Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) Worker – Internal/External Posting

One (1) Short-Term Contract Position (37.5 hours per week)

* Estimated Contract Start Date – ASAP * Contract End Date – December 31, 2025*

Street Health is a community-based agency providing innovative physical and mental health programs and advocacy to homeless and insecurely housed individuals in downtown Toronto for over 30 years.  Street Health, a not-for-profit organization located within the downtown-east neighborhood of Toronto, works to improve the health and wellbeing of people who are homeless and under-housed by addressing the social determinants of health. Our organization provides services in the areas of innovative nursing, mental health, harm reduction, Overdose prevention, outreach, identification replacement programs, and through advocacy, research, and education.

Since 2018, an Overdose Prevention Service (OPS) has been operating at Street Health to prevent drug overdoses and work in solidarity with people who use drugs. Working from a harm reduction, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive perspective, the OPS Workers are responsible for supporting and assisting the activities of the OPS by responding to overdoses, distributing harm reduction supplies, providing harm reduction education, making referrals to other services as necessary, intervening and de-escalating situations and working collaboratively with other team members to ensure that safe and respectful services are provided to people who use drugs.

Please note: this short-term role is advertised as a vacancy to support the team while an employee is on a leave of absence. Should the employee return to their position sooner than expected, the end date of this position may be shortened, or the position may be cancelled as a result of the short-turnaround time.

Responsibilities of the position include, but may not be limited to:

•       Supervises people to administer their own drugs;

•       Assesses knowledge of safe drug consumption processes and works with people using the site to achieve the best possible outcomes;

•       Assesses, responds to and manages overdose events; provides overdose prevention education and support;

•       Deescalates conflict with or among participants according to established protocols;

•       Provides harm reduction materials and information, and ensures safe disposal of used equipment in accordance with established protocols;

•       Seeks out opportunities to provide supportive counselling, education and referrals to health and social services;

•       Assists with day-to-day OPS coverage, collaborative program planning and knowledge transfer activities;

•       Maintains a hygienic, organized, comfortable and respectful environment;

•       Follows health and safety-based cleaning standards and ensures the space is cleaned daily;

•       Assists with stocking, organizing and inventory of supplies;

•       Works collaboratively with colleagues by participating in team meetings, debrief meetings and attends and actively participates in training sessions;

•       Helps to ensure OPS complies with all policies and procedures in accordance with requirements and guidelines as outlined by the Federal Government, other funders and Street Health;

•       Collects unidentified service provider data as required; and

•       All other duties as may be assigned within the scope of this position.

Qualifications:

•       Degree/diploma in health, social work or related field, or equivalent experience.

•       Minimum 4 years’ working experience or lived experience with substance use and harm reduction.

•       Proven experience with overdose prevention and response and training in/experience with naloxone administration.

•       Experience and knowledge of drug use, specifically injection drug use.

•       Experience in community mental health and addictions sector with individuals who are homeless, and/or experiencing complex health and social issues.

•       Experience providing trauma informed care.

•       Physically and professionally able to respond to a drug overdose.

•       Demonstrated crisis intervention skills and training.

•       Experience working with persons of diverse ethnic, cultural, racial backgrounds & sexual orientations.

•       Excellent oral and written communication skills.

•       Essential characteristics include flexibility within job description, resourcefulness, patience, open mindedness; ability to multi-task and participate fully within a team setting.

•       Ability to carry out duties independently while maintaining accountability to agency.

•       Valid CPR certification or ability to obtain certification within the first 3 months of employment.

•       Successful completion of a police services Vulnerable Sector Screening Check.

Don’t meet every single qualification? If you are intrigued and excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in this job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right candidate we have been searching for to join our team! Research has shown that people of colour, women and members of other equity deserving groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Street Health is committed to building a diverse and authentic organization and we welcome your application.

Position Type:                        Full-Time, Contract, Bargaining Unit

Salary:                                    $34.04 per hour

Work Hours:                           37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Work Location:                       338 Dundas Street East, Toronto, ON, M5A 2A1

Reports to:                              Manager, Harm Reduction Programs

Posting Date:                          Tuesday June 17, 2025

Application Deadline:             Sunday June 29, 2025

Application Method:               Please submit a cover letter and resume by 5:00 p.m., on Sunday June 29, 2025, to .

Please quote OPSTemp_1025 in the subject line of the email.

Street Health is committed to diversity, equity & inclusion and developing a workforce that is reflective of the communities and clients that we work with. We strongly encourage applications from members of equity deserving groups including but not limited to; people with lived and/or living experience, Black people, Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, LGBTQ2SIA+ people, people with disabilities, and people with marginalized identities.

Street Health is committed to providing accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). Applicants are asked to make accommodation requests by email to and include the subject term ‘Accessibility’, or via telephone to 416-921-8668 ext. 228. Street Health will make every effort to ensure that reasonable accommodation requests are available throughout the recruitment process.

All candidates offered a position at Street Health must be fully vaccinated according to Street Health’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, Nov 2021, and proof of vaccination is required as a condition of employment.

Street Health will comply with its Human Rights obligations and accommodate employees who are legally entitled to accommodation.