AVI's 'Victoria' office is located on the territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) speaking peoples of the Songhees and Esquimalt nations.
PHONE 250-384-2366 FAX 250-380-9411
TOLL FREE / INFOLINE 1-800-665-2437
EMAIL info at avi dot org
OFFICE HOURS Mon-Fri 10am-3pm.
MAILING ADDRESS 3rd Floor - Access Health Centre 713 Johnson St, Victoria BC V8W 1M8
HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES Call 250-384-2366 for more info about supplies. Harm reduction supply distro from 10am-9pm, Monday-Friday, and 2pm-9pm Saturday & Sunday at 713 Johnson St.
VICTORIA MOBILE HARM REDUCTION SERVICES (harm reduction supply delivery)
12-4pm Wed-Fri [250-896-AVIX (2849)]. Available from Sooke to Sidney, outside of Downtown Victoria)
*NEW* COMMUNITY-LED CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM (CLCR)
The Community-Led Crisis Response Team (CLCR), a program of AVI Health and Community Services is funded by the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian Mental Health Association. CLCR is a peer-assisted care program and a mobile crisis response team led by persons with lived/living experience and mental health professionals, who are able to de-escalate crises and develop community care plans with persons experiencing crisis.
The CLCR Team is an alternate approach to responding to someone in crisis that focuses on health, well-being and community support. Utilizing a community-based, client-centered, trauma-informed response, a peer-assisted model of care has been proven to help individuals navigate to mental and social care services and reduce engagement with the justice system and emergency services.
CLCR services are currently delivered between 7:30am-12:30am, Monday through Friday. The team can be reached at 250-818-2454.
General services
INFOLINE 1-800-665-2437 Learn more about HIV & HCV safer sex, HIV testing or transmission, STIs and harm reduction. Find services for you or someone you know. All confidential calls taken by trained staff and volunteers.
- Presentations for populations with greater exposure to HIV and HVC in prisons, social service organizations, and other community organizations are available by request.
- Educational materials promoting improved health, safer drug use, safer sex and more are available to the public at all AVI offices and online.
- Volunteer Services provides an opportunity to give back to your community while developing invaluable training and work experience
Services for people living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C
- Short-term counseling focused on immediate needs and outcomes
- Advocacy and support with income assistance, health care services, employment, housing, disability status applications and legal matters
- Non-judgmental education and support for treatment, side effects, nutrition and symptoms
- HIV+, member-only program and space for peers to interact while enjoying refreshments and a hot, nutritious lunch. Open to folks who are HepC+ on Tuesdays.
- Weekly drop-in medical clinic
- Public transportation ticket access
- Referrals to other services
Prism Wellness
- Prism Wellness’ primary focus is to reduce HIV, Hepatitis C, STIs, and stigma in the Southern Vancouver Island communities of gender and sexual minorities. By promoting queer and trans health in these, our communities, we are accomplishing that goal. We encourage our community to make informed choices about their own sexual and substance use practices and wellness. Sex and harm reduction education to reduce HIV, hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted infections is part of our mission. It is paired with the cultivation of attitudes and behaviours that support safer, strong and stable foundations for overall community health and wellbeing.
- Prism Wellness services include group and solo support, Queer Eye for the Service Provider training, wellness groups, peer leadership programs, a biannual conference, outreach, drop-in testing and PrEP nights. To learn more visit their page at http://avi.org/prism-wellness
Harm reduction services for people who use drugs
- Mobile Van (deliveries & used syringe pick-up from Sidney to Sooke); Wed-Fri noon - 4pm
- Case management support (713 Outreach Team partnership with Island Health)
- Harm reduction supplies and support (peer support, counselling, referrals)
- Overdose prevention and response training, including take-home naloxone
- Education for safer drug use and safer sex
- Street Nurse clinics
- Referral and assistance navigating social and health care systems
- Outreach education for youth and people who are incarcerated
- Educational and leadership development programming (Street College)
Victoria SAFER Initiative (SAFER)
The Victoria SAFER Initiative (SAFER) provides pharmaceutical alternatives to the unregulated drug supply to prevent and reduce the incidence of ‘overdose’/drug poisoning. SAFER is a flexible, community-based model of safe supply that is grounded in harm reduction policy and practice and utilizes a social justice lens. The SAFER program is run by a multidisciplinary staff team (e.g., support workers, systems navigators, nurses, physicians) and provides support and referrals to other community services. The program offers safe supply (e.g., opioids, stimulants) in a variety of formats (e.g., tablets, patches, liquid).
AVI Health & Community Services (AVI) launched SAFER in July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic with funding from Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP).
For more general program information, see this CATIE case study about the program: https://www.catie.ca/programming-connection/victoria-safer-initiative