Community Health Worker - Toronto, Canada - Regent Park Community Health Centre

Regent Park Community Health Centre

Verified Company

Toronto, Canada

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Sophia Lee

beBee Recruiter

Description

We are a dynamic community-based health centre promoting social justice and health equity in the Regent Park neighbourhood and east downtown area of Toronto.

We operate out of several locations and provide a wide variety of services including:

primary health care, chiropody, physiotherapy, health promotion, social work, community health, immigrant and refugee services, housing assistance, harm reduction and homeless programs, Pathways to Education for high school students, infant and child development programs, parenting education and family advocacy.

Job Summary:

The Community Health Worker (CHW) for the Shelter-Hotel Harm Reduction Project will engage and work with community members who use drugs and have mental health issues through the provision of short-term case management, overdose prevention education, harm reduction supply distribution, harm reduction education and through referrals to additional services.

This position is further responsible to provide informal counselling and work on community engagement and capacity building to support individuals in accessing and maintaining connections with mental health, primary care and harm reduction programs/services and who are living in shelter hotels and various sheltering locations (including respites, physical distancing sites and drop-ins).

This is a Full-time Contract position, until December 31st, 2023. Staff will also have the opportunity to participate in HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan), and receive additional benefits.

This is a bargaining unit position with OPSEU Local 5115.

Salary:

- $27.91 to $33.

62 per hour
Hours:

35 hours per week
Application Deadline:
January 11, 2023
Responsibilities Include:
Educate clients regarding overdose prevention and management, including the use and administration of naloxone where appropriate
Provide harm reduction education, supplies and supports to clients
Work in collaboration with clients, site providers and teams to identify harm reduction needs and supports skills development and to support clients to develop and achieve their goals
Support and work with people who use drugs in peer roles to provide harm reduction supports to clients
Participate in systemic advocacy, grassroots organizing, awareness raising and public education for positive social change via involvement in communitybased committees and networks
Provide referrals to health, social, legal and other relevant services in shelter hotels, and work to ensure clients are integrated into the appropriate services both within CHCs and wider community as required
Provide information/referral, advocacy, supportive counselling and case coordination to individual clients who have concerns about housing, financial, health, selfcare, substance use and mental health, and other issues
In collaboration with site staff and residents, design relevant harm reduction programming, including groups and other related initiatives to enhance harm reduction capacity at hotel sites
Follow safety protocols established by the Harm Reduction Program during fieldwork, including needle distribution and collection, team communication, crisis prevention and deescalation
Address emerging demands and crisis needs
Participate in Harm Reduction Program initiatives and eventplanning as needed
Participate in program evaluation and client needs assessment, in conjunction with the Coordinator of Harm Reduction
Maintain data entry to record outreach encounters in a timely manner, and meet with supervisor to review trends on a bimonthly basis

Qualifications and Skills Required:

A Degree or Diploma in in a related field, or relevant experience
A minimum of 35 years of community based experienced working with marginalized and homeless populations who experience multiple systemic barriers
Extensive knowledge of overdose prevention and response strategies
Skills and experience engaging people who use drugs in street outreach, shelters, and/or dropins settings
Minimum 35 years of case management and system navigation experience
Program coordination experience, with a specific understanding of harm reduction, is considered an asset
Excellent understanding of impacts of systemic oppression on marginalized individuals and communities, including women and mothers who use drugs
Skills and experience engaging people through artsbased social justice initiatives
Skills and experience designing and delivering diverse group programming, including artsbased approaches, popular education, participatory research, peer support and information/education focused groups
Extensive experience in conflict resolution and crisis intervention
Strong oral and written communication skills
Proficiency in one or more languages other than English, and personal/lived experience of drug use, homelessness, and/or street involvement would be considered assets
Demonstrated experience in peer recruitment, train