Alberta Health Care Aide Directory

We are excited to announce that we have over 20,000 HCAs that have applied to the directory in some capacity and at various stages of the application process. If you are a HCA that has successfully enrolled on the directory please spread the word to your colleagues as the deadline to apply is approaching quickly.

Mandatory Directive A directive from Alberta Health requires that publicly funded employers (i.e. AHS, Covenant, Contracted Operators) have until January 20, 2020, to: Enrol all existing HCA employees Enrol all new HCA employees Ensure that all HCAs maintain current and active status in the Directory Notify contracted operators of these requirements and conditions Applying to the HCA Directory is no longer a voluntary process, it is a mandatory enrolment. All HCAs including existing HCAs and new HCA employees are required to have applied and submitted an application to the Directory by the deadline of January 20, 2020.

Directory Features/Benefits Ability to enroll all HCAs in one location and have an annual renewal process with no fees being charged to HCAs Web-based and user-friendly Supports assessed core competencies to be recognized by other employers There are several benefits and features of the Directory. It provides one location for all HCA information and data to be store, there is an annual renewal process that occurs between February 1 and March 31 that allows HCA’s to update their information. There are no fees to apply to the directory or to renew on the directory; and it supports core competency recognition from one employer to the next.

Core Competencies Certified: HCA education obtained through a Government of Alberta licensed post-secondary institution Until January 20, 2020, grandfathering allows HCAs to provide evidence of through employer verification, after transcripts are needed Substantially Equivalent: HCAs whose HCA education is considered equivalent to the provincial HCA curriculum Evidence is required through employer verification Deemed Competent: HCAs who are deemed competent by a nurse licensed in Alberta using the Competency Assessment Profile (CAP) tool There are three core competency statuses on the Directory: Certified, Substantially Equivalent and Deemed Competent. To be Certified on the directory the HCA must have obtained their HCA education through a Government of Alberta licensed post-secondary institution. There is a grandfathering process that has been put in place until the end of 2019 that allows a Certified HCA’s employer verify their Alberta HCA education. If you do not have an Alberta employer then you may complete the HCA Transcript Request form requesting that your transcripts be sent to the directory by your school. If you are yet to graduate and are currently employed as a Health Care Aide in Alberta you can provide your Alberta Employer and Immediate Alberta supervisor information on your application and they can verify that you are currently enrolled in school. For HCA’s who are Substantially Equivalent or Deemed Competent, your education will have to be verified by your employer. For more information on the core competency statuses please visit the HCA directory website at www.albertahcadirectory.com and click on the “For Employers” tab.

Enrolment Checklist and Worksheet To get started on enrollment we have provided an Enrolment Checklist and Worksheet that is available on the HCA Directory website at: www.albertahcadirectory.com. This checklist provides an outline of what is required to complete the online directory application.

How To: Create an Account Go to: https://abhca.alinityapp.com/Client/Account/Login To begin: The HCA will need to search the above link: https://abhca.alinityapp.com/Client/Account/Login. If you already have an HCA Directory account please enter your email address and password to login. If you do not have an HCA Directory account please click on the “Sign up” button at the bottom of the login screen. To sign up on the directory the HCA must have a personal email address. HCA’s are not allowed to use their supervisor or manager’s email address as all communication from the directory is by email.

Section #1: Identification Documents Section 1 of the online application requires that an HCA upload two different forms of Government-issued ID. We do not accept expired ID, Alberta Health Care Cards or Employee ID Cards. Please take the time to read the list of acceptable ID and provide clear and full copies of each ID. After uploading both pieces of ID please check off the box confirming that both pieces of ID are not expired.

Section #2: Personal Information Section 2 is the personal information section. The first and last name provided in this section must match the HCA’s ID, if you have a maiden name or a previous last name please provide it under the “Previous last name(s)” section. Please provide the correct date of birth, address and phone number. The directory provides an example of the format accepted for phone numbers and postal codes. If you are having problems submitting your application please double check to ensure that the correct format has been followed.

Section #3: Educational Information Section 3 is the Educational Information section. Please select one of the four options provided that most closely identifies with your credentials. The first option is for HCA’s who received or are currently enrolled in an HCA program in Alberta. The second option is for HCA’s who received other health care education such as Personal Support Aide, Personal Care Aide, Nursing Attendants etc. or receive their health care education in a different province. The third option is for HCA’s who received international health care education such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Midwifery from the Philippines. The fourth and last option is for HCA’s who were assessed using the CAPs tool by their employer and received no formal health care education.

Educational Information If your institution does not appear in the drop down then you may have selected the wrong option. Please try selecting another option and typing in your education information in the box that reads “If your institution is not listed please enter the institution name, location (full address), city and phone number.”

