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.
R.E.S. Team - Resident Responder Engagement & Support Team:
The RES Team – Resident Responder Engagement and Support Team – will be responsible for operating AVIs supportive housing overdose prevention program.
The RES Team provides a broad range of low barrier, evidence-based harm reduction supports and education, including overdose prevention and debriefing support, systems navigation and organizational support for Peer Resident Responders living and working in Supportive Housing sites.
Resident Responder Organizational Support: The RES Team will be responsible for supporting AVI’s Peer Resident Responders, to develop skills and capacities that will aid them in continuing to provide frontline overdose prevention and peer-based support to persons at risk of overdose and who are marginalized from equitable care. The RES Team will ensure the organizational support and skill development of Resident Responders by facilitating weekly trainings, team meetings and skill development opportunities.
In addition, the RES Team will ensure Resident Responders have the tools and supplies necessary to provide harm reduction support and overdose response.
Resident Responder Debriefing Support: RES Team will develop supportive relationships with Peer Resident Responders that honours their living knowledge and capacities, while aiming to develop systems, educational opportunities and a team culture that improves each Resident Responders wellness and aids in their capacity to work frontline. Embedded within a harm reduction lens, this team will support Peer Resident Responders with weekly debriefing and follow-up support, paying particular attention to the harms associated with attending to overdose in one’s community/home/with friends and family. Follow-up supports will include a weekly debriefing with Super Resident Responders and Supportive Housing Site Staff. RES Support Workers will help to facilitate effective communication between Super Resident Responders and housing staff about the sites harm reduction needs.
Resident Responder Systems Navigation: The RES Team will also provide systems navigation support for Peer Resident Responder Support. Team members will support Resident Responders to navigate and access health and social care services, including those which immediately impact their wellness and capacity to continue in frontline work.
Harm Reduction Education: The RES Team will also be responsible for supporting Peer Resident Responders to facilitate group events and education sessions within each housing site, thus helping to address issues of accessibility and appropriateness within harm reduction services.
JOB SUMMARY:
The R.E.S Team Lead will provide supervision and support to the Resident Responder Engagement and Support Team (RREST) (casuals and regular staff).
This position will support staff while also providing a range of low barrier, harm reduction supports and services for persons/communities marginalized from equitable social and health care services, including resident responder engagement and support, peer-based educational programming and skills development, as well as systems navigation and advocacy for contracted Resident Responders.
This position relies heavily on the abilities of the team lead to connect and develop relationships of trust and rapport with staff and 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-judgemental support with exceptional understanding of personal and community boundaries.
The team lead will be responsible for the development and delivery of educational programming and peer-based skill building, support, and debriefing. The team lead will develop and support staff to develop relationships with community members to support ongoing peer and community based overdose prevention within supportive housing, including but not limited to regular access to harm reduction supplies, witnessing, overdose response and overdose prevention trainings and advocacy.
The team lead will support staff to develop a cohesive team, with systems of collective accountability and interpersonal conflict resolution. The team lead will meet with staff daily, via
check-ins and debriefing.
The R.E.S Team Lead must demonstrate capacity to support staff and community members, while overseeing the delivery of educational programming and harm reduction based services. This position relies on flexibility and self-motivation, and experience supporting/working alongside folks with lived and living experience.
