Overdose Prevention Support Worker - SCS

Full-Time Temporary Position (35 hours/week), up to 4 months in duration

Bargaining Unit – UFCW – Local 175

Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre (Parkdale Queen West CHC) is a dynamic, community-based health care organization serving mid-west downtown Toronto. Offering a broad range of services, including primary health care, dental care, harm reduction, health promotion, counselling, and community development programming, we are also committed to serving people who face barriers to health care, and we strive to reduce these barriers. PQWCHC is a multi-sited organization.

We are seeking an experienced Overdose Prevention Support Worker who shares our passion for making a difference; you see this role as an opportunity to take the next step in your successful career while contributing to a vision of Inclusive Communities. Responsive Healthcare. Healthier Lives.

Striving for excellence in client-centred care and education, you will work as part of the multidisciplinary, integrated Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) team, within a harm reduction framework, and in alignment with the vision and values of PQWCHC. In so doing, you will help ensure that SCS operations comply with all exemption requirements and guidelines, as well as PQWCHC policies and procedures. In the role of SCS Overdose Prevention Support Worker, you will provide education and support on safer injection and consumption, monitor clients for adverse reactions, assess, respond to, and support overdose events, and assist in the initiation of emergency responses, as necessary. You will also assist in client de-escalation and provide support for crowd control and make referrals to other health and social service providers.

You have at least 1 year of experience working in a harm reduction program and/or a community setting, working with homeless and marginalized populations, including people who inject illicit drugs. You have experience with overdose prevention and response and training in/experience with Naloxone administration. Confident in asserting and maintaining strong boundaries, you bring substantial knowledge of drug use, specifically injection drug use, acquired through a combination of work experience, lived experience and/or education or training, are familiar with community services and resources, and respect and value the diversity of communities and individuals.

Proficiency in one or more languages other than English would be an asset, as would experience in the following areas: working in a supervised consumption or overdose prevention service; providing overdose training, including Naloxone administration; and working with people who use drugs, racialized populations, Indigenous peoples, people who engage in sex work, prisoners/ex-prisoners, people with mental health challenges, and people who have experienced trauma.

Note: This temporary contract ends on March 31, 2025

Compensation: $53,919 to $63,493 per annum

If you are interested in joining in a creative and dedicated team to, we want to hear from you! Applicants, please send your resume and cover letter in a single document (MS Word or PDF format only). Please apply using the form at the bottom of the PQWCHC employment page: https://pqwchc.org/contact/employment/

Job ID: 2024-086

Please also note that the successful candidate will be required to provide a police vulnerable sector check as a condition of employment, however strong consideration is made to the type of offense. Employment is conditional upon having had a COVID-19 vaccination(s) (as per Health Ontario) 14 days before starting employment.