Addiction and Mental Health - Community Addiction Services

Clinicians work with individuals, and families where appropriate, to assess and develop collaborative treatment goals and service plans.
Services may include:

• short-to moderate term, outpatient counselling
• educational, skill, and support group programs in community and clinic
• referrals to other programs and resources

Addiction and Mental Health - Community Addiction Services, Child, Youth and Families

A range of treatment services to help Albertans improve their health, learn new life skills and recover from the harmful effects of substance use and problem gambling. Range of services include screening, assessment, individual and group counselling, referral to other resources, and aftercare support.

Assessment and treatment will include learning about your past history, present situation and identifying your goals. The counsellor will talk with you about the different treatment options, including counselling to help you reach your goals. Your counsellor will help you choose goals and strategies, make suggestions, and review your progress with you.

The office also offers information and support to anyone (including health providers and employers) about alcohol, drugs. tobaco, and gambling.

Prevention and promotion services are offered to help prevent problems and reduce harm related to substance use and gambling. Services include:

• school programs
• community programs
• workplace programs

Addiction and Mental Health - Community Mental Health Services

Provides outpatient assessment, treatment, and follow-up for individuals experiencing addiction and/or mental health concerns. Clinicians work with individuals across the lifespan, and families where appropriate, to assess and develop collaborative treatment goals and service plans.
Services may include:

• short-to moderate term, outpatient counselling
• educational, skill, and support group programs in community and clinic
• referrals to other programs and resources

Addiction Services - Prevention

Provides prevention services for people, families, schools, communities, and workplaces.

Addiction prevention support may include:

• consultation
• needs assessment
• education
• orientation to prevention best practice
• prevention activity planning
• other support as needed

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

Better Beginnings

Provides Support for women who:

• Need information and support to make health choices during pregnancy.
• Feel alone and isolated.
• Are living on a low income.
• Facing language or cultural barriers.
• Face addiction challenges.

Supports Provided include:

• Information on pregnancy, birth and parenting.
• nutrition advice from a dietitian.
• gift cards and coupons to assist with healthy food choices
• prenatal vitamins and vitamin D for your baby
• Help to quit smoking.
• Information and referrals from additional agencies offer support and services

For more information, visit the Before, During, and After Birth website.

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

Home Care Services

Helps people of all ages that live at home and need support, including:

• nursing services
• personal care services
• respite services
• palliative care
• wound care
• self managed care (SMC)
• living option assessments

Home Care team members meet with clients to assess their needs and create a care plan.

Immunization - Adult Services

This service provides routine immunization for adults. Suggested immunizations:

• a booster dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough)(dTap) every 10 years
• dTap vaccine for pregnant women every time they are pregnant
• Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) for unprotected adults born in 1981 or later. Some adults born before 1981 may need this vaccine if they are at risk for hepatitis B (e.g. health problems, type of work, lifestyle, contact with the virus)
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for adults up to and including age 26 years who did not get it in school.
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine for adults whose immunization records do not show the recommended number of doses of measles, mumps, or rubella vaccine
• Chickenpox vaccine for unprotected adults
• annual influenza vaccine
• pneumococcal vaccine for all adults 65 years of age and older and adults with certain health problems

To find out which vaccines are recommended for you and to book an appointment for immunization, call your nearest community / public health centre. If you are not sure where your nearest community / public health centre is, you can call Health Link at 811. Bring any immunization records you have to the appointment, especially if you were immunized in another province or country.

For more general information about immunization go to ImmunizeAlberta.ca, Immunizations at myhealth.alberta.ca, or call Health Link.

Immunization - Infant and Preschool Services

Alberta Health Services provides routine immunization for infants and children across Alberta. Immunizations are free of charge for infants and children who live in Alberta.
Immunizations are recommended for infants starting at 2 months of age. Routinely recommended vaccines include: diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal, pneumococcal, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox), and influenza.

For the routine immunization schedule, go to immunizealberta.ca.

Additional vaccines may be needed depending on your child’s health conditions or other risk factors.

Immunization is effective. Other than providing safe drinking water, no other health intervention works as well as immunization to reduce disease and death rates. Immunization protects whole communities. The more people who are fully immunized in a community, the safer everyone is.

Immunization is safe. It is much safer to get immunized than to get the diseases that vaccines protect against.

For more information, and to book an appointment, call your nearest community/public health centre. If you are not sure where your nearest community/public health centre is, call Health Link at 811. Bring your child’s immunization record to the appointment, especially if your child was immunized in another province or country.

For more general information about immunization, go to immunizealberta.ca, Immunizations at myhealth.alberta.ca, or call Health Link at 811.

Immunization - School Services

Each year, Alberta Health Services, Public Health reviews immunization records for students in grades 1, 6, and 9 to see what immunizations each student needs. A consent form is then sent home with an information sheet for each vaccine recommended for the student. No immunizations will be given in school without consent from a parent or legal guardian. Immunizations in this program include:

• Grades 1, 6, and 9: Any routine childhood and school vaccines that may have been missed according to a review of the students immunization record on file
• Grade 6: Hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine for students who have not already completed a hepatitis B immunization series and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
• Grade 9: diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (dTap) and meningococcal (Groups A, C, Y, W-135) conjugate vaccine

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.

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.

Postpartum

Provides nursing care and support which may include:

• postpartum primary caregiver health assessment and infant assessment
• breastfeeding support
• infant feeding support
• information about parenting and baby care
• referrals to healthcare providers or community resources as needed

Prenatal Education

Classes can be booked online: Prenatal and Postnatal Class Registration - South Zone

If you have trouble with the online registration process, please email us atSZ.prenatalpostnatal@ahs.ca, or call 403-388-6668 (Lethbridge and area) or 403-502-8215 (Medicine Hat and area).

For questions and for upcoming rural sites class availability, please call the Lethbridge or Medicine Hat office, or contact your local Public Health site.

Visit ahs.ca/prenatal to view virtual tours for Chinook Regional Hospital and Medicine Hat Regional Hospital and to review many other prenatal and postnatal resources.

Preschool Oral Health Services

Fluoride varnish helps protect your child's teeth from tooth decay (cavities). It slows down decay already started.

Your child needs four fluoride varnish visits, six months apart, to best protect their teeth. Fluoride varnish is painted on your child's teeth. It takes less than one minute to apply. You can hold your child during the visit.

You can also ask any questions you may have about protecting your child's teeth.

If your child is diagnosed with asthma by a doctor, bring their quick reliever medication to the appointment. If your child feels anxious with dental visits it may trigger asthma symptoms.

This provincial prevention service is available across Alberta.

For more information and eligibility, visit our website: Preschool Oral Health Services

Public Health Services

Services provided by Public Health Nurses may include:

• immunizations
• communicable disease control (including Tuberculosis)
• prenatal / postnatal education
• postpartum caregiver / newborn support
• breastfeeding / infant feeding support
• health promotion / disease and injury prevention services
• school health services
• preventative oral health services for children
• referrals to other health care and community services as needed

Community Health Centres

School Oral Health Services

Services are offered to eligible schools and may include:

• fluoride varnish, provided to kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2
• dental sealants, provided to Grade 1 and Grade 2

A child diagnosed with asthma must have their short acting asthma reliever medication with them to receive service.

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