Community Helpers Program

The Community Helpers Program takes place in community-based settings (schools, workplaces, community organizations) and enhances community capacity for mental health through an assets based approach. Primarily, the Community Helpers Program targets youth and young adults between the ages of 12-30.

In every community there are people whom others naturally turn to for support. They are from all walks of life and are considered by others to be helpers. Helpers possess characteristics like empathy, care, and compassion. The Community Helpers Program identifies these helpers and offers training to strengthen their natural abilities. Helpers learn a variety of topics and skills including effective communication, self-care, coping with stress, knowing when to refer people to professional services, handling crisis situations, and suicide awareness. In addition to developing skills and increasing knowledge, Helpers are introduced to community services and professional supports. This connection bridges informal and formal supports in the community, enabling helpers to refer peers and family to expert support when needed.

Objectives of the Community Helpers Program include:

• Bridge “formal” and “informal” support for young people
• Early identification of young people who may be at risk
• Prevention and early intervention
• Provide young people and community with accurate information and resources
• Link young people to existing service providers
• Build community capacity for mental health promotion
• Reduce stigma of mental health and suicide by raising awareness and understanding of the factors that contribute to poor mental health and suicide

This is NOT a counselling or crisis service. If this is an emergency please call 911. If you are needing to speak to someone, please call Health Link at 811.

Environmental Public Health - Disease: Communicable, Rabies, Food Borne Illness

This service:

• investigates cases and outbreaks of illness, which are caused by germs like E. coli, salmonella, and Giardia (beaver fever) to find out the cause and prevent other people from getting sick
• investigates people with vomiting and diarrhea who don’t know how they got sick
• provides follow-up for animal bites (dogs, cats, bats, and other animals) to make sure people don’t get rabies
• investigates single cases and/or outbreaks of many diseases including botulism, hantavirus, norovirus, shigella, and Q fever

For more information visit Environmental Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - Drinking Water

Inspects public water supplies, reviews water sample results, and issues water advisories if needed. You can get water testing supplies (sample bottles) and shipping information from your local Community Health Centre. Testing for municipalities and private home owners is done through the Provincial Laboratory of Public Health and Alberta Centre for Toxicology. If there is E. coli or total coliform bacteria in your sample, you will be contacted right away in most parts of the province.

May advise private homeowners about how safe their well, cistern, or dugout water is and talk about treatment options if needed.

Does drinking water testing for bacteria through the Provincial Laboratory of Public Health, Environmental Microbiology Services, which checks for:

• E. coli bacteria (shows if water is contaminated with sewage or fecal matter)
• total coliform bacteria (helps determine the integrity of the water source)

Chemical water testing of untreated ground water for private households is done by The Alberta Centre for Toxicology which checks for many different things including bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, and magnesium.

Your water sample requisition may be reviewed before your sample is sent to the right place for testing. This is to make sure your water supply is eligible for testing.

Sample Bottle Pick-up and Drop-off locations in Alberta.

• North Zone
• Edmonton Zone
• Central Zone
• Calgary
• Rural Calgary
• South Zone

For more information visit the Environment Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - Education

Answers general environmental public health questions about topics like safe cooking, pest problems, and mould.

Offers classes, courses, presentations, and displays on many environmental public health topics. They are suited to the audience’s needs. Information can be in-person, online, or in home study, and may be available in other languages. Some services offered are:

• bed bugs presentations
• courses for childcare facility staff
• courses to operate temporary food concessions at fairs, festivals, exhibitions, carnivals, or other special events
• displays at trade shows and expos
• food sanitation and hygiene courses (the AHS Food Safety Course is required by Alberta’s Food Regulation)
• hand washing and personal hygiene presentations
• home study on food safety (a certificate in basic food safety may be issued)
• swimming pool operators course
• 3-hour courses on food safety (a certificate in basic food safety may be issued)

For more information visit our website.

Environmental Public Health - Housing and Illegal Drug Operations

Requires that owners / operators / landlords / property managers keep public housing healthy and safe for tenants. The service follows up on complaints from tenants or other agencies about housing conditions which may include no heat, water problems, structure problems, or pest problems (mice or other rodents, bed bugs or other insects). If conditions could be dangerous to tenants, they may need to move out. The service works with landlords to fix or remove problems. The service can also order dangerous conditions to be fixed like houses used for illegal drug operations (e.g., marijuana grow ops, meth labs).

