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 Victoria SAFER Initiative is a flexible, community‐based, harm reduction program that provides safer, pharmaceutical alternatives to the currently toxic drug supply. SAFER is located on the territories of the Ləkʷəŋən peoples (Esquimalt and Songhees nations).
JOB SUMMARY:
Under the direct supervision of the SAFER Program Manager, the SAFER Weekend Team Lead provides supervision and support to SAFER Support Workers (casuals and regular staff) scheduled on weekends. They practice harm reduction in their relationships to build trust and provide support to SAFER participants and staff. The SAFER Team Lead plays an integral role in maintaining a positive, respectful environment at the SAFER clinic.
This position supports staff while also providing low barrier, psychosocial supports to individuals accessing the SAFER clinic. This position provides evidence‐based educational and harm reduction information to SAFER participants to support knowledge and skills update related to regarding toxic drug poisoning/overdose prevention, risk and response.
The successful candidate embodies collaboration, works from a relational perspective, is supportive and empathetic, upholds AVI’s values of harm reduction, social justice, trauma‐informed care and cultural humility with people accessing our services. They support and ensure that SAFER promotes the dignity and respect of the people we serve.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Supervises Support Workers and acts as a liaison with the SAFER Program Manager to identify and manage support needs, participant concerns, and issues related to operations, and critical incidents.
- Assists Program Manager to train and support new staff and acts as a mentor for SAFER Support Workers.
- Responsible for contributing to an empathetic work environment by modeling relational and supportive staff supervision.
- Arranges staffing coverage, contacts casual staff members to call‐out shifts, confirms staffing according to seniority and makes any necessary scheduling adjustments for all non-clinical team members including Support Workers, MOAs, and Systems Navigators.
- Oversees participant flow and capacity in the SAFER clinic and ensures minimum staffing levels are maintained.
- Assists with documentation including but not limited to the completion of stats tracking forms, medication tracking, daily staff log entries, and critical incident reports.
- Assists SAFER nursing staff to assess and monitor SAFER participants for overdose symptoms and respond with rescue breathing and naloxone when necessary. Training is provided.
- Distribute safer drug use supplies, safer sex supplies and naloxone kits, and provide information and training about their use.
- Uses personal empathy, brief assessment, active listening and crisis response skills to engage with SAFER participants and to help meet immediate, basic needs by providing information about other health and support services within the community.
- Maintains the safety of the SAFER clinic by following protocols related to violence prevention and critical incidents.
- Responsible for contributing to and supporting culturally safe practices and spaces with humility.
- Maintains respectful, open communication with attention to privacy and confidentiality with other members of the SAFER team including nurses, MOAs, Systems Navigators, Street Ambassadors, etc.
- Attend regularly scheduled team meetings and individual supervision meetings.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- University degree or certificate in health or social services (Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health and Addictions Support Worker, etc.), or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum of three years’ relevant work experience
- Supervisory experience in social services provision working with people who are criminalized for their drug use.
- Demonstrated knowledge and experience of harm reduction practice and principles.
- Ability to consistently work scheduled shifts, be on time, and plan ahead with supervisor for requested time off.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required to work effectively as a supervisor, co‐worker, with program participants, community, and other service providers.
- Demonstrated understanding and practice of a trauma‐informed approach with co-workers and participants.
- Experience managing hostile interactions and utilizing non‐violent communication skills.
- Experience responding to critical incidents.
- Ability to apply sound judgement: stay grounded and use creativity, flexibility and assertiveness when working through complex and urgent situations.
- Experience responding to critical incidents and overdose, including administration of naloxone. Support to obtain first aid certificate is available if necessary.
- Direct service delivery experience in the community social services sector with a demonstrated working knowledge of community‐based programs and related provincial and community support services systems.
- Possesses energy, interest and high comfort level in approaching and initiating conversation with others, utilizing consent and respect throughout interactions.
- Demonstrated ability to uphold confidentiality and clear personal boundaries, and ability to mentor and support others to do the same.
- Working knowledge in the areas of harm reduction, safer drug use, OAT, safer sex, sex work, HIV, Hepatitis C, mental health, etc.
- Commitment to honor Indigenous communities and ways of knowing, and approach learning about the ongoing impacts of colonial violence with humility.
- 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.
- An asset to the position: First Aid training and overdose response training, including Naloxone Training.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Demonstrated leadership skills and experience in similar settings.
- Ability to manage and support staff with diverse experiences.
- Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.
- Ability to work both independently and in a team setting.
- Ability to organize and prioritize daily tasks.
- Ability to establish and maintain respectful rapport with participants who face systemic violence and trauma.
- Ability to apply conflict resolution strategies and work thru a diversity of issues with participants and staff.
- Conflict resolution and crisis intervention skills and ability to work under pressure.
- Understanding of anti‐oppressive practices.
- Understanding of the impacts of systemic violence and oppression on program participants.
POSITION DETAILS:
- PAY: $28.56/hour to start with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI. (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU paygrid 38)
- Hours and Schedule: 22.5 hours per week. Schedule: Friday, Saturdays and Sundays, 9am-5pm
- Position Term: Position runs to March 31, 2023.
- Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2019-2022 and this role is a BCGEU union position.
- Benefits: This position will be eligible for extended health, life and AD&D coverage after 488 hours with AVI. AVI pays for the entire cost of the plan on behalf of its staff.
- 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. If you are not already a member of the Municipal Pension Plan, part time staff may become eligible after 2 years with AVI.
- Other Perks: This position gets 6% vacation (equivalent to 3 weeks), receives Stat In Lieu payments of 4.6% on each paycheque and has a Sick Bank of 6.9%. Sick and Vacation are both accessible after your first 488 hours at AVI.
TO APPLY:
Please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@avi.org by 5pm on Monday, August 1, 2022.
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.
As AVI is a union environment, internal staff will be prioritized in the hiring process.
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.