AVI Health & Community Services (AVI) is a multi‐disciplinary community-based organization providing HIV, hepatitis C, harm reduction and mental health services on Vancouver Island. AVI works within a social justice and health promotion framework to ensure equity and access to services for all. In the North Island, AVI provide services in the Comox Valley on the lands of the K’ómoks First Nation and in Campbell River on the lands of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation and Wei Wai Kai First Nation. Current programs include harm reduction education and distribution, positive wellness, health promotion, prescribed Alternatives (PA) and mental health crisis response.
Join our supportive, dedicated and client-centred team in promoting the health, dignity and well-being of all people affected by HIV, HCV and substance use by delivering sex-positive and harm reduction-based education, prevention and/or support services.
AVI Crisis Response, Community-Led (CRCL)
The AVI Crisis Response, Community Led (CRCL) is funded by the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian Mental Health Association. CRCL is 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 alternate 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.
In the spirit of reconciliation and community empowerment, K'ómoks First Nation and AVI Health and Community Services have joined hands to support and create a comprehensive and culturally safe service initiative. KFN provides guidance through the CRCL program development to ensure Indigenous preceptive is woven throughout and supports Indigenous peoples accessing this service.
The CRCL team provides services on the territories of the K'ómoks First Nation.
JOB SUMMARY:
The CRCL 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. CRCL coordinators report to the CRCL. Team Manager and are responsible for the supervision and support of the CRCL Team, including the daily operation and systems of this service. The coordinator position is not an office job and requires Coordinators to remain responsive and flexible to the daily demands; including attending calls, performing outreach, meeting with community stakeholders and being within the staff work area.
Alongside the team, this role is grounded in person-centered, harm reduction and trauma informed approaches to care, which center the needs and agency of the service user.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Model a high degree of cultural competency to staff, including ensuring services are culturally sensitive and incorporate Indigenous knowledge, practices, and approaches to healing and wellness
- Oversee daily operations, including the development and support of operations and team systems,
- Provide daily supervision of staff, including ensuring quality service delivery, and adherence to policy and practices,
- Support staff to develop capacities and adhere to team practices, utilizing daily guidance, check-ins and 1:1 staff supervision,
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with community care providers, including emergency services personnel,
- Participate in team development, including hiring, team and individual training, and staff reviews,
- Oversee and supervise confidential case notes, including quality control and storage of confidential client files,
- Ensure quality control and transparency of service, reporting to the CRCL Team Manager and Program Director,
- Always remain available to the team including attending calls, performing outreach and being within staff work areas.
Crisis Response
CRCL is an emergency response team, supporting persons and their community/family experiencing mental health and substance use related crises.
At all times, the Coordinator is expected to be:
- Ready and able to respond to mental health and substance use related crises,
- Triage, assess and adjust responses depending on call acuity, severing and other incoming calls,
- Think critically and respond quickly, especially in critical situations and when deciding the next course of action,
- Respond to/answer back-to-back calls,
- Communicate effectively with all teams attending calls, including collaborative and directive styles of communication,
- Remain responsive to incoming calls up until the end of shift, and/or when Mandatory Emergency Overtime is in effect,
- Demonstrate emotional resilience, including and especially within complex situations,
- Work effectively as a team, including respectful communication throughout and following an emergency crisis response,
- Continuously center the needs of the person experiencing crisis
- Effectively and professionally engage other care providers, including when advocating for a person in crisis, and/or when critically assessing and determining the next course of action,
- Develop comprehensive safety plans and establish post crisis follow-up care, centering the needs of the person in crisis.
Situational Awareness, Scene Safety and Unpredictable Working Conditions
CRCL Works in environments and conditions that many change quickly, including with persons who may be or become escalated.
