Who We Are

Our mission at SafeLink Alberta is to reduce the harms associated with sexual activity and substance use by offering low-barrier, non-judgmental, and informed programs and services. We believe that everyone deserves access to healthcare services and support, regardless of their background or lifestyle.

Formerly known as AIDS Calgary (1983-2013) and HIV Community Link (2013-2022), SafeLink Alberta is a non-profit organization that has been serving and advocating for priority populations in Calgary and southern Alberta since 1983.

Our Services

Case Management

Our Case Management team works with our priority populations to deliver comprehensive and individualized support services. Our priority populations in Calgary include:

• people who use substances,
• cis and trans gay, bi, and queer guys,
• Indigenous and racialized communities,
• people engaged in sex work,
• people living with HIV or hepatitis C,
• and other marginalized populations, including those who are street involved.

The Case management team engages clients in the development of a service plan, provide emotional support, crisis intervention, and education, coordinate a network of services on behalf of clients by bridging communication gaps between clients and service providers, and provide referrals and facilitation of access to services such as treatment and recovery programs and housing programs.

In addition, our dedicated Indigenous Communities Case Manager engages folks along a path of wellness and healing by facilitating access to additional cultural supports.

Drop in centre

Our drop-in centre is located at 1944 10 Ave SW, a few blocks west of the Sunalta c-train station, and is open Monday-Friday from 1-4pm.

At the drop-in centre, we offer:

• Safer consumption supplies
• Safer sex supplies
• STBBI testing and treatment support
• Naloxone kits
• Basic food and hygiene supplies
• Information and referrals, including housing application support
• Advocacy to address barriers to service

Harm Reduction Outreach Team

Our Harm Reduction Outreach Team can be found throughout the downtown core several days a week providing harm reduction supplies and supports, including safer consumption supplies, safer sex supplies, STBBI testing and treatment support, Naloxone kits, basic food and hygiene supplies, and information and referrals.

SafeLink Alberta is the proud founder and co-chair of the Calgary Outreach Collective – a group of 15+ agencies who provide street-based outreach support to vulnerable folks in the Calgary area.

Community Outreach Team

Our Community Outreach Team provides in-person community outreach to key populations, particularly the 2SGBTQ+ community, at partner agencies, bars, clubs, post-secondary institutions, and other areas where community members gather. They provide HIV/HCV/STI information, accessible STBBI testing and treatment options, and harm reduction supplies.

Some recent events our Community Outreach Team have attended include: Pride Week Events in Calgary and Banff, Telus Spark After Dark, Calgary Kinky Flea Market, Taboo Everything to do With Sex Show, International Overdose Awareness Day events, Pop Up Care Village, Carifest, Calgary Police Services Community Engagement Days, and Bow Valley College, University of Calgary, and Mount Royal University Student orientation fairs.

Peer Support

We offer Peer support (individual and group programs) for people living with HIV and Peer support (group based) for sex workers, including a group for trans sex workers.

• Plus Friends: a safe and inclusive group for anyone living with HIV. This group aims to offer support and community in a social setting. Meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month in the evening.
• Positive Connections: a monthly peer support group, a non-judgmental and safe place for women to share their stories, successes, and challenges of living with HIV.
• Parejas Unidas: un grupo de apoyo mensual para parejas que hablan principalmente Español (a monthly support group for couples who speak primarily Spanish).
• Coffee Connections: A monthly group who come to the office space to drink coffee, eat pastries and socialize with their peers.
• Trans Sex Worker Group: In partnership with Skipping Stones, a quarterly meeting for those who identify as Trans and are sex workers. A place for peers to chat with each other about issues they face.
• Sex Worker “workshops”:  In partnership with Thrive Hive, quarterly meetings to talk about sex worker specific issues. Also bringing in people to help with taxes, to talk about tenancy act in relationship to indoor sex workers, people to talk about the laws and how they are changing and everything in between.

Education/Training

SafeLink Alberta provides a variety of training courses that focus on the many different aspects and perspectives surrounding sexual health, STBBI’s, harm reduction, and substance use.

The target audience for our training courses is social and health service providers, including caseworkers, nurses, outreach workers, shelter workers, addiction and treatment centre staff, and agency leadership. The general public is also encouraged to sign up for any of the courses.

Training is offered free of charge unless otherwise stated and is available virtually across Southern Alberta or in person in Medicine Hat or Calgary.

Core Training Sessions

• HIV 101: Transmission, Prevention, and Treatment
• HCV & STIs 101: The 411 on Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections
• Harm Reduction 101: Sex, Drugs, and Human Rights
• Substance Use 101: Substances, Safety, and Support
• Sex Work Series: 101, 102, 103
• Safer Sex Supplies 101: Know Before you Go
• Safer Substance Use Practices 101: Safely Equip Before Taking a Hit
• Universal Precautions 101: Best Practices in Protection Against Blood-Borne Pathogens
• Harm Reduction and Youth

SafeLink Alberta training sessions are based on best practices, emerging trends, and lessons learned through our 40 years of community service.

As an important part of our agency’s efforts to meaningfully involve People with lived and living experience (PWLLE), focus groups and Advisory Committee activities are an ongoing component of all of our program development. PWLLE provide insight and input relating to substance use trends, mental health needs, best practices, curriculum development and delivery, and more. A person with lived or living experience is also included in the delivery of each service provider training, ensuring attendees have the opportunity for direct engagement with a community member. As recognized experts, PWLLE are financially compensated for their efforts relating to this project.

What You Can Do

Donate: Donations are critical to SafeLink Alberta to fund our education and prevention services, allowing us to take our safer sex and other prevention messages directly to the most vulnerable communities.

SafeLink Events: Check out our calendar of events including free educational workshops and subscribe to our newsletter