Dates of founding and/or dissolution:
The Department of Social Services and Community Health was founded in 1971 under the name Department of Health and Social Development by means of the passage and proclamation of The Department of Health and Social Development Act, S.A. 1971 c. 25. In 1975 the name of the Department was changed to Social Services and Community Health.
The Department was dissolved in 1986 by means of the passage and proclamation of the Department of Community and Occupational Heath Act, 1986 c. D-13.5.
Functional responsibility:
The Department of Social Services and Community Health was formed by the merger of the former Department of Health and Department of Social Development. The Department was responsible for almost all social services and health programs in the province, including welfare and social development programs, public guardianship services, public health, institutions for the care of mentally handicapped children and adults, psychiatric institutions, and oversight of hospitals. The Department was also responsible for the province's vital statistics program.
At the time that the Department was created, a number of services performed by the previous Department of Health were transferred to other departments. Responsibility for municipal engineering consulting services and air and water pollution monitoring were transferred to the Department of Environment and responsibility for plumbing inspection services in unorganized areas was transferred to the Department of Labour.
At the time that the Department was created, responsibility for administration of hospital programs was transferred to a new agency which reported to the Minister, the Hospital Services Commission. In 1973, responsibility for the Health Care Insurance Plan was transferred to the Hon. W. Helen Hunley. In 1975, the Hospital Services Commission was transferred to the new Department of Hospitals and Medical Care. In 1981, responsibility for the administration of legislation governing health care, dental, and social services professions and occupations was transferred to the Minister responsible for Professions and Occupations.
Beginning in the 1970's, the Department began to shift its focus away from institutional services to community and home-based provision of health care programs. The Department's activities shifted towards providing advice and support to community-based agencies and away from providing all services through Department-administered institutions.
The Minister was responsible for the administration of the following acts:
General:
Department of Social Services and Community Health Act
Change of Name Act, 1973
Marriage Act
Vital Statistics Act
Health care:
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Act
Alberta Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Foundation Act
Cemeteries Act
Emergency Medical Aid Act
Alberta Health Care Insurance Act
Health Insurance Premiums Act
Health Unit Act
Alberta Hospital Association Act
Hospital Services Commission Act
Hospital Visitors Committee Act
Human Tissue Gift Act
Medical Services Research Foundation Act
Mental Health Act
M.S.I. Foundation Act
Naturopathy Act
Public Contributions Act
Public Health Act
Radiation Protection Act
Social Care Facilities Licensing Act
Social Care Facilities Review Committee Act
Supplementary Allowances Act
Treatment Services Act
Tuberculosis Act
Venereal Diseases Prevention Act
University of Alberta Hospital Act
Social services:
Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped Act
Blind Persons' Act
Blind Persons' Guide Dog Act
Blind Persons' Rights Act
Child Welfare Act
Dependent Adults Act
Disabled Persons Act
Disabled Persons Pension Act
Family and Community Support Services Act
Maintenance and Recovery Act
Metis Betterment Act
Old Age Assistance Act
Preventive Social Services Act
Senior Citizens Benefits Act
Social Development Act
Widows' Pension Act
Health care, dental and social services professions:
Chartered Physiotherapists Act
Chiropractic Profession Act
Dental Association Act
Dental Auxiliaries Act
Dental Mechanics Act
Dental Profession Act
Dental Technicians Act
Health Occupations Act
Medical Profession Act
Nursing Aides Act
Nursing Assistants Registration Act
Nursing Service Act
Ophthalmic Dispensers Act
Optometry Act
Pharmaceutical Association Act
Podiatry Act
Psychiatric Nurses Association Act
Psychiatric Nursing Training Act
Psychologists Act
Radiological Technicians Act (except Part 2)
Registered Dieticians Association Act
Registered Nurses Act
Social Workers Act
Predecessor and successor bodies:
The predecessors to the Department of Social Services and Community Health were the Department of Social Development and the Department of Health. The successors of the Department were the Department of Hospitals and Medical Care, the Department of Social Services and the Department of Community and Occupational Health.