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - New Business and Plan Approval

Reviews and approves plans for building or renovating restaurants or other food establishments, swimming pools, social care facilities (e.g., daycares and nursing homes), and personal service facilities (e.g., tattoo studios, spas).

Reviews plans for special events (e.g., fairs, exhibitions, or carnivals) to make sure the right services are available (including washrooms and hand wash stations).

Issues permits and licenses needed for some facilities to operate like:

• a Food Handling Permit for food establishments open to the public
• a Public Swimming Pools Regulation License for swimming pools open to the public

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - Orders, Disclosure and Legal Activity

This service inspects public places. When needed, is granted the power by The Public Health Act to order dangerous conditions to be fixed, removed, destroyed, or declared unfit.

Public health inspectors are designated as executive officers under the Public Health Act (RSA Chapter P-37) and enforce these regulations and standards:

• Artificial Tanning Regulation
• Bodies of Deceased Persons Regulation (AR 135/2008)
• Communicable Diseases Regulation (AR 238/1985)
• Food Regulation (AR 31/2006)
• Food Retail and Foodservices Code
• Housing Regulation (AR 173/1999)
• Institutions Regulation (AR 143/1981)
• Minimum Housing and Health Standards
• Nuisance and General Sanitation Regulation (AR 243/2003)
• Personal Services Regulation (AR 1/2020)
• Personal Services Standards
• Recreation Area Regulation (AR 198/2004)
• Pool Standards
• Public Swimming Pools Regulation (204/2014)
• Standards for Artificial Tanning Facility Signage
• Waiver Regulation (AR 298/2003)
• Work Camps Regulation (AR 218/2002)

For more information visit Health Enforcement Orders

Environmental Public Health - Personal Services

Prevents illness and infection from spreading by:

• reviewing plans for new businesses
• approving facilities before they open
• doing inspections to make sure practices followed are safe and facilities are maintained as regulation requires
• investigating any complaints from clients.

The requirements of the Personal Services Regulation and its related Health Standards and Guidelines apply to services which offer:

• barbering
• body and ear piercing (using guns or needles)
• body wraps
• branding
• chemical hair colouring, straightening and curling
• chemical peels
• cosmetic cryotherapy
• cryolipolysis (cool sculpting)
• dermal jewelry anchoring
• dermal filler injection
• dermal rolling
• earlobe stretching
• electrolysis
• esthetic cupping
• eyebrow threading
• face and body painting
• facial and body waxing
• facials
• hair extension
• haircutting and hairstyling
• henna
• lash and brow tinting
• lash extension
• laser and cosmetic tattoo removal
• laser hair re-growth and restoration
• laser hair removal
• manicure
• microblading
• microderm abrasion
• mud treatments
• neuromodulator injection (botox)
• pedicure
• permanent make-up
• scarification
• shaving
• skin exfoliation
• spray tanning
• tattooing
• teeth whitening
• tooth decoration
• ultraviolet (UV) tanning (tanning beds)
• vaginal rejuvenation

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health website.

Environmental Public Health - Recreational Water

Keeps the public from getting sick when using recreational water by:

• approving pool plans
• inspecting pools and other water facilities to ensure water is safe and sanitary
• teaching operators about proper pool maintenance
• reviewing water sample results (local community health centres may accept water samples for testing for E. coli, total coliforms, and Pseudomonas)

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health page.

Environmental Public Health - Risks: Indoor Air, Outdoor Air, Contaminated Sites

Responds to and investigates health risks from activities like sour gas wells, forest fires, and accidental releases of gasoline, pesticides, or other chemicals.

Reviews and makes recommendations to approving authorities regarding proposed land use developments (e.g., intensive livestock operations, industrial plants, or developments on contaminated sites).

Responds to complaints and investigates indoor air in residences, schools, malls, swimming pools, or other public places. Will also respond to and investigate complaints about outdoor air.

For more information visit our website.

Environmental Public Health - Safe Food

Inspects public food facilities (e.g., restaurants, mobile food trucks, grocery stores, kitchens in daycares and nursing homes) to make sure food is prepared safely.

