Harm Reduction Services Team Lead - Casual

at  AVI Health and Community Services

AVI Health & Community Services (AVI) is a multi‐disciplinary community-based organization 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 (http://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.
H.R.S. Teams ‐ Harm Reduction Services Teams, Including HOPS & DOPES, provides services for people who use drugs and may be impacted by criminalization, systemic injustice and stigma. Relational care is foundational to the team in providing appropriate and accurate services. Folks accessing supplies for safer drug use, safer sex supplies, overdose prevention, response and the training are met with care and intention. Harm Reduction services provides supports in various locations as we continue to look for a home for publicly accessible harm reduction services for all.
The HOPS Team – Housing Overdose Prevention and Support Team is responsible for operating AVI’s supportive housing overdose prevention program. The HOPS Team provides harm-reduction based support to people living in supportive housing and shelter settings, including witnessed consumption, overdose response, safety planning, and safer use education. The team also supports ongoing peer and community-based responses to overdose, including through the provision of a peer resident responder program.
The DOPES Team – Drop-in Overdose Prevention Services Team works within a social justice and health promotion framework to provide a safe, accessible drop‐in space for community members who use substances, and/or who are marginalized from social care services. Drop‐in programming will include access to harm reduction supports, as well as overdose prevention, witnessing and peer‐based services. As a part of the drop-in, the DOPES team provides oversight, support, and overdose response, including the administration of oxygen and Naloxone, to people using illicit substances in AVI’s Overdose Prevention Room.

JOB SUMMARY:

The HRS Team Lead will provide supervision and support to the HOPS and DOPES Teams. 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-judgmental 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 HRS 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.

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 providing harm reduction-based supports
• Supervisory experience in a front-line social service agency working with folks who use substances.
• Experience in a supervisory role within a social service setting
• Valid Class 5 Driver’s License with “normal’ Driver status, free of restrictions and holds.
• 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)
• First Aid training and experience responding to critical incidents, including overdose.
• Experience de‐escalating crisis and managing hostile interactions, utilizing non‐violent communication, and diffusing techniques
• Able to respectfully engage and support Indigenous relationships, with a trauma informed and decolonial lens
• 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 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.
• Ability to problem solve with creativity, flexibility, and assertiveness with complex issues.
• 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

• Supports staff through systems of debriefing, including daily check‐ins and 1:1 supervision.
• Supervises the teams and acts as a liaison between staff, managers and community resources to communicate and manage client concerns and issues related to operations.
• 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
• Engages in planning, evaluation, and program development as directed
• Develops and facilitates harm reduction based educational programming including overdose prevention and peer skill development
• Develops rapport and support services with service users, staff, and Resident Responders
• Contributes to accurate documentation, including team logs, client files, and Critical Incident Reports
• 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 staff and service users
• Use brief assessment, active listening, and crisis response skills to support staff and service users
• Monitor and support people who are using substances. Assess for overdose symptoms and respond with rescue breathing and naloxone when necessary. Training is provided.
• 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
• Performs other duties as assigned.