AVI Health & Community Services (AVI) increases health equity by providing highly responsive, harm reduction -based HIV, hepatitis C, substance use, sexual health, mental health, and other community health services, and is informed by the voices of people with living experience. We envision a community where people can experience optimal health and wellness, and be free from stigma, marginalization, and criminalization.
For more information see www.avi.org
Our work takes place in Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Coast Salish territorial regions on what is colonially known as Vancouver Island. The rich and beautiful lands and waters of this Island have been home to over 50 First Nations for time immemorial; we respectfully acknowledge their past, present, and future sovereignty.
AVI CRISIS RESPONSE. COMMUNITY LED (CRCL):
The AVI CRCL (Crisis Response. Community Led) Team, Victoria is funded by the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian Mental Health Association. CRCL is a peer-assisted care program and a mobile crisis response team, led by persons with lived/living experience and mental health professionals who are able to de-escalate crises and develop community care plans with persons experiencing crisis.
The CRCL Team is an approach to responding to someone in crisis that focuses on health, well-being and community support. Utilizing a community-based, client centered, trauma-informed response, a peer-assisted model of care has been proven to help individuals navigate mental and social care services and reduce engagement with the justice system and emergency services.
The CRCL Victoria Team provides services on the territories of the Ləkʷəŋən peoples (Kosapsum and Songhees nations), as well as the W̱SÁNEĆ Nations.
JOB SUMMARY:
ABOUT THIS POSITION:
The CRCL Coordinators are responsible for overseeing daily operations, including supporting and overseeing the delivery of services and providing frontline care. This role is vital to the integrity of this service and requires successful candidates to develop and maintain effective working relationships with all staff and CRCL Leadership, for the purpose of supporting the team in following our shared practices and policies while helping maintain high program quality.
See Key Duties and Responsibilities for further information.
WORKING ON THE TEAM:
The CRCL Victoria Team will provide acute mobile crisis support and de-escalation services for persons 13 years of age and older experiencing mental health and/or substance use related crises.
Working in collaboration with all team members, the CRCL Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the delivery of rapid point of service mental health crisis management and de-escalation, including assessment, suicide intervention and safety planning, as well as acute care planning, referrals to alternative services or escalation to emergency services.
Alongside the team, this role is grounded in person-centered, harm reduction and trauma informed approaches to care, which centers the needs and agency of the service user.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Team Coordination
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Oversee daily operations, including overseeing the delivery of services, and providing direct services
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Provide daily support for staff, including performance coaching, debriefing, and check-ins.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all CRCL Staff and CRCL Leadership
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Develop and maintain effective working relationships with community care providers, including emergency services personnel
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Participate in team development, including hiring, team and individual training and staff performance reviews as requested
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As a leader on the team, operate in alignment to AVI’s Leadership Guidelines and Approaches, which include being trauma-informed, supportive, curious, objective, fair, collaborative, non-stigmatizing, open-minded, ethical, safe, non-judgmental, intention and aligned with AVI’s values
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Oversee and supervise confidential case notes, including quality control and storage of confidential case files
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Ensure quality control and transparency of service reporting to CRCL Leadership
- Remain at all times available and ready to support the team, which can include attending calls, acting as the Dispatch Navigator, performing outreach activities and engaging community members and partners.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE:
- Emotional Resilience and ability to center the needs of the person in crisis
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Humility, flexibility and conscientiousness
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Ability to build trust, foster psychological and physical safety and navigate change safely with the team as needed, while supervising the day-of shift in a trauma-informed way
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Ability to critically assess, make ethically informed decisions, and remain grounded in complex and dynamic situations
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Ability to manage hostile interactions using non-violent communication, situational awareness and diffusing techniques
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Ability to work mandatory overtime, where and as needed, and per the collective agreement.
QUALIFICATIONS:
There are two applicant streams for the Coordinator position, outlined below.
Please note that this is not an entry level position. The qualifications in either stream must be met in full. Please clearly outline your qualifications to be considered.
1. Relevant Degree and Leadership Work Experience Pathway (both 1 and 2 are both required for this pathway)
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Minimum 3-5 years relevant experience providing mental health services, including a minimum of 3 years of demonstrable increase in levels of team leadership
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Specifically, a minimum of 3-5 years of paid work experience providing daily supervision of staff, including ensuring quality service delivery, and adherence to policy and practices
and:
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University degree in mental health, health, or social services (e.g., public health, social work, psychiatric nursing)
or
2. Combination of Relevant Education and Leadership Work Experience Pathway:
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Minimum 7-9 years combined of relevant education and/or experience providing mental health services, including crisis de-escalation, mobile crisis response and acute mental health services.
