Alberta Health Services has numerous homeless clients who do not have government-issued photo identification and/or healthcare cards. AHS health providers have identified this lack as a major barrier when discharging clients from healthcare services and programs or releasing them from correctional facilities.

To address this need, Human Services, Service Alberta, Alberta Health and Solicitor General worked with AHS to develop and implement the AHS ID Program (formerly known as the ID for the Homeless Healthcare Project) to help homeless, at-risk or recently housed Albertans who enter care without Alberta Identification or Alberta Personal Health Cards.

This Program trains health providers and ID Specialists to assist clients to obtain IDs using alternate means. This includes clients in AHS facilities, clients supported by AHS Community Programs and Services, including those released from a number of Alberta Correctional and Remand Centres, who are receiving assistance from the AHS Corrections Transition and Diversion Teams.