Peer Support Worker
- Job Type
- Full Time
- Job Level
- Other
- Location
- Ottawa, ON
- Impact Area
- Other
- Impact Category
- Other
- Company Type
- Other
About this position
Supervised Injection Trailer Peer Worker
Ottawa Inner City Health Inc.
Employment Opportunity
Full time/Part-time/Casual position
1 Year Contract- Beginning as soon as possible
Must be available for a variety of shifts- days/evenings/overnights/weekends
Ottawa Inner City Health has many programs in which our frontline peer workers work in. This posting outlines a few of the different programs that are available. Please include a cover letter with your application. All interviewees will be given a tour of the site to see what the space is like.
Supervised Injection Site: The role of the Supervised Injection Trailer Peer Worker (SITPW) is to assertively engage clients of the SIS and support them as they access services. The peer role is to engage, build rapport and advocate for clients while enforcing the rules that allow for the trailer to run well. The staffing model of the trailer uses peer workers or people who have lived experience because they have a unique background that assists them with this job. People who come from diverse or minority backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Duties:
- Provide support to clients accessing trailer service
- Be comfortable around injection drug use
- Direct response to overdoses with the support of a multidisciplinary team of nurses/frontline staff
- Manage flow of clients in a small enclosed setting
- Manage booth usage
- Work effectively on a multidisciplinary team to ensure smooth running of SIS service
- Responding to challenging situations with clients who are under the influence of drugs
- Engage in client advocacy
- Establish rapport with hard to serve clients
- Cleaning duties as required
- Re-stocking SITE as needed
TED Shelter Program: This program is based out of the Shepherds of Good Hope shelter. Peer workers would be assisting the nurse and other frontline staff as clients come in to access their bed, healthcare, case management and other needs as they arise. The peer worker develops a strong rapport with clients and assists them to get their needs met. This program is different than other shelter programs because it has a healthcare component. Many of the clients have mental health realities and substance use disorder.
Street Outreach: This program is to provide care to clients who are outside. Staff will be given weather appropriate gear and will carry backpacks to hand out necessary items to clients who are sleeping rough or spending large amounts of time outside. In this role, staff get to know the different spots that clients stay and hang out and visit often, building strong rapport.
Qualifications:
- Personal experience with any of the following: drug use, mental health and/or homelessness
- Knowledge & comfort working with Aboriginal communities, the homeless & under housed, injection drug users, sex trade workers, as well as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender/sexual people
- Knowledge about crack & injection drug use issues
- Knowledge about alcohol abuse
- Good people skills required, must be open, non-judgmental and willing to learn
- Fluency in English is required
- Fluency in French or Inuktitut a bonus
- A well-developed sense of when their personal safety is at risk
- Ability to work within a harm reduction framework
- Extensive knowledge about mental illness and substance use
- Well-developed skills in setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries, confidentiality and trust with people in crisis
- A demonstrated level of stability in your personal life which will allow you to be at work reliably and to not affected by exposure to people who are living with mental illness and using substance in a negative way or in a way that will affect your recovery
- Ability to be assertive without being aggressive
- Ability to use tact and diplomacy to avoid upsetting or offending clients
- Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team
- Must provide a Criminal Records Check (having a criminal record does not exclude you from this position)
Physical Requirements:
The Peer Worker must be able to walk or stand for an 8 hour shift
Reporting:
- The Peer Worker reports to Audrey Lusignan.
- Peer Workers must be willing to attend support meetings, a monthly team meeting and to attend training and skill development workshops
Peer Shifts:
The Peer Workers will work a maximum of 40 hours per week which will be scheduled based on the operational needs of the program.
The position is for the period of one year and is dependent on a continuation of funding.
Closing date for applications is July 7th, 2022
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Casual, Permanent
Salary: From $18.92 per hour
COVID-19 considerations:
We require proof of vaccination, and we supply proper PPE for use at work.
Please Apply to Audrey at alusignan@ottawainnercityhealth.ca or 613-700-5293.