Administrative relationships:
The Department reported to the Legislative Assembly through the Minister of Health and Social Development (1971-1975) and the Minister of Social Services and Community Health (1975-1986). A number of semi-independent agencies reported either to the Minister or through him to the Legislative Assembly. These agencies included the Child Welfare Commission (1971-1985), the Social Care Facilities Review Committee (1980-1986), the Office of the Children's Guardian (1984-1986), the Advisory Council of Nursing (1971-1984), the Provincial Mental Health Advisory Council (1972-1986), the Health Care Insurance Commission (1971-1975), the Hospital Services Commission (1971-1975), the Provincial Cancer Hospitals Board (1971-1975), the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (1985-1986), the Alberta Health Facilities Review Committee (1972-1975), and the Public Health Advisory and Appeal Board (1984-1986).
Administrative structure:
At the time that the Department was created in 1971, it had three principal components, Divisions responsible for Institutions, Services, and Program Planning.
Effective January 1, 1972, the Department was reorganized. The Social Development Services Division contained most of the programs of the former Department of Social Development. The programs of the former Department of Health were divided into three new divisions, the Public Health Services, Services for the Handicapped, and Mental Health Divisions. The Social Development Services and Public Health Services Divisions were headed by Deputy Ministers, who reported to the Chief Deputy Minister. The Services for the Handicapped Division administered both health care and social services programs for mentally handicapped children and adults, as well as the province's residential institutions for the mentally handicapped in Red Deer, Calgary, and Edmonton. The Mental Health Division was responsible for the administration of all mental health programs and the province's residential institutions in Edmonton, Calgary, Claresholm, Raymond, and Camrose, treatment centres, and guidance clinics. The Research and Planning Division was responsible for providing research, legislative planning, systems development, and program planning and evaluation support to the Department.
In 1977, vocational rehabilitation services, the Employment Opportunities Program and other temporary employment programs, and services to the handicapped were joined together to form the Rehabilitation Services Division. In 1978, responsibility for Preventive Social Services and Social Care Facilities Licensing were shifted from the Social Services Division to the Health Care Division, bringing all preventive programs together in the same division.
Beginning in 1982, the department began a series of reorganizations to reflect the Department's shift to regional office service delivery of social services programs through offices in McLennan, Lac La Biche, Edmonton, Innisfail, Calgary and Coaldale. The department's head office retained responsibility for child welfare, employment programs and vital statistics. Also at this time, Services to the Handicapped and vocational rehabilitation were made part of the Social Services Division. With the transfer of responsibility for institutions to the Institutional Resources Branch in 1982, the remaining portions of the Mental Health Division were made a branch under the Health Services Division.
In 1982, the Office of the Associate Deputy Minister was created to oversee regional service delivery and all departmental support branches and to facilitate coordination between regional offices. The Associate Deputy Minister also became responsible for overseeing child welfare programs and the administration of provincial psychiatric institutions and facilities for the mentally handicapped. The functions of the Social Services and Health Services Divisions became to develop, support, and monitor programs.
In 1983, the Planning Secretariat became part of the Social Services Division. At this time, the Planning Secretariat became responsible for Management Audit activities. In 1984, the remaining functions of the Office of the Associate Deputy Minister were integrated into the Social Services Division. The program development activities of the former Social Services Division and the Planning Secretariat were merged into the new Policy and Program Development Branch. Oversight of the regional offices, together with the branch responsible for delivery of child welfare, formed the Service Delivery Branch. In 1985, the Health Services Division was renamed the Community Health Division. The structure of the Department then remained unchanged until the dissolution of the Department in 1986.
Names of the corporate bodies:
Department of Health and Social Development (1971-1975)
Department of Social Services and Community Health (1975-1986)
Names of chief officers:
Ministers of Health and Social Development:
Raymond A. Speaker (1971)
Neil S. Crawford (1971-1975)
Ministers of Social Services and Community Health:
W. Helen Hunley (1975-1979)
Robert J. Bogle (1979-1982)
Patrick N. Webber (1982-1986)
Constance E. Osterman (1986)
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