PHS COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY (PHS) IS HIRING 2 COMMUNITY SUPPORT WORKERS TO WORK AT MOLSON OVERDOSE PREVENTION SITES, AND THE NEEDLE DEPOT IN VANCOUVER!

Are you interested in a job where you can make an impact on the well-being of others? By providing a unique cultural lens based on your own acute experience facing and overcoming barriers and stigma related to addiction, homelessness, poverty, or incarceration, we invite you to apply for the role of Casual Community Support Worker!
Reporting to the Program Operations Manager, this position works as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide harm reduction services, overdose prevention, safer treatment alternatives, community inreach and support, and access to community resources to program participants across the PHS harm reduction continuum.

WHY WORK HERE?

PHS is recognized as a North American leader in low barrier housing and harm reduction services. We are innovators, highly regarded across the sector, looking for people to join experienced, supportive multi-disciplinary teams.
You will be a valued member of the team, working with colleagues who respect your input.
PHS is located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, in easy walking distance of Downtown, Chinatown, Gastown and the Sea Wall. There are good transit links – we’re a couple of blocks from the Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain station.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT WORKER INCLUDE (BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO):

• Promotes a sense of community by creating a welcoming, encouraging and supportive environment for program participants.
• Provides support to program participants within the scope of established service delivery, policies and procedures.
• Maintains confidentiality about the personal information of program participants.
• Provides a variety of physical, emotional, social, and life skills supports to program participants.
• Performs overdose prevention and interventions within established guidelines.
• Alerts other PHS staff of any program participant requiring acute medical care/intervention.
• Works collaboratively and problem solves with team members.
• Actively listens and de-escalates confrontational situations. Engages and defers to other team members, or management, in circumstances that are not easily resolved.
• Performs basic indoor and outdoor cleaning duties at PHS work sites.
• Replenishes and restocks harm reduction supplies, office supplies and other site-specific supplies.
• Communicates questions and concerns from program participants to PHS management, and actively engages in community needs assessment with PHS management.
• Complies with all OH&S and PHS employee policies and procedures.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS ROLE HAS THE FOLLOWING SKILLS:

• Lived experience of the challenges faced by program participants eg; homelessness, substance use, mental health issues, poverty, involvement with the criminal justice system, racial and gender discrimination.
• Grade 12 education or an equivalent combination of education, experience and training.
• Basic verbal and written communication skills.
• Must have access to and the ability to use basic digital technologies (smart phones, computers, email, apps)
• Strong understanding of harm reduction principles.
• Ability to maintain regular hours of work.
• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks and duties.
• Overdose prevention and intervention training
• First Aid & CPR/AED certification