Section #4: Employer Information Once an HCA has completed the education information section, they can choose “I want my immediate supervisor/employer to attest to my education above. I will provide consent by completing the required fields below.” It brings us to Section 4 the Employer Information section. This section is for Alberta Employers only. If you are employed as an HCA or working as an HCA in some capacity within the province of Alberta this is where you will provide the facility or site name, your employment status (full time, part time or casual), your area of responsibility (i.e. long term care), your start date and your usual hours per week. For example if your shifts vary please provide a rounded and estimated number of hours (i.e. 38 hours) the directory will not accept decimals. Under the Immediate Alberta supervisor section is where you would provide your supervisor’s first and last name, their work email address please note that the directory does not accept personal emails and their title/position (i.e. Floor manager). If you work for more than one employer you may click on the “Add” button under the “Other employer(s) tab.

Section #5: Terms After completing all of the required fields Section #5 is requesting consent. Please make sure to click “Submit” for your application to be received by the Directory. If you click Save for Later the application will not be received by the Directory. Once your application has been submitted you will receive an email from the directory letting you know that your application has been received by the directory.

Approved Once approved the HCA will receive an email that reads: The HCA will login to their directory account to download their confirmation which can be printed and provided to an employer as proof of successful enrolment on the directory. Confirmation is not immediate, there are several stages to the application process. Once your application has been received, reviewed, processed and verified it will be approved by the directory. You will receive an email indicating that your application has been approved, to login to your directory account and print out your confirmation. All HCA applications have an expiry date of March 31, 2020. All HCA applications should have the expiry date of March 31, 2020.

Application Statuses Application – Incomplete Application – Received Application is still incomplete and an HCA would need to click on the "Update" button to complete their application. Application – Received The Directory is reviewing the information and processing the HCAs application. This process may take up to 10 business days and the HCA will be informed of any additional steps. Review(s) Complete Application has been verified by supervisor with comments. The directory has to review and approve.

Application Statuses Returned for Updates The Directory has returned the application back to the HCA with comments. The HCA needs to login to their directory account, review the comments, make the necessary changes and submit. Waiting Transcripts or Certificate The HCA has chosen to attest to their own education by requesting their transcripts or certificate be sent to the directory by their educational institution. Waiting Supervisor Verification The HCA has chosen to have their supervisor or manager verify their education by providing the contact information of their immediate Alberta supervisor.

The role of the supervisor and/or manager on the Directory To review an HCA’s application, the supervisor has to log in to their HCA directory account: https://abhca.alinityapp.com/Account/Login On the home page it should read: Applications to verify Click on “Verify” For supervisors, there is a guide on verifying your HCA’s. Please login to the directory portal and click on “Review/Verify”

The role of the supervisor and/or manager on the Directory On each application, the supervisor is verifying that the credentials that they have on file (upon hiring or received later on) for that HCA matches the education information that the HCA provided on their application. If the credential information that the supervisor has on file for the HCA does not match the education information provided on the application, the supervisor may choose to ‘certify’ or ‘DO NOT certify’, however, must provide in the comment(s) box the correct educational information (i.e. institution name, program name, completion date). For more information please contact: info@albertahcadirectory.com and a supervisor/manager verification guide will be sent to you providing more information on: how to become a supervisor, how to look for HCA’s and how to designate one supervisor for a facility.

How Can Employers and Educators Help? Supporting their HCAs to enrol in the Alberta HCA Directory Providing verification of HCA core competencies by directing one or key persons to provide consent Is there a key contact in your facility that can verify core competencies? Educators provide HCAs with the ability to enrol in the classroom Employers and Educators are able to help their HCA’s in this process by providing support and assistance and by providing the necessary verification of the HCA’s core competency.

Want to know more about the Directory? FAQ’s https://www.albertahcadirectory.com/frequently-asked-questions/ Please visit the HCA Directory Frequently Asked Questions page to find out more information. Check out the website www.albertahcadirectory.com and sign up for our email newsletter. Follow and Like the Facebook page @ABHCADirectory To find out more information please visit the website: www.albertahcadirectory.com. We also have a FAQ’s section for answers to Frequently Asked Questions that can be found on our website under the section “For Employers.”

Questions? info@albertahcadirectory.com Thank you! Please ensure that you are logging in periodically to check your application status. If your application status reads “Waiting Supervisor Verification” please speak with your supervisor to verify that the email address provided on your application is correct. If your application reads “Review(s) Complete” this means that your application has been verified by your supervisor and requires review and approval from the Directory. Questions? info@albertahcadirectory.com Thank you!