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.

DROPS TEAM ‐ DROP‐IN, RESPONSIVE OUTREACH & PACT SUPPORT TEAM:

The DROPS Team – Drop‐In, Responsive Outreach and PACT Support Team – will be responsible for operating both drop‐in and outreach services in Victoria, as well as supporting the daily operations of the PACT Team (known locally as the Community Assistance and Emergency Response Team – CAER Team).

Providing low barrier, harm reduction supports and services to community members marginalized from equitable care, the DROPS team will provide a range of programming that is responsive to the needs of the community, including: provision of a harm reduction informed drop‐in space, outreach services that seek to address gaps in services for persons surviving outside, daily support for the CAER Team.

Drop‐In: Working within a social justice and health promotion framework, the AVI DROPS Team will provide minimum staffing for a safe, accessible drop‐in space for community members who use substances, and/or who are marginalized from social care services. Drop‐in programming will include access to harm reduction supports, as well as overdose prevention, witnessing and peer‐based services. With a commitment to meaningful relationships, the DROPS team will provide drop‐in services that center the needs and agency of the service user, including for community members barred from other social services. From the Drop‐In Harm Reduction and Education based services, access to survival supplies and food will be provided.

Responsive Outreach: The DROPS team will provide mobile outreach services that are responsive to the needs of community. Responsive outreach includes access to harm reduction and survival supplies, access to food and water, harm reduction education and overdose response training, witnessing and peer‐based supports, as well as overdose and crisis response. The DROPS Team will provide mobile access to survival and harm reduction supplies, including mobile outreach to parks/encampments, community services and drop‐ins, shelters and supportive housing sites, people’s homes, and to folks surviving in community on the street. The DROPS team will be responsible for the development of systems that support ease of access to survival tools/supplies and services, including the development of food and clothing systems, access to hygiene and safer sex supplies, access to education and safer use tools and knowledge, as well as on the spot overdose prevention training and systems.

PACT Team Support: The DROPS team will support the daily operations of the PACT aka CAER (Community Assistance and Emergency Response) Team, including the provision of mobile outreach, access to harm reduction and survival supplies, follow‐up outreach care and access to harm reduction services for clients following support from the CAER Team.

SERVICES	SERVICE HOURS
OUTREACH	2pm – 4pm (7days/week)	follow‐up CAER/PACT Team Clients as needed Harm/Survival Supply Distribution
DROP‐IN	5‐9pm (7days/week)	rotating break coverage run groups/programming

** Subject to change daily and/or long term according to community and program needs

JOB SUMMARY:

The DROPS Support Worker will provide a range of low barrier, harm reduction supports and services for persons/communities marginalized from equitable social and health care services, including drop‐in space and harm reduction programming, outreach and crisis intervention, supply distribution and overdose prevention/response.

This position relies heavily on the abilities of the worker to connect and develop relationships of trust and rapport with service users. A thorough understanding of the principles and practices of harm reduction, the impact of colonialism and system inequities on individual and population health, and the operationalization of trauma and violence practices are essential. This position requires a high level of self‐awareness, empathy, ability to provide non‐ judgmental support with exceptional understanding of personal and community boundaries.

The DROPS Support Worker must demonstrate capacity to consistently attend work and contribute to a team dynamic in which minimum staffing requirements impact program delivery. This position relies on flexibility and self‐motivation and the ability to support a team dynamic that is dependent upon staff attendance and flexible service delivery.

Confidence in overdose response, outreach and in‐reach or place‐based harm reduction programming are essential to this position. This position will also provide accurate information regarding HIV, HCV and other blood‐borne disease transmission and prevention strategies, as well as evidence‐based educational and harm reduction intervention to individuals and priority populations to increase knowledge of overdose prevention and response strategies.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provide harm reduction based, trauma‐informed drop‐in services and programming, including overdose prevention, witnessing and access to harm reduction, survival supplies and food.
2. Provides responsive outreach that are dependent on the needs of the community served and which seek to address gaps in services and programming.
3. Provides support to AVIs CAER Team, including access to harm reduction and survival supplies, de‐escalation support and client follow‐up.
4. Provides outreach and support in a variety of settings, including: parks, encampments, drop‐in centers, people’s homes, community services and to people living outside, and/or in temporary and fixed Overdose Prevention Sites and other areas of Victoria.
5. Provide safe, accessible drop‐in space for community members, including access to harm reduction supports and supplies, as well as overdose prevention, witnessing and peer‐based support services.
6. Provides on the spot, and group‐based training in overdose response and education on substances and safer use practices
7. Uses brief assessment, active listening, and crisis response skills to help meet immediate, basic needs and make appropriate referrals for people who use substances and those who have survived overdose(s) to other health and support services within the community.
8. Monitor and support people who are using substances. Assess for overdose symptoms and respond with rescue breathing and naloxone when necessary. Training is provided.
9. Responsible for harm reduction supply distribution and recovery
10. Provides overdose prevention education and first aid response, including education on administration of Naloxone and overdose response.
11. Engages with service users in a collaborative, person‐centered approach grounded in harm reduction
12. Maintains the safety of all program spaces by following protocols related to violence prevention and critical incidents (such as overdose prevention and response), including the ability to use communication devices.
13. Identify and develop safety plans with people who are using substances who are at increased risk of overdose.
14. Maintains both paper and electronic confidential records, as required.
15. Provides training and support to build capacity for peer lead initiatives
16. Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Diploma in health or social services (Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Support Worker, etc.) or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Demonstrated capacity consistently attend work, ready to work and contribute to a team dynamic in which minimum staffing requirements impact program delivery
• Have a minimum of one‐year relevant work experience
• First Aid training and experience responding to critical incidents, including overdose