PACT Mental Health Professional

AVI Health & Community Services (AVI) is a multi-disciplinary community-based organisation 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 take evidence-based action to prevent infection, provide support, and reduce stigma. We work within a social justice and health promotion framework to ensure equity and access to services for all.

At the core of what we do is our ability, and commitment to, creating meaningful connections. Every day, we strive to create meaningful connections between clients and staff, between peers, between staff members, between organizations, between communities, and between funders and impactful programs. For more info see www.avi.org  

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.

AVI Peer Assisted Care Team (PACT)  

The AVI Peer Assisted Care Team (PACT) is funded by the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian Mental Health Association. PACT is a peer-assisted care program and a mobile crisis response team, led by persons with lived/living experience and mental health professionals who are able to de-escalate crises and develop community care plans with persons experiencing crisis.

The PACT Team is an alternate approach to responding to someone in crisis that focuses on health, well-being and community support. Utilizing a community-based, client centered, trauma-informed response, a peer-assisted model of care has been proven to help individuals navigate mental and social care services and reduce engagement with the justice system and emergency services.

In the spirit of reconciliation and community empowerment, K'ómoks First Nation and AVI Health and Community Services have joined hands to support and create a comprehensive and culturally safe service initiative. KFN provides guidance through the PACT program development to ensure Indigenous preceptive is woven throughout and supports Indigenous peoples accessing this service. 

The PACT team provides services on the territories of the K'ómoks First Nation.

JOB SUMMARY:

The PACT team will provide acute mobile crisis support and de-escalation services for persons 13 years of age and older experiencing mental health and/or substance use related crises. Working in collaboration with all team members, the Community Crisis Counsellor is responsible for providing rapid point of service mental health crisis management and de-escalation, including assessment, suicide intervention and safety planning, as well as acute care planning and follow-up.

Alongside the team, this role is grounded in person-centered, harm reduction and trauma informed approaches to care, which center the needs and agency of the service user.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Crisis Response
PACT is an emergency response team, supporting persons and their community/family experiencing mental health and substance use related crises.
At all times, the Community Crisis Counsellor is expected to be:
• Model a high degree of cultural competency, including ensuring services are culturally sensitive and incorporate Indigenous knowledge, practices, and approaches to healing and wellness
• Ready and able to respond to mental health and substance use related crises,
• Triage and adjust responses depending on call acuity, severing and other incoming calls,
• Think critically and respond quickly, especially in critical situations and when deciding the next course of action,
• Attend back-to-back calls,
• Communicate effectively with and follow the direction of the PACT Team's Dispatch/Coordinator or any supervisor,
• Remain responsive to incoming calls up until the end of shift, and/or when Mandatory Emergency Overtime is in effect,
• Demonstrate emotional resilience, including and especially within complex situations,
• Work effectively as a team, including respectful communication throughout and following an emergency crisis response,
• Continuously center the needs of the person experiencing crisis
• Effectively and professionally engage other care providers, including when advocating for a person in crisis, and/or when critically assessing and determining the next course of action,
• Develop comprehensive safety plans and establish post crisis follow-up care, centering the needs of the person in crisis.

• Situational Awareness, Scene Safety and Unpredictable Working Conditions
PACT Works in environments and conditions that many change quickly, including with persons who may be or become escalated.
At all times, the Experiential Community Crisis Responder is expected to:
• Utilize a trauma informed approach, including with persons who are escalated and who use language or express beliefs that could be offensive or triggering for staff,
• Decenter themselves to provide care to all persons accessing our services,
• Utilize situational awareness, assessment, de-escalation, and mental health training to work safely within changing and unpredictable environments,
• Be prepared for and able to adapt to changing work environments, including:
o All kinds of weather
o For extended periods
o Within and around diverse types of substance use
o Within and around respiratory illnesses
o Within potentially hazardous dwellings
o Within unknown and unpredictable environments
• Perform in-person assessment to critically assess and determine the next course of action, including in cases where Dispatch was unable to provide detailed information,
• Remain on scene and able to critically assess, including when a situation escalates and/or requires a higher level of care,
• Professionally engage service providers, including police, ambulance, fire and healthcare providers, etc.
• Utilize ongoing assessment, rapport building and universal precautions,
• Utilize direct questions (open and closed ended), direct feedback and motivational interviewing skills

• Program Development and Accountability

Community-Led responses to mental health and substance use related crises are a new and evolving approach to care, grounded in living knowledge and accountability to communities and individuals who use the service.
As such, the Community Crisis Counsellor is required to:
• Be open to feedback, engage in self-reflective practices and humility,
• Understand and practice both collective and personal accountability,
• Be self-directed and able to perform all duties and professional obligations, without prompting or reminding,
• Adhere to all PACT Program Policies and Practices
• Adhere to AVIs Policies and Procedures and Code of Ethics

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Strong understanding of colonialism and the ways in which historical and ongoing colonization impacts Indigenous People
• Minimum 3 years relevant experience, including mental health services, de-escalation and crisis response, and case management.
• Undergraduate Degree in the mental health field (counselling, social work, psychiatric nursing).
• Model a high degree of cultural competency, including ensuring services are culturally sensitive and incorporate Indigenous knowledge, practices, and approaches to healing and wellness
• Crisis Intervention Skills, including extensive experiencing with situational awareness, mental health assessments and suicide intervention.
• Able to respectfully engage and support Indigenous relationships, with a trauma informed and decolonial lens.
• Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge of harm reductio and health promotion practices.
• Demonstrated practice of social justice, cultural humility, and trauma-informed approaches to care.
• Relevant or applicable training/experience in anti-racism and an analysis of colonialism and the ways in which historical and ongoing colonization impacts Indigenous People
• First aid and CPR level C
• Valid Class 5 BC Driver's License with “Normal” Drivers Status
• Driver's Abstract (AVI will review the past year's driving record. Drivers will need to have no suspensions or prohibitions or 1 passenger only restrictions or a Driver's Factor of 1.1 or lower)
• Employment subject to criminal record check for working with vulnerable populations
• To comply with current BC Public Health Orders, must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have an approved medical exemption. Proof of vaccination 

KEY CHARACTERISTICS
• Ability to manage hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication, situational awareness, and diffusing techniques.
• Emotional Resilience and ability to center the needs of the person in crisis, including persons who are angry, hostile, expressing values and beliefs that are opposed to yours/the teams.
• Humility, flexibility and self-directed
• Ability to critically assess and remain grounded in complex, changing situations.
• Ability to work mandatory overtime, to continue to provide emergency responses, where and as needed.

POSITION DETAILS:

• Pay: $33.99/hour to start with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI. (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU pay grid 38)
• Hours and Schedule: casual shifts falling between Monday- Friday 9am-5pm Subject to change based on operation needs of program. Mandatory Training Schedule: Throughout October
• Location: PACT office and throughout Comox Valley responding to crisis and in the community and where as needed, including in people's homes, community centers and outside/with folks surviving outside.
•  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.
• Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change.

TO APPLY:

To apply, please click on Apply To Position and attach your resume and cover letter (optional) by August 26, 2024 5pm

AVI is committed to equity and diversity and we strongly encourage applications from, but not limited to, folks who identify as Indigenous Persons, persons of colour, racialized, persons living with a disability, persons who use/d drugs, persons with experience of sex work, persons who live with HIV and/or hepatitis C, and persons representing diverse genders and sexualities.

It is beneficial to identify in the cover letter if you are Indigenous and/or have lived/living expertise relevant to the position.

Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

As AVI is a union environment, internal staff will be prioritized in the hiring process.

We would like to thank all those that apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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