Enhanced Harm Reduction Support Worker

7 months ago

Nanaimo, Canada AVI Health & Community Services Full time

**AVI HEALTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES (AVI)** is a multi-disciplinary community-based organization, providing HIV, hepatitis C and harm reduction services out of 5 locations across Vancouver Island. AVI provides services to people living with HIV and hepatitis C and harm reduction clients. We work within a social justice and health promotion framework - ensuring equity and access to services for all - and from a harm reduction perspective, understanding that clients are the best sources of knowledge regarding the services and supports they need.

Join our supportive, dedicated and client-centred team in promoting the health, dignity and well-being of all people affected by HIV, HCV and substance use by delivering sex-positive and harm reduction-based education, prevention and/or support services.

**PROGRAM SUMMARY**:
**AVI Health Centre **is a Community Health Centre (CHC) in Nanaimo. We provide Primary Care, HIV, Substance Use, STBBI, PrEP, PEP, and HCV medical services, as well as outreach, supports, and social programming for our clients. We also provide education services for the communities we support and for health and social services students and professionals that work with the same communities. Our services are delivered across the traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus, and Snaw'naw'as People.

The **Enhanced Harm Reduction Service (EHR)** works within the AVI Health Centre and is a Safe Supply Initiative that is a flexible, community‐based, harm reduction program, integrated into our CHC to provide pharmaceutical alternatives to the toxic street drug supply.

**JOB SUMMARY**:
The Nanaimo Enhanced Harm Reduction initiative is a flexible, community-based, safe supply model with health care provider oversight. Its goal is to save and affirm the lives of people who use drugs by providing safer, pharmaceutical alternatives to the currently toxic supply.

The EHR Peer Support Worker applies their lived/living experience of illicit drug use to build and maintains relationships with people who use drugs, specifically with those individuals who are supported by the EHR Program. They will practice harm reduction in their relationships to build trust and provide community peer support. They will work as part of the EHR team, which includes nurses and physicians, to increase accessibility to pharmaceutical alternatives to toxic drugs and to respectful, non-judgmental health care. The EHR Peer Support Worker will be integral to building stronger community connections with people who face ongoing health and social barriers such as poverty, homelessness, and criminalization.

**KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Provides clinical and outreach support in a variety of settings including in clinic space, parks, encampments, shelters, supported housing and drop-in centres, for example.
- Distributes naloxone kits and provides information and training in overdose prevention and response.
- Provide witnessed consumption support and supervision. Assess for overdose symptoms and respond with rescue breathing and naloxone when necessary. Training is provided.
- Works collaboratively with the EHR team to identify potential EHR participants, provide information regarding access to pharmaceutical alternatives to street drugs, and assist with assessments and intakes.
- Participates in service user care by administering and reporting on drug screens, system navigation, external referrals, and other services.
- Provides harm reduction information and support for systems navigation and referrals for other health and social services.
- Connects regularly with EHR participants and offers peer support through active listening skills and non-judgmental attitude.
- Works with the EHR team to develop and execute care plans based on participants needs.
- Liaise between EHR participants and EHR nurses and physicians to support participants to be heard and assist with keeping communication open and accessible.
- Attends morning team huddles, scheduled team meetings and individual supervision meetings.
- Maintains daily charting about all service user interactions.
- Keeps records (statistics) about services provided.
- Participates in program evaluation activities.
- Facilitates the transportation of service users to and from the clinic and other care settings.
- Facilitates the transportation of biohazardous products for laboratory testing for clinical purposes.
- Performs other duties as assigned.

**QUALIFICATIONS**:

- Have a minimum of two years’ experience working within harm reduction outreach settings
- Have lived/living experience with illicit drug use and related health and social barriers such as poverty, homelessness and/or other physical or mental health issues. Have personal experience accessing harm reduction services for safer drug use support and/or accessed other services designed to meet the needs of people who use substances.
- Have a current knowledge of the local street scene and cultural norms

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