2. Listing Inclusion
2.1 Listing Policy
211 Alberta hosts an online database of resource information on their website www.ab.211.ca. This database is populated with data entered and maintained in InformAlberta (www.InformAlberta.ca) and is also used for providing referrals to 2-1-1 callers. InformAlberta, through their information stewards, collects and maintains human service information that enables people to make informed choices to improve their quality of life. The information is published on the InformAlberta.ca website, the 211 Alberta website and appears in various publications created by the information stewards, including Directories and Resource Lists.
Inclusion Criteria
This criteria applies to services available on the public website(s).
InformAlberta.ca includes, without fee, the following types of human and social service organizations:
- Services provided by a physician(s) or other licensed professional(s) in Alberta that is at least partially covered by Alberta Health Care Insurance.
- Private health related services that could be required in an urgent situation.
- Publicly funded services providing a direct human or health service.
- Federal, provincial, or municipal Government services providing a direct human service
- Members of Parliament, MLAs, Mayor, and City Councillors
- Not-for-profit organizations which provide a human service, program or resource and who are incorporated under the Societies Act, and/or have Registered Charitable Status
- Professional social service organizations
- Advocacy groups
- Education institutions
- Self-help support groups
- Networks or coalitions of direct service providers
- Organizations that are involved in licensing, planning, funding or coordinating direct services
- Organizations (such as service clubs, churches or social clubs), who explicitly state their intention to make the proposed service available to clients without regard to their beliefs, religion or political persuasion, and who avoid use of the proposed service as a means of attempting to convert clients from one faith, opinion, creed or party to another.
Not-for-Profit organizations included in InformAlberta.ca will:
- Have been providing a service for a minimum of one year
- Reasonably expect assured funding to continue operation for at least one year
- Have a publishable address and/or phone number
- Preferably, adhere to the principles and practices of the Canadian Code of Volunteer Involvement (for organizations who utilize volunteers).
Discretionary Inclusion
InformAlberta.ca may consider for inclusion:
- For-profit, private, commercial organizations that provide a community service not sufficiently offered by the non-profit sector and provide services either free or with a significant sliding scale.
- For-profit, private, commercial organizations that are licensed by the government or have special contractual agreements to operate long term care facilities, child care centres, and certain home care services and provide services at no direct cost to the client
- For-Profit services that have a contractual relationship with a funding organization to provide a publicly funded service provide services at no direct cost to the client
For-profit, private, commercial organizations that provide a community service will:
- Have been providing service for a minimum of one year
- Have a publishable address and/or phone number
- In the case of for-profit, private, commercial organizations, only those services that are provided at no cost to the client or on a significant sliding scale will be included.
- Volunteer opportunities will not be listed for for-profit organizations.
2.2 Primary and Secondary Focus Areas
InformAlberta.ca will collect and disseminate organization and service information related to basic subsistence and survival-related services, including:
- Food, clothing, shelter and transportation
- Emergency assistance
- Crisis intervention
- Financial assistance
- Legal and correctional services
- Victim services
- Immigrant and refugee services
- Physical and mental health services
- Employment and training services
- Home support services
- Access to permanent affordable housing.
Primary focus is also given to services for people who may experience barriers to service because of:
- Language
- Ethnocultural group
- Age, including risk factors associated with infants, children, youth or seniors
- Low income, unemployment, or lack of education or literacy
- Physical, mental or developmental disabilities
- Homelessness or social isolation
- Immigration or refugee status
- Gender, sexual minorities and religion
- Fear of violence.
Secondary Focus Areas
InformAlberta.ca will consider collecting and disseminating general organization information and volunteer opportunities for services that fall outside the primary focus areas. These may include program and services related to:
- Arts/Cultural
- Environment
- Festivals/Special Events
- Museums/Historical sites
- Special interest organizations (e.g., Alberta Ferret Society, African Violet Society)
- Recreation/Sports
- Peace/international development/social justice.
2.3 Exclusion
InformAlberta.ca will not list:
- For-profit psychologist businesses, including private practitioners, sole proprietors, or other business formats which are not non-profit. Referrals for psychologists are made to the Psychologists Association of Alberta.
- Unlicensed care services or Nanny Services for children, youth or adults
- For-profit home health care agencies
- Individual practitioners and groups of consulting practitioners (who have incorporated under another name)
InformAlberta.ca reserves the right to refuse to list or to discontinue listings for the following reasons:
- Organizations that misrepresent by omission or commission, pertinent facts regarding their services, organizational structure, or any other pertinent matter, in any way
- There is adequate reason to believe may spread hatred or have a philosophy that could be hurtful to the well-being of groups, individuals, or the community as a whole
- Organizations which have had serious complaints lodged against them with any regulatory body, with other organizations listed in InformAlberta.ca providing similar services, or with InformAlberta.ca Information Stewards
- Organizations that offer or provide services which are unlawful
- Organizations or services that deny service on the basis of ethnic heritage, religion, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship or any other basis not permitted by law or whose services are divisive or discriminatory
- Organizations who are not providing the services they claim to be, or have committed fraud, or any other criminal activity
- Organizations that fail to respond to requests to update information
2.4 Removal from InformAlberta.ca
InformAlberta.ca reserves the right to remove organizations and / or services that we find do not meet the Inclusion Criteria or Exclusion Criteria noted above.
2.5 Grievance/Appeal Process
Decisions to include, exclude, or remove a service listing may be appealed in writing to the information steward through healthlinkalberta@albertahealthservices.ca.
2.6 Applying for Inclusion
If you are eligible and would like your organization listed in the database:
- Call the 211 Community Resource Department at 780-392-8722, or
- Email: database@ab.211.ca and ask for an Inclusion Application.
Any questions may be addressed to either: healthlinkalberta@albertahealthservices.ca or database@ab.211.ca
2.7 Disclaimer
InformAlberta.ca reserves the right to be selective in including or excluding an organization. Inclusion in InformAlberta.ca does not constitute endorsement of the purpose, method, or quality of services, nor should exclusion reflect in any way on the service.