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:
- Supports staff through systems of debriefing, including daily check-ins and 1:1 staff supervision
- Supervises the RRES Team and acts as a liaison between RRES staff, managers, community resources and stakeholders to communicate and manage support needs, client concerns, and issues related to operations, and critical incidents
- Arranges staffing coverage, contacts casual staff members to call-out shift(s), confirms staffing according to seniority and making any necessary scheduling adjustments
- Provides break coverage and coverage when minimum staffing is not met
- Assists with paperwork including but not limited to the completion of statistics, leave forms, weekly narrative and reporting, as required, to ensure Managers receive information and reports in a timely manner
- Engages in planning, evaluation, and program development as directed
- Develops and facilitates harm reduction based educational programming to persons living in Supportive Housing, including overdose prevention and peer skill development
- Develops rapport and support services for contracted Resident Responders, including systems navigation and advocacy
- Develop follow-up care systems for Resident Responders, including client care files and systems of communication within RES Team
- Provide on the spot, and group-based training in overdose response and education on substances and safer use practices
- Provide on the spot debriefing supports and care for resident responders attending to overdoses
- Use brief assessment, active listening, and crisis response skills to support Resident Responders and other persons living in Supportive Housing
- Monitor and support people who are using substances. Assess for overdose symptoms and respond with rescue breathing and naloxone when necessary. Training is provided
- Responsible for harm reduction supply distribution and recovery
- Provide overdose prevention education and first aid response, including education on administration of Naloxone and overdose response
- Engage with service users in a collaborative, person-centered approach grounded in harm reduction
- Maintain 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
- Identify and develop safety plans with people who are using substances who are at increased risk of overdose
- Maintain both paper and electronic confidential records, as required.
- Provides training and support to build capacity for peer lead initiatives
- 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
- Minimum of three years’ relevant work experience
- Supervisory experience in a front line social service agency working with vulnerable folks who use substances. This includes a demonstrated knowledge of harm reduction practice and social services systems (income assistance, housing, healthcare)
- Ability to manage and support staff with diverse experiences
- Valid Class 5 Driver’s License, free of restrictions and holds
- Demonstrated capacity consistently attend work, ready to work and contribute to a team dynamic in which minimum staffing requirements impact program delivery
- Experience developing, delivering and tailoring educational programming, including but not limited to harm reduction, safer sex and safer use education etc…
- First Aid training and experience responding to critical incidents, including overdose
- Experience with overdose response, including administration of naloxone, an asset.
- Experience in providing harm reduction outreach in various situations. Including but not exclusively street outreach, encampments, and within hotel sheltering sites and supported housing.
- 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
- Experience de-escalating crisis and adjusting program delivery based on the needs of community and gaps in services.
- Demonstrated ability to establish rapport with a diverse range of clientele including individuals who are actively using substances and living with significant health challenges
- Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge in the areas of safer drug use, OAT, safer sex, sex work, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, mental health, etc.
- Demonstrated cultural safety and humility, and trauma-informed practices.
- Demonstrated knowledge of social justice, health promotion and public health approaches and models of social support and health care
- Demonstrated understanding and commitment to harm reduction principles and practices
- Ability to apply conflict resolution strategies and work through a diversity of issues with community members and staff.
- Crisis intervention skills and ability to work under pressure
- Advocacy skills
- Experience managing hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication, and diffusing techniques
- Ability to problem solve with creativity, flexibility, and assertiveness in dealing with complex issues
- Demonstrated understanding of the importance and role of people who use drugs in the development, delivery, and evaluation of services intended to benefit them
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required to work effectively with coworkers, clients, community, and other service providers
- Strong working knowledge of local health and social services
- Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s License with “Normal” Drivers Status
- Driver’s Abstract (AVI will review the past year’s driving record. Drivers will need to have no suspensions or prohibitions or 1 passenger only restrictions or a high Driver's Factor)
- 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.
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 pay grid 38)
- Hours and Schedule: 37.5 hours per week
- Monday through Friday, 12:30 pm – 8:30 pm
- Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change
- With options for job sharing or split line. Details to be worked out with the candidate.
- Term: November 30, 2023
- Location: AVI Victoria and in the community as needed.
- 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.
- Position Type: Full Time
- Benefits for Full Time Positions: For a candidate that take all the hours, 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: For a candidate who takes all the hours offered here, this position will be eligible for the Municipal Pension Plan (MPP)after 488 hours. At this time, AVI contributes an additional 9.31% towards your pension account.
- Full Time Perks: For a candidate who takes all the hours offered here, this position would get 6% vacation (equivalent to 3 weeks), paid statutory holidays and would have 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
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.