microbiology
• public health testing
• serology
• surgical pathology
• cytopathology
• autopsy pathology
• student practicum training for medical lab technologists and medical lab assistants

Note: Some locations may not offer the full range of testing. To confirm availability of a specific test, contact the location.

APL Booking Line: 1-877-702-4486 or book online.

Occupational Therapy - Adult Community & Outpatients

Occupational Therapists enable people of all ages to engage more fully in the activities of everyday living. They work together with clients, their families and caregivers to develop ways to help clients reach their potential in caring for themselves, working, and enjoying life.

Pediatric OT services are accessed through the Children’s Allied Health Department in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

Patient Food Services

Patient Food Services overarching objectives are to:

• Offer quality food and food choice, to support Patient Centered Care
• Work with the whole care team to ensure that Meals Matter
• Foster a positive meal experience that results in enjoyment of meals, as well as improved satisfaction and food intake that supports recovery
• Provide menus that are based on “Canada’s Food Guide” and that are adaptable for therapeutic requirements
• Offer appealing food that encourages eating for health
• Provide meal service styles appropriate to the patient population (e.g. tray service, dining room service) and meal delivery systems that support safe high quality food served at appropriate temperatures to the correct patient / resident

PFS delivers more than 31,000 patient/resident meals each day within AHS facilities.

Patient Information

Services offered:

• responding to patient location inquires
• providing direction on a patients whereabouts

Physiotherapy - Inpatients, Outpatients & Community

Rehabilitation service to help restore maximum function and independence through:

• education re: injury management and prevention
• orthopedic injury or surgery rehabilitation
• falls prevention
• chronic pain management
• functional restoration
• neurological rehabilitation
• gait, balance and coordination re-education and training

Services are available at outpatient hospital clinics, community health centres, patient's homes and continuing care / long term care centres.

Note: Services vary by community. Please call for information.

Physiotherapy Therapy Acute Care Services

Physiotherapy Hospital Services provide prevention, evaluation and treatment of physical dysfunction resulting secondary to disease, disability or injury. It is based on the science of movement. Assessment by a physical therapist may include examination of posture, strength, flexibility, joint mobility, coordination, balance, cardiopulmonary status, gait, and pain, in addition to the functioning of the client.

Registration

Patient Registration registers:

• and pre-registers patients and collects demographic and financial information
• patients for inpatient admissions, ambulatory clinic appointment, and emergency department services

Sexual and Reproductive Health

Confidential services may include:

• birth control information, prescriptions and supplies
• no-cost birth control for those who qualify
• emergency contraception (e.g., morning after pill)
• STI, HIV, and syphilis testing
• STI treatment
• pregnancy tests
• pregnancy options decisions support (parenting, adoption, abortion)
• post abortion check ups
• general information and support after a sexual assault
• vaccine information (e.g., Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and HPV) and administration of provincially funded;vaccine for eligible clients

Not all services are available at all clinics. Contact a clinic directly to book an appointment.

For information about clinical services across Alberta visit our Website

Health promotion and education services include:

• sexual health educational presentations to various groups
• teacher support for the sexuality part of the Alberta Education Curriculum

Speech Language Pathology - Adult

Speech-Language Pathologists evaluate, diagnose, treat and enhance function in both communication (speech production, receptive and expressive language, cognition, voice, resonance, fluency, and hearing) and swallowing, including related feeding behaviors. Taking a lead role in advocating for and implementing Communication Access (i.e., low tech solutions to high technology solutions for individuals who are not able to use their voice for short term or long term reasons).

Intervention includes:

• health promotion
• capacity building
• prevention and wellness
• triage
• screening
• clinical assessment
• diagnosis
• individual and group treatment
• partner training
• education
• advocacy
• counseling
• self-management
• case management
• consultation
• referral and environmental modifications to facilitate communication and safe feeding and swallowing

Speech-language pathology may support individuals experiencing;

• stroke / head injury
• dementia
• neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease
• developmental delays
• other neurological / degenerative diseases such as ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
• people who use their voice professionally (e.g., teachers and lawyers)

Works with individuals to;

• produce sounds/articulate, reduce stuttering
• understand and use language
• use the voice in a healthier way
• learn another way to communicate (through a communication board or other device)
• learn ways to make swallowing easier to prevent food from entering the airway or choking
• read or write after changes to the brain
• thinking skills around communication (like memory, problem solving, and verbal reasoning)
• word finding

Switchboard

These services include:

• answering incoming telephone calls
• transferring telephone calls and
• giving out authorized telephone numbers

Therapeutic Recreation - Community & Outpatient

Helps people with physical, social, emotional, and mental challenges that affect their leisure activity by assessing their needs and strengths, developing, following and evaluating a therapy plan. Teaches how to use resources and take part in recreation and leisure activities by:

• improving coping and reasoning skills
• supporting new learning
• supporting greater independence and quality of life
• increasing self-efficacy and adjusting to disability
• reducing stress, depression, and anxiety
• promoting a positive attitude
• teaching how to reduce the risk of falls
• improved memory and cognitive functioning

Volunteer Resources

Our volunteer roles share a commitment to improving the quality of the patient and family experience.

Volunteers are:

• way-finders who help guide patients and families around our busy facilities,
• friendly visitors who spend time with our socially isolated patients,
• patient and family advisors who provide input and direction to AHS on numerous committees,
• supporters of our volunteer retail operations - where the proceeds are returned to AHS to provide patient care and comfort.

For general information about volunteering with AHS please visit our website.