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.
At the core of what we do is our ability, and commitment to, creating meaningful connections. between clients and staff, between peers, between staff members, between organizations, between communities, and between funders and impactful programs. AVI provides comprehensive, accessible and effective education, prevention, care, treatment and support services to residents of Vancouver Island with offices in Victoria, the Westshore, Nanaimo, the Comox Valley and Campbell River. 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.
JOB SUMMARY:
Reporting to the Community-Led Crisis and Response (CLCR) Team Manager and the Manager of Harm Reduction Teams, the On-Call Assistant Manager provides on-call in the moment support and supervision of staff and programs for the Victoria Community-Led Crisis Response (CLCR) and Harm Reduction teams. The On-Call Assistant Manager will work with the Community Led Crisis Response Team Manager & the Harm Reduction Team Manager to align support with each program’s strategic goals and operational requirements.
The On-Call Assistant Manager has a strong relational practice of leadership based in the principles of harm reduction and crisis support. This position supports staff who hold multiple, intersecting identities including (but not limited to) people who use/d drugs, people who navigate their own mental wellness daily, people with lived/living experience of HIV and hepatitis C, and LGBTQ2S+ people - from a sex positive, person centered and harm reduction based approach. The successful person embodies collaboration, works from a relational perspective, is supportive and empathetic, and upholds AVI’s harm reduction, social justice, trauma-informed care and cultural humility values.
The Harm Reduction Teams and Community-Led Crisis and Response work on the territories of the Ləkʷəŋən peoples (Esquimalt and Songhees nations).
KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Provides in the moment support and supervision of staff and programs in a way that builds team capacity and supports autonomy.
- Supports staff through systems of crisis support and debriefing, including check-ins and situational debriefing
- Provides the leadership team with brief summary of week.
- Addresses any emergent issues to the point that they can be passed to a supervisor
- Schedules staff and completes callouts to ensure appropriate staffing levels, when required
- Fills in for minimum staffing where it is required by policy and supports teams to decide when this is necessary
- Keeps an On-Call Assistant Manager log
- Contributes to and maintains team logs and Coordinator/Team Lead Logs
- Monitors the On-Call Assistant Manager email account
- Attends quarterly On Call Assistant Managers meetings
- Attends monthly Coordinator/Team Lead Meetings where appropriate.
- First aid and overdose response including rescue breathing, oxygen and naloxone when necessary
- Ensure services are aligned with program mandates and values while maintaining service transparency
- Communicates effectively with Emergency Services Personnel and community stakeholders, where appropriate
- Performs other duties as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS:
- University degree in Health or Social Services, (Public Health, Social Work etc) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum of 3 years demonstrated leadership experience with program management and supervision of diverse staff team, preferably within a non-profit or community-based organization.
- Demonstrated experience and understanding of crisis intervention in community settings and the implications of criminalizing folks in mental health distress
- Experience delivering/managing crisis based supports, programming and services directly with program clients/participants with a harm reduction lens.
- Extensive experience supporting staff working in crisis situations in the field
- Experience and capacity for debriefing critical incidents with a team
- Demonstrated working relationships with local service care providers, including local non-profit and Emergency Services Personnel
- Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to coach and mentor staff, facilitate conflict resolution, foster empathic communication and demonstrate clear boundaries
- Experience managing hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication and diffusing techniques
- Excellent communications skills including in-person and also via technology (ie video calls, Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams). Ability to quickly grasp fundamentals of new computer programs such as electronic medical record software.
- Demonstrated ability to be flexible and versatile in a changing work environment while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency
- Ability to attend and support in a variety of settings
- Demonstrated commitment to social justice principles and practices, including harm reduction, anti-racism, decolonization, combating stigma related to drug use, HIV, hepatitis C, and challenging gendered oppression, ableism, homophobia, and transphobia
- Experience working in solidarity with diverse populations including people who are criminalized for their mental health and/or drug use; people who are denied housing/precariously housed/warehoused; racialized identities; Indigenous & Metis persons; LGBTQI2S+ identities; sex workers; people with disabilities.
- Relevant or applicable training/experience in anti-racism and a demonstrated commitment to anti-colonial learning/unlearning
- Strong analysis of colonialism and the ways in which historical and ongoing colonization impacts Indigenous People
- Knowledge of local Indigenous and non-Indigenous social services including housing, income and food security supports that may benefit persons served
- First Aid training and experience responding to critical incidents including overdose/toxic drug poisoning
- 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 status will be required for successful applicants for positions covered by the order.
- Current Valid BC Drivers’ License
- Vehicle that can be used for work and must be able to respond within city of Victoria proper within 30min, mileage to be reimbursed by AVI
- Be available and ‘ready to work’ at any time during the on-call period
- Be able to attend, when necessary, within 30 minutes of being called-in
- Be available to work 8 hours regular time each week
POSITION DETAILS:
- Pay: On call rate - $3.40/hour
- $39.50 regular hourly rate
- Per week compensation will be approx. $450.00 gross
- Hourly Rate will be provided:
- At the time of arrival at site for a minimum of 2 hours and up to a max of 8 hours (with required breaks)
- Will receive regular hourly rate for any hours worked.
- Will receive regular hourly rate for a minimum of 1 hour/day for calls.
- Term: Starting as soon as possible and running until March 31, 2024* with potential for extension, depending on funding
- Location: Community, including in people's homes, shelter and supportive housing sites, community centers, parks and encampments, as well as in health and social care settings etc
- Hours and Schedule: Casual shifts
- On call Hours: Monday – Friday 6:30 am - 9:00am and 6pm-1:30am and Saturday - Sunday 6:30am-1:30am
- Rotation: 1 week out of every 5 weeks
- Scheduled regular hours – 6 hours per week, 3 at start of week and 3 at end of week.
- Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2022-2025 and this role is an Excluded 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.
- Other Perks: This position gets paid an extra 5% in lieu of vacation and 5% in lieu of stats, meaning your hourly rate is actually 10% higher than listed.
- Proof of Vaccination Required: AVI is under BC's Health Services Order and continues to require proof of vaccination.
- Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change.
TO APPLY:
To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@avi.org by 5 pm on January 7, 2024.
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.
We would like to thank all those that apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.