POSITION TITLE: Women’s Space Peer Mentor
CATEGORY: Term- June 7, 2017- March 31, 2018. 4-5hrs/ week on Wednesday evenings (exact hours to be determined).
WAGE RATE: Grid 8 - $18.95/hr
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JOB SUMMARY
The Women’s Space Peer Mentor will be a first point of contact for women requesting women’s specific programming and services at AVI. The Peer Mentor will build and maintain relationships with a diverse group of women (people who use drugs and who are experiencing other health and social issues such as poverty, homelessness, involvement in sex work, and living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C), and will assist them in accessing the services available in the Access Health Centre. The Women’s Space Peer Mentor will be responsible for providing staffing and support to the ‘Women’s Space’ drop-in as well as distributing harm reduction supplies and providing harm reduction education.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES
- Come to scheduled work shifts on time;
- Engage with individuals when they present at AVI, gather information about their needs, and refer them to appropriate services/programs;
- Provide staffing support for the ‘Young Women’s Group’ drop-in program;
- Distribute safer drug use and safer sex supplies;
- Provide harm reduction information and referrals for other services;
- Offer peer support through active listening skills and non-judgmental attitude;
- Act as ambassadors for Access Health Centre services and encourage clients to use them;
- Keep records (statistics) about services provided;
- Attend regularly scheduled team meetings and individual supervision meetings;
- Participate in ongoing job training at the Access Health Centre and in the community;
- Other tasks or projects as assigned by the Director of Programs and/or designate.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Have lived experience with HIV, hepatitis C, drug use and related health and social conditions such as poverty, sex work, homelessness and/or other physical or mental health issues;
- Some peer support/education and/or leadership training preferred; for example, participation in Street College Leadership Curriculum is an asset;
- Demonstrated commitment to working in a team environment;
- Comfortable approaching and initiating conversation with others and ability to build good rapport;
- Interest in learning and eager to educate service users with a non-judgmental attitude;
- Good communications skills including active listening;
- Working understanding of the importance of confidentiality and boundaries;
- Dependable and able to show up for shifts agreed upon with supervisor;
- Demonstrated knowledge in the areas of harm reduction, safer drug use, safer sex, sex work, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, mental health, etc;
- Good working knowledge of local health and social services;
- Ability to follow direction, provide/receive feedback, and engage in proactive problem solving;
- Demonstrated understanding and commitment to harm reduction principles and practices;
- Ability to keep a ‘cool head’ and to apply conflict resolution and de-escalation skills when tense situations arise.
** Due to the nature of this role, preference will be given to female-identified candidates. **
Please submit applications to Kristen Kvakic, kristen.kvakic@avi.org
Posting closes on Friday, May 26th at 4pm.