FAQs
- Enrollments and Appointment Booking – AAMH screens clients and matches them to the most appropriate AHS service based on a combination of primary concern, service location, service intensity needs, and patient preference. Referrals may also be provided to community agency partners if the needs are outside of AHS.
- First Level Screening and Warm Hand Off for Specialty Programs (i.e. AOS, CTO, Diversion, ODP, etc.) – AAMH conducts initial screening while the receiving specialty program/clinic conducts further assessment as per their program requirements and finalizes the enrollment decision. The intent of the initial screening is to capture demographic information and presenting concern – each caller receives an initial screening.
- Centralized Information – AAMH helps navigate referrals to external services but has no authority to admit or schedule into external services.
- Call 403-943-1500
- Available Monday to Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Call 780-424-2424
- Available 24/7
What is Access Addiction and Mental Health (AAMH)?
AAMH is a centralized telephone screening/referral service that will ensure Albertans receive appropriate services based on their needs for individuals living in South, Central and North Zones. AAMH staff will complete an interview over the phone and match clients to resources/services in their area, including booking an appointment if required.
Physicians or health care providers can email or fax referrals to their specific Zone contact. Physicians or health care providers are encouraged to not call the line to request information or consults – please follow referral pathway for this information.
How do I access AAMH?
AAMH is available by calling 1-888-594-0211, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
What can someone expect when they call AAMH?
When someone calls the AAMH line they will receive a prompt to connect with either North, Central or South Zone lines, depending on where they live. Once they are connected the appropriate area they will have an opportunity to speak with a staff member about their concerns. AAMH staff will discuss them as to the reason they are calling following which may include going through a series of questions. These questions are based on a screening questionnaire that staff use to help identify the best support for each person calling.
These questions may take some time to go through but it is important to understand what treatment or support is best for each person. If that support includes seeing an AMH therapist the caller can be booked for an appointment over the phone.
Callers unable to stay on the line have an option to leave a voicemail and a screener will return their call within 48 hours or two business days.
Does the AAMH staff provide counselling over the phone?
AAMH staff are here to help callers identify what support they may need, which may include a session with an addiction and or mental health therapist. If that is the best next step AAMH staff can book an appointment for the caller. Each person calling may have different needs and AAMH is here to help what those needs may be and support callers in accessing specific support.
How is this different than the AMH Helpline?
The Addiction and Mental Health Helpline is a confidential service available 24 hours a day 7 days a week that provides support, information and referrals to Albertans experiencing mental health concerns.
The helpline is staffed by a multidisciplinary team comprised of nurses, psychiatric nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and psychologists. The service provides: confidential, anonymous service and information about addiction and mental health programs and services.
AAMH staff will assist clients in determining appropriate services based on their needs and if required will be able to book them an appointment over the phone. Booking appointments will be made within North, Central and South Zones. In addition, the AAMH line will accept referrals via email or fax from other health care professionals.
What services are provided through AAMH?
AAMH provides:
Does AAMH provide immediate help or crisis support?
AAMH is available Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is a referral and intake line. If someone is in crisis we encourage them to visit the closes emergency department or they can call the mental health helpline 1-877-303-2642, available 24/7.
Can clients still contact or visit their local addiction and mental health clinic?
Sites that previously offered scheduled walk-in services will continue offering these services. Albertans living in North, Central and South Zones will be encouraged to call AAMH if they are seeking a service or program.
If someone needs immediate support or help they are encouraged to call the Addiction and Mental Health Helpline, available 24/7 1-877-303-2642.
What about people living in or around Edmonton and Calgary?
There are currently access lines for those living in and around Edmonton and Calgary. Albertans living in Calgary Zone and Edmonton Zone can contact local intake lines.
Where can I get more information or help?
Support is available 24/7 through the Addiction and Mental Health Helplines by calling 811, Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322 or Mental Health Helpline 1-877-303-2642 or visiting www.ahs.ca/helpintoughtimes.
FAQ: For Agencies and Referring Physicians
How are referrals processed and how will AAMH manage referrals along with calls coming in?
Each zone has a fax number and email that are used to receive referrals. AAMH will be using the standardized, one-page, AHS Generic Referral Form for all referring sources, including physicians. Once received, referrals are placed into an AAMH queue for processing. AAMH will contact client. If there is no contact, 30 days after the third attempt, the client file will be closed.
Who will complete the full risk assessment?
The screening questionnaire used by AAMH has been created through a tri-zonal collaboration, with frontline clinicians from each zone participating in the sub-working groups. The screening tools went through 2 Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycles where the tools were piloted within each zone by staff who currently conduct intake screening.
Are first-time appointments booked through AAMH?
Yes, AAMH will complete intakes for most clients seeking ambulatory addiction and/or mental health services.
How does AAMH staff know of services available in each community?
A robust resource directory for northern, central and southern Alberta has been created and will encompass both AHS and non-AHS addiction and mental health and community support services. The AAMH team will use this tool as they work with clients to match them to the appropriate service in the community they wish to receive services in.
How are clients supported from the point of intake with AAMH to their first appointment in a community clinic?
AAMH is built on a client and family centred care philosophy, recognizing that any door should continue to remain the right door, and to build processes that ensure clients are not retelling their story to each new service provider.
How will AAMH provide intake services for clients who don’t have access to a reliable phone service?
AAMH is committed to client-centered care. If a client seeking services does not have access to a reliable phone or service, accommodations to services can be made on a case by case basis. Some potential solutions are to provide a private room with telephone access, or to book an in-person screening and intake using one of the available AAMH First Appointment calendar spots. In-person intakes follow the same standardized process as virtual intakes, including the use of the standardized screening tools.
Urgent clients are seen within two (2) weeks. How will this be addressed?
AAMH will do its best to match clients with the most appropriate service based on their current clinical picture. We will also be screening for risk level and the (CA) LOCUS tool will support our clinical judgement in assigning urgency levels. Some clinics may have a longer wait time than others and we will take this into account when booking clients. It is imperative that the clinics continue to address waitlists and perform case load reviews in order to ensure that there is space for new clients to be booked.
Will intake services at each clinic be dissolved?
One of the goals of AAMH is to provide a centralized intake to provide improved access for Albertans that are in need of addiction and mental health services. This will allow an increase in capacity for AAMH staff to provide direct care.
Sites that offer scheduled walk-in services will continue offering these services as any door should be the right door, and we recognize not everyone will want to access virtual services or have access to a telephone and/or reliable Wi-Fi.
What about clients who walk-in looking for services at the clinics?
Scheduled Walk-In Services refers to a specific type of service that accommodates unscheduled, same-day, and usually face-to-face appointments for clients seeking assistance with addiction or mental health concerns. Existing scheduled walk-in services are unaffected and will continue as before, not all clinics have Walk-In Services available.
If a client walks into a clinic seeking addiction or mental health services where walk-in services are not available, they should be supported to contact AAMH. We encourage all sites to take the time to explain that AAMH is a centralized intake service that can be accessed at the client’s convenience, that the process will take approximately 30-45 minutes, that they will be speaking to an addiction and mental health professional who will connect them to the best service for their needs and provide them with an appointment booking.