Community Health Worker

South Riverdale Community Health Centre is a non-profit, multi-service organization that provides primary healthcare, social and community outreach services with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention primarily to people of East Toronto. Our mission is to improve the lives of people that face barriers to physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being. We do so by meaningfully engaging our clients and communities, ensuring equitable access to primary health care and delivering quality care through a range of evidence informed programs, services and approaches. As a leader in community health, our locally and internationally recognized community services include cutting-edge primary health services, health promotion, harm reduction, environmental health, community food centre and population-based community programs for marginalized peoples. We value health equity and inclusion and respect in our work and in the delivery of our services.

The Community Health Worker - CTS works within the CTS services of SRCHC. This position will assist with the program activities, respond to overdoses, distribute harm reduction supplies, provide harm reduction education and make referrals to additional services. This position is further responsible to provide informal counseling and work on community engagement and capacity building through outreach activities and organizing and facilitating groups and workshops. The Community Health Worker - CTS will work collaboratively with other interdisciplinary team members and service providers, as well as with service users.

Working from SRCHC’s 955 Queen Street East location, the Community Health Worker - CTS will be required to work variable shifts within a seven (7) day week with hours between 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

**Responsibilities**:

- Supports service users to administer their own drugs; assesses service user knowledge of safe drug consumption processes and works with service user to achieve the best possible outcomes
- Assesses, responds to and manages overdose events; provides overdose prevention education and support
- De-escalates conflict with or among participants, according to established protocols
- Provides harm reduction materials and information to service users and ensures safe disposal of used equipment in accordance with established protocols
- Seeks out opportunities to provide supportive counseling, education and referrals to health and social services
- Assists with day-to-day CTS coverage, collaborative program planning and knowledge transfer activities
- Works on community engagement and capacity building through outreach, community clean-ups and organizing and facilitating workshops
- Maintains a hygienic, organized, comfortable and respectful environment
- Assists with stocking, organization and inventory of supplies
- Works collaboratively with other team members, participates in interdisciplinary case conferences and team meetings and collegially shares knowledge of drug using community with other staff
- Collaborates within own team and other teams across the organization to identify and provide health education to target groups
- Helps to ensure operations of the CTS comply with all exemption requirements and guidelines, as well as all SRCHC policies and procedures
- Attends mandatory training as applicable
- Other duties as required

**Qualifications**:

- Post-Secondary education from a recognized University or College or equivalent experience
- Proven experience with overdose response and training in/experience with oxygen and Naloxone administration
- Physical ability to provide support in an overdose situation
- Experience and knowledge of drug use, specifically injection drug use
- Work experience with a harm reduction program and knowledge of harm reduction principles and strategies
- Outreach experience and experience facilitating groups and/or workshops
- Experience providing peer-to-peer support
- Demonstrated ability to de-escalate crisis situations and other conflict
- Confidence in asserting oneself and maintaining strong boundaries
- Knowledge of community services and resources; strong advocacy skills
- Strong communication skills; able to actively and accurately listen
- Demonstrated respect for diversity, equity, anti-racism and accessibility with the ability to work collaboratively and positively with others
- Demonstrated display of sensitivity to others
- Open, non-judgmental and willing to learn
- Respects and values the diversity of communities and individuals
- Police clearance documentation will be required for employment
- Proof of triple COVID-19 vaccination status will be required for employment

**The posting remains open until position is filled.**

Please mail in your cover letter and resume in confidence to:
The Hiring Committee: Community Health Worker - CTS Contract 955 Queen

South Riverdale Community Health Centre

955 Queen Street East

Toronto, ON M4M 3P3

No faxes, phone calls, or requests t