JOB SUMMARY:
The Drop-In Program Facilitator plays a key role in the effective functioning of the WISH Drop-In Centre, a community-led space by and for sex workers. This position balances frontline service delivery with responsibility for incident response and shift coordination. Program Facilitators provide direct participant support, coordinate shift tasks, and respond to incidents with sound judgment and strong crisis intervention skills. They ensure participants have consistent access to meals, supplies, referrals, and harm reduction supports while maintaining a trauma-informed, low-barrier environment. Program Facilitators uphold WISH’s policies and values, modelling acceptance, caring, dignity, and respect to foster an affirming and non-judgmental space for street-based sex workers.
ABOUT WISH
Based in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, WISH is the largest sex worker support organization in Canada. For more than forty years, WISH has offered a safe place of respite for street-based sex workers. The participants who access WISH services and programs are made most vulnerable due to extreme poverty, homelessness, social exclusion, violence, racism, discrimination, and the relentless effects of current and past trauma. WISH Drop-in Centre Society is an organization and space for women (cis and trans) and people of marginalized genders, including Two-Spirit, trans, and non-binary. For more information about WISH and our programs and services, visit our website: https://wish-vancouver.net/
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Supports the effective functioning of the Drop-In centre by communicating effectively with participants and taking the lead on crisis de-escalation that may occur with sound judgement.
- Ensure all shift policies and procedures are consistently maintained and that shift tasks are completed.
- Provide support to a constant flow of participants through basic needs services such as food, showers, first aid supplies, donations and other WISH programming. Provide participants with referrals to services and supports outside of WISH within the DTES community.
- Provide leadership, coaching, guidance to shift mates, volunteers and visiting programs in the Drop-In and work with the Drop-In leadership team to provide input and feedback for centre policy and ban recommendations.
- Support participant services by helping to orient new staff and volunteers, sharing knowledge of program policies, and modelling effective practices on shift. Ensure shift statistics, inventory and any critical incident reports are completed and submitted to Drop-In leadership.
- Ensure shift participant logs are completed and posted, while ensuring any ban recommendations are discussed with the leadership team before finalization.
- Facilitate shift debriefs with the team at the end of the shift and liaise with other Program Facilitators in the crossover of shifts.
- Communicate regularly with the Drop-In leadership team regarding shift issues, inventory needs, participant issues, and general updates.
- Attend staff meetings, and strategic planning meetings as required.
- Assisting with meal preparation, serving, and kitchen clean-up as needed.
- Perform necessary domestic duties (i.e. dishes, laundry, cleaning, sweeping, and mopping etc) to the extent that it is required at open, close, and throughout all shifts.
- Work with participants to determine their needs in the community and provide referrals to target services and programs, both within WISH and to external organizations.
- Accept physical donations from community members, interact with them positively, and transfer the donations into the storage areas.
- Perform basic first aid duties as required and respond to critical incidents to maintain the safety of all staff, participants, and volunteers in the space.
- Provide appropriate advocacy and support to the participants by supplying information and referrals.
- Maintain positive and constructive working relationships with coworkers through teamwork, collaboration, and debriefing.
- Maintain a knowledge of sex work legislation and policy issues, as well as a good awareness of services and supports available in the Downtown Eastside.
- Other duties as required.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education and Knowledge:
- Certificate in a related human / social service field
- Possess an understanding of the needs and challenges of those involved in street level sex work in Vancouver.
- Knowledge and understanding of Indigenous peoples and the legacy of colonization, the Residential school system, the 60’s Scoop, and lasting cyclical trauma.
- Knowledge of the Downtown Eastside community and its services as well as issues in Sex Work legislation and policy.
- Knowledge of gender diversity and trans-inclusivity.
- Knowledge of WISH programs and overall operations.
Training and Experience:
- 2 years working in front line social services in the Downtown Eastside or similar community. Or an equivalent combination of education, training, experience, and lived experience.
- Self-identified sex workers (current or former) are encouraged to apply. Lived experience is a core requirement for this position and central to our community-led approach.
Additional Requirements:
- Maintain a commitment to providing a healthy and safe space for street-based sex workers.
- Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to model appropriate supportive approaches.
- Practices an anti-oppressive, feminist approach to supporting marginalized people
- Maintain healthy workplace boundaries.
- Strong skills in conflict resolution, de-escalation, and problem-solving.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to work in a respectful and cooperative manner with supervisors, co-workers and participants.
- Possess a demonstrated ability to support vulnerable communities compassionately and non-judgmentally.
- Possess strong collaboration and empathetic communication skills.
- Ability to respond to emergencies and proven experience in crisis de-escalation techniques.
- Hard-worker, self-starter and able to work as part of a team.
- Criminal Record Check required (Please note that charges or convictions that are not considered relevant to working or volunteering at WISH include those related to sex work, addiction or drug possession, or property-related
offences.)
Compensation & Work Environment
- $31.82 per hour
- Paid sick days
- 14 recognized stat holidays per year
- Regular PT employees working over 20 hours per week are eligible for benefits enrollment as detailed by the Collective Agreement, premiums are covered entirely by WISH
- Casual employees receive a pay benefit of 10.6% in lieu of vacation and stat earned pay
- Unionized position (CUPE Local 1936)
Job Types: Permanent, Casual
Pay: From $31.82 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Flexible schedule
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Vancouver, BC: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Application question(s):
- Do you self-identify as a current or former Sex Worker? Sex Work experience is required for this role.
Work Location: In person
