Service providers are now required to hold a licence under the Mental Health Services Protection Act.

Overview

Residential addiction treatment service providers must now meet core requirements and be licensed under the Mental Health Services Protection Act.

The act:

  • requires all residential addiction treatment providers to have a licence
  • ensures service providers have core requirements such as policy and procedures for:
    • consent to services
    • service contracts
    • incident prevention and response
    • critical incident reporting
    • record creation, maintenance and retention
  • gives government authority to address complaints and concerns and to amend, suspend or cancel a service provider's operating licence
  • creates the new College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta under the Health Professions Act to regulate about 5,000 counselling therapists, addiction counsellors and child and youth care counsellors
  • protects the use of the professional titles for regulated members of the College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta.

Licensed providers

See the list of all licensed residential addiction treatment service providers (PDF, 508 KB).

Service providers are required to post their licence on their website and in their facility where it can be easily seen by the public.

If you think a residential addiction treatment service provider may be operating without a licence, please contact Compliance and Monitoring.

Complaints or concerns

If you have a concern about possible abuse, please contact the Provincial Abuse Line at 1-855-4HELPAB (4435722).

All licensed facilities in the province are required to have a complaint process.

If you have concerns about the treatment or services you or someone else is receiving at a residential addiction treatment facility, please contact the facility manager first.

If your concern or complaint is still unresolved, contact us if it is about:

  • Mental Health Services Protection Act requirements not being followed
  • unlicensed residential addiction treatment service provider providing residential addiction treatment services

Complaint resolution

When you contact us:

  • A complaints officer will collect the necessary details to follow up on your concern – have as much of the following information available as possible:
    • name and address (including municipality) of the facility/service provider
    • a brief summary of your concern or complaint and when it occurred
    • name(s), title(s) and contact numbers of people you have spoken to about your concern or complaint (for example, the manager, senior manager or board member) and their involvement in trying to resolve it
  • We will assess the risks associated with your complaint, and may conduct an investigation and/or contact other relevant authorities as required.
  • You will receive a follow up a letter with the outcome of your complaint.
  • We will make every effort to protect your identity.
    • Personal and health information is managed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Health Information Act.

Apply for a licence

If you are a current residential addiction treatment service provider and have not yet applied for a licence, or if you plan to open a new treatment facility, contact Compliance and Monitoring to begin the licensing process.

If you disagree with a decision made by Compliance and Monitoring regarding a residential addiction treatment provider licence, you may be able to appeal it. Appeals are managed by the Appeals Secretariat, a neutral government office that operates separately from Compliance and Monitoring.

Find out how to appeal.

Forms and guides:

Contact

Connect with Compliance and Monitoring:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-427-8740 (to report a critical incident or for questions about the licensing of residential addiction treatment providers)
Phone: 780-422-4703 (to speak with a complaints officer about concerns regarding treatment or services)
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Email: MHSPA@gov.ab.ca

Mailing Address:
Alberta Health
Attn: Compliance and Monitoring Branch
P.O. Box 1360, Station Main
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2N3