Positive Wellness Program Support Worker

The Positive Wellness Program Support Worker is a critical member of our team at AVI Health & Community Services, providing direct services to individuals living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C. This role requires a collaborative, person-centered approach grounded in harm reduction principles.

1. Client Engagement and Support: Actively engage with individuals who are living with, or at risk for, HIV/Hepatitis C, using a collaborative, person-centered approach grounded in harm reduction.
2. Assessment and Referral: Use brief assessment, crisis response, and counseling skills to help meet immediate, basic needs (e.g. applications and follow-up regarding housing, income, identification, etc.) and make appropriate referrals to other health and support services.
3. Advocacy and Support: Advocate on behalf of clients with various Ministries and agencies to ensure clients receive maximum information and support.
4. Community Outreach: Work with clients on issues such as housing, medical, legal and other support agencies.
5. Group Facilitation: Bi-monthly group facilitation for identified priority populations.
6. Community Support: Attend appointments with service users in the community.
7. Harm Reduction Services: Distribute harm reduction supplies and provide education and support regarding safer substance use and safer sex.
8. Education and Support: Conduct individual or group education sessions, and compile educational materials to meet clients' needs, as required.
9. Testing and Referral: Provide testing information, education and referrals to clients both onsite and during outreach activities.
10. Program Development: Coordinate targeted testing events for priority populations.
11. Onsite Support: Provide onsite supervision and support to service users.
12. Collaboration and Partnerships: Work in collaboration with partner agencies to provide a continuum of services, including Positive Wellness Service providers.
13. Overdose Support: Provide support and referral to people who have survived overdose(s) including Opiate Agonist Treatment (OAT) and other resources.
14. Community Engagement: Participate in the regional STOP HIV Collaborative and other HIV/Hepatitis C community initiatives.
15. Program Evaluation: Engage in planning, evaluation, and program development as directed.
16. Client Records: Maintain both paper and electronic confidential client files.
17. Additional Responsibilities: Perform other duties as assigned.

• Education: Diploma in health or social services (Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health & Addictions Support Worker, etc.), or equivalent combination of education and work/lived experience.
• Experience: A minimum of two years' relevant work experience.
• Harm Reduction Principles: Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge in the areas of harm reduction principles and practices.
• Direct Service Delivery: Direct service delivery and advocacy experience with community-based and provincial support services and systems (financial aid, housing, healthcare, justice system, etc.).
• Driver's License: Valid Class 5 BC Driver's License and access to vehicle to drive clients.
• Cultural Competence: Able to respectfully engage and support Indigenous relationships, with a trauma-informed and decolonial lens.
• Communication Skills: Demonstrated ability to establish rapport, provide support and advocate for a diverse range of clientele including individuals who are actively using substances and living with significant health challenges.
• Empathy and Observation: Demonstrated empathic observer invested in respectful relationship-building.
• Harm Reduction/Health Promotion: Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge in the areas of harm reduction/health promotion practices, safer using practices, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, poverty issues, mental health concerns and substance use.
• Social Justice and Health Promotion: Demonstrated knowledge of social justice, health promotion and public health approaches and models of social support and health care.
• Systemic Barriers: Understanding of the impact on individual health and well-being, as well as the considerations for service delivery related to systemic barriers associated with poverty, mental health, substance use, trauma, racism, ongoing colonialism, heterosexism, and gender discrimination.
• Conflict Resolution: Experience managing hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication and using trauma-informed practice.
• Workshop Planning: Demonstrated experience planning and developing workshops.
• Public Speaking and Group Facilitation: Strong public speaking and group facilitation skills.
• Time Management and Organization: Demonstrated time management and personal organization skills to effectively support a high volume of client work.

• Commitment to Social Justice: Commitment to honor local indigenous communities and a dedication to lessening the ongoing impacts of colonial violence.
• Equity and Diversity: Committed to social justice, equity, anti-racism and decolonization.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, and demonstrated commitment to working within a collaborative team approach.
• Independence and Teamwork: Ability to work independently and in cooperation with others.
• Equipment Operation: Ability to operate related equipment.
• Organization and Prioritization: Ability to organize and prioritize.
• Observation and Recognition: Ability to observe and recognize changes in clients.
• Rapport Building: Ability to establish and maintain rapport with clients and recognize changes in folks.
• Conflict Resolution and Crisis Intervention: Ability to analyze and resolve issues through conflict resolution and crisis interventions skills.
• Advocacy: Advocacy skills.
• Leadership: Leadership experience.
• Diverse Clientele: Ability to work with a diverse clientele facing significant structural vulnerability.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Psycho-Social Issues: Understanding of the psycho-social issues affecting people living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C.
• Physical Duties: Ability to carry out physical duties of position.

• Pay: $31.56/hour to start with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI. (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU paygrid 34).
• Hours and Schedule: Part-time. 22.5 hours/week. 8:30am to 4:30pm, 3 weekdays per week, Tuesday to Thursday.
• Term: Position runs to March 31, 2025, subject to ongoing funding.
• Location: AVI Courtenay Office and in the community as needed.
• Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association and this role is a BCGEU union position.
• Benefits: This position will be eligible for extended health, life and AD&D coverage after 488 hours with AVI. AVI pays for the entire cost of the plan on behalf of its staff.
• Pension: If you are already a member of the Municipal Pension Plan (MPP), you can continue with them at AVI immediately. At this time, AVI contributes an additional 9.31% towards your pension account. If you are not already a member of the Municipal Pension Plan, part-time staff may become eligible after 2 years with AVI.
• Other Perks: This position gets 6% vacation (equivalent to 3 weeks), receives Stat In Lieu payments of 4.6% on each paycheque and has a Sick Bank of 6.9%. Sick and Vacation are both accessible after your first 488 hours at AVI.