Applies Food Regulation requirements in public food facilities or operations to areas like:

• bed and breakfast facilities
• commercial caterers
• community organization functions (when food is prepared for the public by volunteers)
• convenience stores and fast food restaurants
• restaurants, delis, and mobile food vendors
• farmers’ markets (licensed by Alberta Agriculture) and their stallholders
• food banks
• food facilities in halls and churches that may be rented to the public
• daycares, nursing homes, group homes, and other care facilities with over 10 clients that offer food service
• grocery stores
• private homes from which low risk home-prepared foods are sold
• temporary food facilities at special events (e.g., fairs, festivals, exhibitions, carnivals, rodeos)
• work-camp food facilities

This program offers guidance but will not apply Food Regulation requirements at private functions like:

• bake sales when low risk foods are sold for charity
• food prepared in a private home for family and guests
• potlucks and other functions not open to the public

For more information visit our website.

Environmental Public Health - Social Care

Reviews plans for new businesses and approves facilities as requested by Children's Services, Inspects many adult and childcare facilities routinely and follows up on complaints from clients or their families. May also provide education for staff in social care facilities.

Applies the requirements of various regulations under the Public Health Act and the CSA Standards in social care facilities including:

• daycares and foster homes
• drop-in centres and shelters
• group family day homes and group homes
• long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and seniors’ lodges
• preschools and out-of-school care
• playgrounds

For more information visit our website

Environmental Public Health - Work Camps

Inspects work camps of all sizes, including camps that move around Alberta or stay in one place. This includes camps used for any type of business (e.g., oil exploration and development, logging, tree planting). Inspections check that food is safely prepared, water is safe to drink, sewage is properly treated and disposed of, and housing conditions are safe.

Teaches companies about requirements for work camps.

Investigates complaints from people living at work camps.

For more information the Environmental Public Health website

Environmental Public Health Program

Work to keep public places (e.g., restaurants, daycares, pools, rental properties, tattoo studios) safe. Tell people about health risks (e.g., unsafe water or housing). Make sure that the Public Health Act is being followed.

Our services include:

For more information visit the Environmental Public Health website.

Indigenous Wellness Core

This program:

• enhances cultural competencies of healthcare providers
• improves access to health services
• customizes approaches for specific health challenges
• addresses addiction and mental health issues
• monitors the health of the Indigenous population

These priority areas are dependent on the foundational priorities of engagement and relationship building. Building relationships with Indigenous people, communities and the various stakeholders involved in delivering Indigenous health care services is necessary to achieving progress.

This program also:

• helps Indigenous patients and families throughout their hospital stay
• provides traditional wellness and cultural support
• connects Indigenous patients and families to health services and programs
• works to create partnerships in areas of public health, prevention, promotion, and chronic disease management
• partners with the Elbow River Healing Lodge to offer a full range of primary care services to First Nations (Status and Non-Status), Métis, and Inuit peoples and their families. This includes traditional healing approaches, health promotion, disease prevention, curative care, rehabilitative care, and social resource advocacy (supportive care).

Office of the Medical Officer of Health

The MOH is responsible for:

• The overall health of Albertans
  monitoring and reporting (to the public and to the Health Authority Board) on the health status of the population. This is done through health and disease surveillance. Advocate for changes in policy that will improve the health of residents (e.g., smoking by-laws, bicycle trail systems, intersection safety and red light campaigns).
• Communicable Disease Control
  Works to control the spread of communicable diseases and manage outbreaks. Also responsible for STD and TB follow-up and control, and for infection control in the community.
• Safe and Healthy Environments
  Gives direction to Environmental Health service programs to ensure food safety, safety and minimum standards for housing, daycares, swimming pools, etc. and to programs that promote healthy physical environments.
• Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention
  Responsible for chronic disease prevention (heart disease, obesity, stroke) for injury prevention, healthy aging, and preventing low birthweight in babies

Medical Officer of Health | Alberta Health Services

Transition Services - Community

This service screens, assesses and processes:

• people living in the community who may need to be moved to a supportive living facility (such as a care centre, personal care home, or supportive living facility)
• people in supportive living who are waiting to be transferred to another site, setting, or care stream
• people in supportive living whose care needs can’t be managed anymore where they are now
• referrals from Calgary Zone clients who wish to transfer to a site in another zone
• referrals from clients from other zones who wish to be admitted to a site in the Calgary Zone

WalkABle Alberta

WalkABle Alberta is a Chronic Disease Prevention Program designed to reduce physical inactivity by improving community walkability. WalkABle Alberta works with communities to help them make walking an easy choice of physical activity to incorporate into citizen's daily lives. Stakeholders create a plan specific to the community, leveraging local assets, to make positive change.

This program is free to the public.

For more information visit our website