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
THE AVI PEER ASSISTED CARE TEAM will provide immediate low-barrier, harm reduction, trauma- informed support services to community members experiencing mental health, substance use and related crises.
The team will be comprised of experiential responders and mental health professionals supported by a supervisory and management structure. All crisis calls will be attended by two team members who are trained in a range of trauma informed crisis management and de-escalation, suicide intervention and advanced first aid techniques. The team will also facilitate follow-up support to specialised services, case management, primary health care, housing support, mental health and substance use services.
Our PACT team provides services on the territories of the Ləkʷəŋən peoples (Esquimalt and Songhees nations).
VICTORIA HARM REDUCTION SERVICES TEAM (which includes the PACT) provides services for people who use drugs and may be impacted by criminalization, systemic injustice and stigma. Harm Reduction services provides supports in various locations as we continue to look for a home for publicly accessible harm reduction services for all. Victoria Harm Reduction Services is located on the territories of the Ləkʷəŋən peoples (Esquimalt and Songhees nations).
JOB SUMMARY
Reporting to the Senior Director, the PACT Manager provides support and supervision of staff and the daily administration and operations of PACT. The PACT Manager has a strong relational practice of leadership based in the principles of harm reduction and crisis management, while managing and upholding the communities’ expectations of AVI’s newly formed community based crisis team The PACT Manager will support the 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 PACT Manager will work alongside the Harm Reduction Services Program Manager and the Harm Reduction Manager of Systems and Staffing to align the program’s strategic goals and operational requirements.
The successful candidate 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 with staff and people accessing our services. They support and ensure that PACT promotes the dignity and respect of the people we serve and the people providing services.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manages the daily operations of the PACT, including planning, organizing, staffing, ordering supplies, monitoring program activities and workplace safety and facilities.
- Engages with PACT Coordinator and staff to establish empathic supervisory relationships with clear and mutually-defined boundaries. Supervision and support will be grounded in understandings of the impacts of trauma, and include mentoring, feedback and skills development, all from a lens of harm reduction.
- Supports the PACT coordinator with regular one-on-one and team meetings with staff, and problem-solves challenging situations that arise.
- Contributes to mentorship and modeling of practice for staff by articulating the connections between mental health, wellness and crisis, while utilizing a harm reduction framework. This framework will provide the foundation for upholding AVI’s principles of social justice, trauma-informed care and cultural humility.
- Supports the coordinator with scheduling program staff, to ensure appropriate staffing levels to ensure program operations, and manages payroll approval (Inclusion) and leave management
- Works in collaboration with the coordinator and staff to ensure PACT is supported to attend crisis on a daily basis. This will sometimes be participating in frontline work with PACT staff and responding to crisis call in the community.
- Collaborates with PACT coordinator and Harm Reduction Services Managers to schedule, coordinate and facilitate collaborative staff meetings, trainings ways for PACT and other staff in Harm Reduction Services have opportunities for team building.
- Leads recruitment and hiring while supporting PACT Coordinator in the orientation of new staff, and collaborating with Harm Reduction Services Managers to ensure consistency.
- Follows up on performance concerns and acts on disciplinary process when necessary.
- Develops, implements and maintains administrative and operational policies and procedures.
- Develops and maintains relationships with community partners, including participating in relevant internal and external committees. Acts as representative for AVI’s PACT.
- Provides overdose prevention education and first aid response, including education on the administration of Naloxone
- Prepares statistical and program information and funding proposals in collaboration with the Harm Reduction Services Managers and the Senior Director
- Tracks and responds to issues raised by the Occupational Health and Safety committee and implement recommendations.
- Reviews and authorizes credit card, petty cash, and monitors expenditures related to program budget.
- Oversees the planning, evaluation, and program development of PACT in the AVI Victoria office in collaboration with the Harm Reduction Services Managers, the community Advisory committee, funders (CMHABC) and other PACT community partners.
- Performs related duties as required.
QUALIFICATIONS
- University degree in Health or Social Services, (Public Health, Social Work etc) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 3-5 years senior experience and demonstrated leadership with program management and supervision of diverse staff team, preferably within a non-profit or community-based organization
- Experience delivering/managing crisis based supports, programming and services directly with program clients/participants with a harm reduction lens.
- Demonstrated working relationships with local service care providers, including local non-profit and Emergency Services Personnel
- Extensive experience supporting staff working in crisis situations in the field
- Experience and capacity for debriefing critical incidents with the team
- 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
- Demonstrated experience in managing human resources in a union environment
- 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
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Demonstrated leadership skills in program management and supervision of diverse staff teams
- In-depth understanding of current systemic barriers and violence faced by people who use drugs and/or experience mental health distress, and a working knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of anti-oppressive practice
- Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to coach and mentor staff, facilitate conflict resolution, foster empathic communication and demonstrate clear boundaries
- Demonstrated commitment to the policy and practice of harm reduction, cultural safety and trauma and violence informed practices in the provision of health and social services
- Demonstrated experience and understanding of crisis intervention in community settings and the implications of criminalizing folks in mental health distress
- Experience managing hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication and diffusing techniques
- Demonstrated understanding of the continuing and on-going impact of colonization, and anti-colonial, anti-racist practices and principles
- Demonstrated understanding of the importance and role of people who use drugs in the development, delivery, and evaluation of services intended to benefit them
- Positive approach, flexible, resourceful, and enjoys working in a dynamic, informal, and relational workplace.
- 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.
- Excellent organizational, prioritization and time management skills
- Strong project coordination skills, including budget and workload management
- Ability to work with diverse groups of stakeholders including people impacted by poverty, substance use, criminalization, people who use drugs, service providers, funders and other community members
- Demonstrated ability to be flexible and versatile in a changing work environment while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency
- Ability to work in a variety of settings on a regular basis, including at different worksites, occasionally accompany staff on community outreach, and work off-site either from a home office or co-working space
POSITION DETAILS:
- Pay: $35.00/hour per the HEABC paygrid for excluded managers.
- Hours and Schedule: This is a full time position working Monday through Friday, 37.5 hours/week
- Location: 713 Johnson, Victoria, BC
- Start Date: ASAP
- Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2019-2022 and this role is an Excluded Position.
- Benefits: This position will be eligible for extended health, life and AD&D on the 1st of the month after this position begins. AVI pays for the entire cost of the plan on behalf of its staff.
- Pension: This position is immediately eligible to join the Municipal Pension Plan. At this time, AVI contributes an additional 9.31% towards your pension account.
- Other Perks: This position gets 8% vacation (equivalent of 4 weeks), receives a paid day off for every Stat Holiday and Easter Monday and accrues a Sick Bank of 6.9%. Sick and Vacation Days are both available to be used after your first 3 months at AVI.
- Proof of Vaccination Required: AVI is under BC's Health Services Order and continues to require proof of vaccination and masking.
- 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 5pm on January 9, 2023.
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.
Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
We would like to thank all those who apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.