Job Description

Company Overview

Reseau ACCESS Network is a non-profit, community-based charitable organization dedicated to promoting wellness and education while reducing harm and risk related to health issues such as HIV/AIDS and Hep C. Our mission is to support individuals and the community through a holistic approach.

POSITION PURPOSE:

To provide low threshold street outreach, community outreach and community development to structurally marginalized community members living with or at risk of acquiring HIV/HCV/STBBI. The position aims to reach more persons affected by their substance use earlier and to remain in contact to prevent health damage while not requesting abstinence. This includes community development specific to the needs of people who use drugs, at-risk youth, BIPOC communities, and other persons and groups experiencing interlocking systemic barriers related to poverty, racism, and drug policy. It serves to strengthen the connections and relationships between individuals and organizations, to bridge capacities across communities and to work towards common goals.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

Please note that this position provides operational support and guidance but does not include direct supervisory responsibilities over staff.

Street Outreach Services

1. Coordinate outreach activities to serve those at risk of HIV/HCV/STBBI transmission through injection and other means of drug use.

2. Conduct outreach to people who use substances and are at risk for HIV and HCV acquisition and drug poisoning/overdose, in locations where people congregate and/or access other services.

3. Recognize and respond to drug poisoning events during in-reach and outreach shifts and administer naloxone as needed.

4. Distribute harm reduction supplies (safer injection, safer inhalation, safer sex and naloxone) to reduce risk for drug poisoning/overdose and HIV and HCV transmission.

5. Where appropriate, deliver brief counseling (crisis intervention / just listening), Indigenous traditional services, and harm reduction teaching, including training people to administer naloxone, to reduce the risk of drug poisoning/overdose and HIV and HCV transmission.

6. Act as a bridge between the street and in-house services, as well as external services offered by community partners.

7. Provide referrals to other community, social and health care services, including mental health, substance use, primary care, By-Names List, and HIV and HCV care and screening.

8. Provide practical support to assist with reminders to appointments, assistance with identification and access to other social services.

9. Promote the inclusion of People with Lived and Living Experience (PWLLE) within local harm reduction outreach programs (i.e. recruit, assist with training, and support people with lived and living experience in their roles).

Community Outreach & Development

Connect with community partners to

deliver presentations, workshops, education, and to provide referrals

to priority populations (adults and youth who use substances, people at risk of or living with HIV and /or HCV), as well as collaborate to provide wellness programming to community members.

1. Working collaboratively with community partners, create opportunities to meet with potential/existing members within their sites to establish/maintain contact.

2. Provide referrals and supports to those who use substances to bridge individuals to HIV/HCV/STBBI testing, treatment and support services as appropriate.

3. Provide ongoing risk/harm reduction information/education/materials to those at risk of HIV/HCV transmission.

4. Actively seek new opportunities to provide harm reduction workshops within the agency's catchment area.

5. Occasionally, speak to the media (written and video) regarding programming and events.

Outreach Services Training

1. By working collaboratively with the Manager of Harm Reduction Outreach and Education as well as the outreach team, provide guidance and mentorship of trained and approved placement students and community workers to provide in-reach and outreach services.

2. The Outreach Team Lead will work in collaboration with the Manager of Harm Reduction Outreach and Education to ensure that the outreach team is supported and connected to professional development opportunities.

Administration

1. Proficient in Canva and Microsoft Office including but not limited to Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

2. Ensure all harm reduction transactions are recorded in the provincial NEO 360 database regularly.

3. Ensure overdose response and incident reports are tracked, debriefs are promptly offered and documents are filed to the Manager of Harm Reduction Outreach and Education.

4. Ensure that files are secure, confidential and have all necessary backups.

5. Maintain inventory and order harm reduction supplies through Public Health Sudbury and District.

6. Ensure that all necessary reports are completed and submitted to the appropriate sources and meet deadlines.

7. Recommend program adjustments to the Manager of Harm Reduction Outreach and Education as appropriate.

8. Assist and implement with the evaluation of all program activities.

9. Assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures set out by leadership and Board of Directors of Reseau ACCESS Network.

10. Assist with the regular upkeep of Reseau ACCESS Network offices.

11. Participate as a team member in all team functions - program planning, team meetings, inter-team meetings, weekly outreach meetings, and case conferences.

