Harm Reduction Support Worker

1 month ago

Comox Valley, Canada AVI Health and Community Services Full time
About the Role

AVI Health and Community Services is seeking a Casual Harm Reduction Support Worker to join our team. As a Harm Reduction Support Worker, you will provide a broad range of low-barrier harm reduction supports to individuals accessing harm reduction programming and services.

Key Responsibilities
  • Provide harm reduction supply distribution and recovery
  • Use brief assessment, active listening, and crisis response skills to help meet immediate, basic needs and make appropriate referrals to other health and support services within the community
  • Provide education, resources, and support regarding safer substance use, safer substance techniques, and safer sex, HIV, hepatitis C, and STIs
  • Assess for overdose symptoms and respond with rescue breaths and Naloxone for service users on site
  • Provide overdose prevention education, including education on the administration of Naloxone
  • Facilitate in-office Naloxone distribution to service users and other community organizations
  • Provide on-the-spot training in overdose prevention and response
  • Support Peer groups that work with AVI, including payment of honoraria
  • Provide brief support, basic direction, and appropriate referrals to other health and support services
  • Engage with clients in a collaborative, person-centered approach grounded in harm reduction
  • Maintain the safety of all program spaces by following protocols related to violence prevention and critical incidents
  • Work in collaboration with partner agencies to provide a continuum of services
  • Keep electronic records and compile reports
  • Maintain both paper and electronic confidential client files as required
  • Assist with office ordering, supplier communication, and stock records
  • Manage community distribution of harm reduction supplies and maintain distribution records
  • Engage in planning, evaluation, and program development as requested by the Manager
Qualifications
  • Diploma in health or social services (Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health & Addictions Support Worker, etc.) or equivalent combination of education and work/lived experience
  • Minimum of two years' experience working within harm reduction settings
  • First Aid training and experience responding to critical incidents, including overdose
  • Valid Class 5 BC Driver's License
  • Direct service delivery experience in the community social services sector with a demonstrated working knowledge of community-based programs and related provincial and community support services systems
  • Demonstrated experience working within a harm reduction framework (paid or unpaid) within communities impacted by systemic injustice, colonialism, racism, and criminalization
  • Demonstrated understanding of the necessary ongoing involvement of people who use drugs in all aspects of the creation and delivery of harm reduction services
  • Demonstrated ability to contribute to a supportive team environment with a focus on developing trust, transparent communication, and critical self-reflection while addressing interpersonal dynamics
  • Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge in the areas of local communities who use drugs, safer drug use, safer sex, sex work, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, mental health, etc.
  • Demonstrated understanding of the ongoing impacts of colonialism and racism and where personal privilege and power as a service provider intersect with it
  • Demonstrated understanding and commitment to harm reduction principles and practices
  • Demonstrated understanding of relational, empathetic, person-centered approaches
  • Demonstrated ability to connect and build trust with a diverse range of folks accessing services, including people who are actively using substances and living with significant health challenges
  • Experience managing potentially hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication and de-escalation skills
  • Demonstrated experience with overdose response, including administration of naloxone, oxygen, and rescue breaths
  • Ability to stay grounded and use creativity, flexibility, and assertiveness when working through complex and often urgent situations
  • Experience supporting Peer groups
  • Ability to problem-solve with creativity, flexibility, and assertiveness in dealing with complex issues
  • Demonstrated understanding of the importance and role of people who use drugs in the development, delivery, and evaluation of services intended to benefit them
Skills and Abilities
  • Ability to carry out physical duties of position
  • Ability to work independently and in cooperation with others
  • Ability to operate related equipment
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required to work effectively with co-workers, clients, community, and other service providers
  • Ability to organize and prioritize
  • Ability to establish and maintain rapport with clients and recognize changes in folks
  • Ability to analyze and resolve issues through conflict resolution and crisis interventions skills
  • Advocacy skills
  • Leadership experience
  • Comfortable approaching and initiating conversation with others and ability to build respectful rapport
  • Ability to work under pressure and in crisis situations
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Understanding of the psycho-social issues affecting people who use drugs
Position Details
  • Pay: $31.56/hour to start with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU pay grid 34)
  • Number of Positions: There are multiple casual positions to be filled
  • Hours and Schedule: Casual basis with potential shifts falling between Monday to Friday between 08:45am and 4:00pm
  • Location: AVI Campbell River Office and Courtenay offices and within the community as needed
  • Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2022-2025 and this role is a BCGEU union position
  • 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 paid an extra 5% in lieu of vacation 5% in lieu of stats, meaning your hourly rate is actually 10% higher than listed

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