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including a minimum of 3 years of demonstrable increase in levels of team leadership
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Specifically, a minimum of 3-5 years of paid work experience providing daily supervision of staff, including ensuring quality service delivery, and adherence to policy and practice
All applicants, regardless of pathway are expected to have the following qualifications:
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Experience providing mental health care, including crisis response, de-escalation and trauma informed approaches to mental health care
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Critical assessment skills, including experience making ethically informed decisions
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Experience managing hostile interactions, using non-violent communication, situational awareness and diffusing techniques
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Extensive experience with suicidal and homicidal assessments, as well as demonstrated knowledge and experience developing safety plans
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Experience building trust, fostering psychologically and physically safe team environments, while overseeing daily and team operations
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Supervisor, Manager or Leadership development training
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Additional Education related to crisis support and acute mental health care is an asset
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Additional Education related to Peer Support Work is an asset
- Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge of harm reduction and health promotion practices.
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Demonstrated practice of cultural humility and trauma-informed approaches to care.
- Demonstrated commitment to personal development and ethical practice, including:
- Awareness of personal stressors and triggers, with active engagement in selfcare practices
- Demonstrated awareness of personal and implicit biases
- Reflexive practice that supports examination of personal motivations, judgements and feelings that may be activated by crisis work
- Demonstrated capacity to uphold professional boundaries.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the harmful effects of colonization, including relevant or applicable training/knowledge and experience in anti-racism, culturally safer care and decolonization.
- Demonstrated capacity to uphold a collaborative and team-based approach, including:
- Outstanding, strength-based problem-solving skills
- Outstanding trauma informed, direct communication skills
- Capacity to engage in self-reflection and personal accountability.
- Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s License, with “Normal Drivers Status”.
- Employment subject to criminal record check for working with vulnerable populations
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Employment subject to successful completion of CRCL Training Curriculum (a one month training program)
POSITION DETAILS:
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Pay: $39.67/hour to start, with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI. (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU paygrid 38+10%)
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Hours and Schedule: Casual basis with potential shifts falling Monday-Sunday and starting 7:00 am, and 5:00 pm. Must have weekend availability.
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Afternoon Shift Premium for Some Shifts: Afternoon Shift Premium of an additional $0.45/hour applies to any shifts that have at least 50% of their time scheduled between 4 pm and midnight. As such, some of the shifts of this position will be paid an additional $0.45/hour premium.
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Weekend Shift Premium for Some Shifts: Weekend Shift Premium of an additional $0.50/hour applies to each hour worked between 00:01 hours Saturday and 24:00 hours Sunday. As such, some of the shifts of this position will be paid an additional $0.50/hour premium.
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Term: Position runs to March 31, 2027 (with hopes of being extended.)
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Note: This position begins in June 2026. Applicants must be available to attend and complete all mandatory CRCL training during the June 2026 training block.
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Location: AVI 733 Johnson Street office. The position will work throughout Victoria, including in peoples homes, community centers and outside/with folks surviving outside.
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Number of positions available: 1-3
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Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2025-2028 and this role is a BCGEU union position.
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Position Type: Casual position.
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Pension: If you are already a member of the Municipal Pension Plan (MPP), you can continue with them at AVI immediately. At this time, AVI contributes an additional 9.31% towards your pension account. If you are not already a member of the Municipal Pension Plan, part time staff may become eligible after 2 years with AVI.
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Other Perks: This position gets paid an extra 5% in lieu of vacation and an extra 5% in lieu of stats, meaning your hourly rate is actually 10% higher than listed.
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Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change.
TO APPLY:
To apply, click on 'TO APPLY' and submit your Resume and Cover Letter by May 18, 2026 at 5 pm.
AVI is committed to equity and diversity and we strongly encourage applications from, but not limited to, folks who identify as Indigenous Persons, persons of colour, racialized, persons living with a disability, persons who use/d drugs, persons with experience of sex work, persons who live with HIV and/or hepatitis C, and persons representing diverse genders and sexualities.
It is beneficial to identify in your Cover Letter if you are Indigenous and/or have lived/living expertise relevant to the position.
Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
As AVI is a union environment, internal staff will be prioritized in the hiring process.
We would like to thank all those that apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
