Position: Overdose Prevention/ Harm Reduction Support Worker
Hours: full time 37.5 hours per week Tuesday through Saturday
Salary: Based on Education and Experience/ Benefits available upon completion of probation period
Job Description:
This Position reports to the Harm Reduction and Overdose prevention team lead and is responsible for supporting clients in the Prevention Assessment and Referral Clinic (PARC) with daily nutritional needs, medical and housing support, information sharing on toxic drug alerts and safer sex, safer drug use, and navigation of services offered within PARC and the Community Hub as well as outside community agencies.
Duties:
- Contribute to the smooth functioning of the Prevention Assessment and Referral Clinic by engaging with services users, staff and volunteers in an open minded and respectful manner.
- Provide harm reduction and overdose prevention supplies and Engage persons who use drugs into respectful conversations about safer drug use, safer sex, overdose prevention and reduction of other harms associated with drug use.
- Observe and monitor drug use ( including injections, and inhalation) and respond to Overdose with rescue breathing and injection naloxone
- Perform intakes and service user agreements with new service users
- Be aware of PARC guidelines and service user agreements and encourage services users to follow guidelines and keep peace the neighborhood as per good neighbour agreements
- Complete statistics and daily log entries for communication and reporting purposes
- Compete incident reports as needed
Education Requirements:
2 Year Diploma in Social Services/ Mental Health and Addictions or related field of study, Minimum one-year experience working with marginalized persons or equivalent combination of education, work and lived experience.
Other desired qualifications:
Ability to meaningfully engage vulnerable persons in client centered non- judgmental support, strong professional boundaries, skilled in solution focused counselling and Non- Violent Crisis intervention, Familiar with Harm reduction best practices, hold a valid Class 5 Drivers license and a clear drivers abstract and be able to successfully complete a criminal record check for working with vulnerable persons. Experience in harm reduction and overdose prevention is an asset. An open mind, non-judgmental approach, sense of humour and ability to work well under pressure and as a team is critical.