12. In consultation with the leadership team, arrange for knowledge transfer to staff and contribute to the overall day-to-day running of the Agency.

Responsibilities to:

Manager of Harm Reduction Outreach and Education

1. Compile and submit activity reports and pertinent statistics as requested by the funders, Manager of Harm Reduction Outreach and Education, Executive Director and/or funders.

2. Meet regularly with the Manager of Harm Reduction Outreach and Education to keep them fully informed on program developments, challenges, successes and activities.

Other:

1. Maintain and develop professional competence and learning.

2. Develop and facilitate harm reduction workshops, including overdose recognition and response/naloxone training to community partners and people who use substances.

3. Ensure that staff complaints and/or concerns are brought to the attention of the Manager of Harm Reduction Outreach and Education and/or the Executive Director.

Qualifications

Essential

Fluent in English orally and written.

Minimum three years' experience working with substance-using communities.

Minimum three years' experience working with at-risk youth.

Physically able to handle the rigours of outdoor programming.

Strong ability to collect and transpose data it to the appropriate data collection tool.

Awareness of and sensitivity when working with diverse Indigenous cultures, perspectives, and ways of knowing.

Experience working with people who use substances.

Valid G driver's license, with clear driver's abstract and good driving record.

Must be available to work evenings and weekends.

Demonstrated experience providing support services.

Demonstrated experience working with issues of substance use and sexuality.

Experience working in a diverse working environment.

Experience working in a non-profit community-based organization.

Ability to manage situations as they arise, both collaboratively and independently.

Desirable

Lived and/or living experience in substance use, HIV and/or hepatitis C.

Demonstrated knowledge of Indigenous communities and organizations.

Fluency in French, both oral and written.

Post-secondary education in Social Work, Social Services, and/or Addiction & Mental Health.

Public Speaking experience.

Skills & Qualities

Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.

Strong oral and written communication skills.

Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to take initiative.

Organized and detail-oriented, with good administrative skills.

Comfortable having open, respectful conversations about substance use and sexuality in a supportive, non-judgmental way.

Brings positivity, empathy, and leadership to motivate and inspire others.

Accountability

The Outreach Team Lead is responsible to the Manager of Harm Reduction Outreach and Education.

Working Conditions

Physical requirements include the dexterity to reach, stand, squat, twist, lift light loads, and the ability to do sedentary work.

Outreach components include working in inclement weather and carrying moderately heavy supplies in a backpack.

Must be available to work evenings and weekends.

Must be able to work in a variety of settings including outdoors across all seasons.

30-hour work week, overtime compensated by time off in lieu.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Reseau ACCESS Network is committed to providing accommodation for people with disabilities in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Reasonable accommodation will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodation.

Employees requiring accommodation should notify the employer in writing as soon as the need for accommodation is known.

All accommodation requests will be handled confidentially and assessed on an individual basis.

DIVERSITY, BELONGING, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

The Agency values the contributions of people living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C; persons with lived/living experience who use drugs; members of 2S-LGBTQQIAP+ communities; individuals from Indigenous, First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities, Black, Brown, Asian, Latinx, Middle Eastern, and members of the global majority, and persons with dis/abilities. As a bilingual agency, Francophone candidates are also encouraged to apply. The Agency encourages candidates to self-identify upon application.

Reseau ACCESS Network strives to build an inclusive workforce that reflects the rich diversity of the community in which we live. The Agency prioritizes belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and challenges structural forms of oppression like racism, colonialism, and white supremacy, which sustain unjust social and racial hierarchies within the health care continuum.

As an Agency operating on Robinson Huron Treaty Territory (1850) that is actively working towards reconciliation, Reseau ACCESS Network recognizes that these are the traditional lands of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nations. These peoples, along with Metis and Inuit Nations, currently and historically have cared for these lands. The violent effects of patriarchal cis-sexism, ongoing white supremacy, colonization, neocolonialism, capitalism, and the Transatlantic Slave Trade continue to have a deep impact on the unjust power structures within which Reseau ACCESS Network operates.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $40,440.00 per year

Expected hours: 30 per week

Benefits:

Casual dress Company events Dental care Disability insurance Employee assistance program Extended health care Life insurance Paid time off Vision care Wellness program
Licence/Certification:

Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person