Harm Reduction Services Team Lead - Casual

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

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.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Supports staff through systems of debriefing, including daily check‐ins and 1:1 supervision, and acts as a liaison between staff, managers and community resources to communicate and manage client concerns and issues related to operations.
2. Arranges staffing coverage, contacts casual staff members to call‐out shift(s), confirms staffing according to seniority and making any necessary scheduling adjustments.
3. Assists with paperwork including but not limited to the completion of statistics, leave forms, weekly narrative and reporting, as required
4. Engages service users and support staff in a collaborative, person-centered approach grounded in harm reduction.
5. Develops and facilitates harm reduction based educational programming including overdose prevention and peer skill development
6. Provides a variety of harm reduction-based supports to individuals, including distribution and recovery of harm reduction supplies.
7. Identifies and develops safety plans with people who use substances and are at risk of overdose.
8. Provide on the spot and group‐based training in overdose response and education on substances and safer use practices.
9. Uses brief assessment, active listening, and a non-violent approach to respond to and deescalate crisis.
10. Facilitates access to services related to substance use, social issues, and health/wellness and completes relevant referrals.
11. Monitors and assesses symptoms of overdose and responds appropriately using naloxone, rescue breathing, oxygen, and CPR when needed.
12. 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
13. Maintains both paper and electronic client files and logs. Fills out critical incident and overdose report forms as needed.
14. Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Supervisory experience in a social service setting, with preference given to experience supervising staff with lived and living experience of substance use.

Minimum of 3 years' experience that includes the following:

• Direct service delivery within harm reduction settings.
• Responding to overdose and adverse reactions to substances, including naloxone and oxygen administration.
• Supporting individuals to navigate through local health and social service systems.
• Utilizing effective communication and conflict resolution skills to work through a range of issues with service users and staff.
• Establishing rapport with a diverse range of clientele including individuals who are actively using substances and living with significant health challenges.

Education and Training:

• Diploma in health or social service field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• First Aid training with CPR-C.
• Training or experience in a non-violent and anti-oppressive approach to de-escalation and crisis intervention.
• Strong working knowledge of local health and social services resources.
• Valid Class 5 Driver's License with “normal' Driver status and , an asset. (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).

Skills and Abilities:

• Ability 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.
• Ability to apply harm reduction principles and health promotion framework to support work and to provide support based in social justice, relationality, cultural humility, and trauma-informed practice.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required to work effectively with coworkers, clients, community, and other service providers.
• Computer skills including ability to navigate client files, databases, email, and word-processing.
• Ability to receive feedback from supervisors and integrate into goal setting and future practice.
• Capacity to work in a highly self-directed environment and respond to community needs and problem solve with flexibility, creativity, and assertiveness.

POSITION DETAILS:

• Pay: $36.06/hour to start with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI. (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU pay grid 38)
• Afternoon Shift Premium for Some Shifts: Afternoon Shift Premium of an additional $0.45/hour applies to any shifts that have at least 50% of their time scheduled between 4 pm and midnight. As such, some of the shifts of this position will be paid an additional $0.45/hour premium.
• Weekend Shift Premium for Some Shifts: Weekend Shift Premium of an additional $0.50/hour applies to each hour worked between 00:01 hours Saturday and 24:00 hours Sunday. As such, some of the shifts of this position will be paid an additional $0.50/hour premium.
• Hours and Schedule: Varied, Casual basis. Shifts falling between 12:00 pm and 9:00 pm
• Term: Starting as soon as possible and ongoing, subject to funding.
• Location: AVI Victoria office and work in the community as needed
• Number of Positions: 1-3
• Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2025-2029 and this role is a BCGEU union position.
• Position Type: Casual
• Pension: If you are already a member of the Municipal Pension Plan (MPP), you can continue with them at AVI immediately. At this time, AVI contributes an additional 9.31% towards your pension account. If you are not already a member of the Municipal Pension Plan, part time staff may become eligible after 2 years with AVI.
• Other Perks: This position receives Stat In Lieu, which means is paid an extra 5% in lieu of vacation 5% in lieu of stats, meaning your hourly rate is 10% higher than listed.
• Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change.

TO APPLY:

To apply, click on 'TO APPLY' and submit your Resume and Cover Letter by May 18, 2026 at 5 pm.

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.

As AVI is a union environment, internal staff will be prioritized in the hiring process.

We would like to thank all those that apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.