Summary of the Position:
Grid Level: Grid 10A, $22.77/hour
Hours of Work: Casual Shifts are 8:30am – 2:00pm Monday through Wednesday.
Work Location: AVI Health Centre, 102-55 Victoria Road, Nanaimo
Start Date: April 15, 2019
To Apply: To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter to jobs@avi.org by 5:00pm on Sunday, March 31, 2019.
Job Summary:
The Support Worker is responsible for the provision and delivery of direct services to persons living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Actively engages with individuals who are living with, or at risk for, HIV/Hepatitis C, using a collaborative, person-centered approach grounded in harm reduction
- Uses brief assessment, active listening and crisis response skills to help meet immediate, basic
- needs and make appropriate referrals to other health and support services
- Advocates on behalf of clients with various Ministries and agencies to ensure clients receive
- maximum information and support
- Provides advocacy to clients by working with them on issues such as housing, medical, legal and
- other support agencies
- Provides intake and assessment, brief counseling, crisis counseling, harm reduction counseling,
- advocacy, and referral
- Conducts individual or group information sessions, and develops educational materials to meet
- clients’ needs, as required
- Provides onsite supervision and support for clients, and continues to develop programming for
- the resource room
- Provides information to other service providers, such as government and community-based
- agencies, medical and educational settings on HIV/AIDS and its effect on the provision of
- services
- Works in collaboration with partner agencies to provide a continuum of services
- Maintains both paper and electronic confidential client files
- Performs other duties as assigned
Qualifications:
Education, Training, and Experience:
University degree in health or social services (Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Support Worker, etc.), or equivalent combination of education and experience
Support Workers will have a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience and will demonstrate the following minimum requirements:
- Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s License
- Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge in the areas of harm reduction principles and practices
- 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
- Direct service delivery and advocacy experience with community-based and provincial support services and systems (financial aid, housing, healthcare, justice system, etc.)
- Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge in the areas of safer drug use, safer sex, sex work, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, mental health, etc.
- Demonstrated knowledge of social justice, health promotion and public health approaches and models of social support and health care
- Experience managing hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication and diffusing techniques
- Ability to problem solve with creativity, flexibility, assertiveness and a cool head in dealing with complex issues
- Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, and demonstrated commitment to working within a collaborative team approach;
- Demonstrated time management and personal organization skills to effectively support a high volume of client work
Skills and Abilities:
- Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position
- Ability to work independently and in cooperation with others
- Ability to operate related equipment
- Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
- Ability to organize and prioritize
- Ability to observe and recognize changes in clients
- Ability to establish and maintain rapport with clients
- Ability to analyze and resolve problems
- Conflict resolution and crisis intervention skills
- Advocacy skills
- Leadership experience
- Ability to work with a diverse clientele facing significant structural vulnerability
- 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
- Ability to work under pressure and in crisis situations
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Understanding of diversity issues
- Understanding of the psycho-social issues affecting people living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C
We encourage applications from, but not limited to, Indigenous persons, persons of colour, persons living with disabilities, persons who use/d illicit drugs, persons with experience of sex work, and persons representing diverse genders and sexualities.