At all times, the Coordinator is expected to:
- Utilize a trauma informed approach, including with persons who are escalated and who use language or express beliefs that could be offensive or triggering for staff,
- Decenter themselves to provide care to all persons accessing our services,
- Utilize situational awareness, assessment, de-escalation, and mental health training to work safely within changing and unpredictable environments,
- Be prepared for and able to adapt to changing work environments, including:
- Within and around diverse types of substance use
- Within and around respiratory illnesses
- Within potentially hazardous dwellings
- Within unknown and unpredictable environments
- Perform over the phone and in-person assessment to critically assess and determine the next course of action, including in cases where Dispatch was unable to provide detailed information,
- Remain on scene and able to critically assess, including when a situation escalates and/or requires a higher level of care,
- Professionally engage service providers, including police, ambulance, fire, and healthcare providers, etc.
- Utilize ongoing assessment, rapport building and universal precautions,
- Utilize direct questions (open and closed ended), direct feedback and motivational interviewing skills,
Screening and Dispatch
- Manage the central call line for the CRCL team, including phone lines and through text
- Assess and triage calls and text messages from community including assessment screening and triage, while initiating Community Care Plans and resourcing community supports.
- Develops support and safety plans for persons in crisis, and/or for Third Party Callers
- Consults with community resources, family members and peers, as directed by and appropriate to the caller's needs, as well as participating in trainings, case management, daily debriefing, client follow-up and staff check‐ins.
- Where appropriate redirect callers to access pertinent resources, including 911 and/or the crisis line.
- Quickly and accurately engages in assessments and obtains all information needed to assist CRCL eam in responding to crisis calls.
- Gather and share vital and relevant information, liaising between caller and CRCL team, updating CRCL Team of status/status change of person in crisis.
- Provides non-judgmental emotional telephone and text support and crisis intervention, including assessment, problem solving and community resourcing.
- Completes a thorough assessment of suicidal ideation and/or homicidally, including planning or attempt in progress.
- Uses assessment and screening tools to determine urgency and involves CRCL Team or other emergency services, depending on severity and needs of individual and care provider(s) onsite.
- Assess needs and risk of callers, referring to appropriate services and providing short term follow-up during wait times, and until CRCL support can be arranged.
- Supports behind the scenes systems, including communication with internal AVI programs, staff scheduling, payroll and leave management.
- Consults with community members and resources, as appropriate to client care.
- Quickly prioritizes multiple competing tasks using a methodological approach to problem solve, make decisions, and communicate clearly.
- Assess, identify, plan, intervene and evaluate bio-psycho/social/spiritual care needs in accordance with best practices and documents.
- Monitor team workload and location and input/evaluate and triage according to capacity.
- Implement active ‘rescue’ when an intervention is required (I.e., call 911, advise use of lifesaving First-Aid, etc.)
- Maintain confidential client case files, including Community Care Plans, safety and wellness assessments.
Maintain familiarity with Comox Valley resources, their interrelationships, and their function in delivering care in the community i.e., Mental health & substance use responsive services.
Program Development and Accountability
Community-Led responses to mental health and substance use related crises are a new and evolving approach to care, grounded in living knowledge and accountability to communities and individuals who use the service.
As such, the Coordinator is required to:
- Be open to feedback, engage in self reflective practices and humility,
- Understand and practice both collective and personal accountability,
- Be self-directed and able to perform all duties and professional obligations, without prompting or reminding,
- Demonstrate and engage in collaborative support and relationship building with K'ómoks First Nation Community, and its members
- Adhere to all CRCL Program Policies and Practices
- Adhere to AVIs Policies and Procedures and Code of Ethics
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Strong understanding of colonialism and the ways in which historical and ongoing colonization impacts Indigenous People.
- Minimum 3-5 years relevant clinical and operational leadership experience including, overseeing mental health programs and leading diverse staff teams.
- Minimum 2-3 years Program Coordination/Management experience in the fields of health and/or social care.
- University degree in mental health, health, or social services, (e.g., public health, social work, psychiatric nursing).
- Ability to coach and mentor staff, engage in group process work (i.e. goal setting & debriefing), facilitate conflict resolution, foster empathic communication and demonstrate clear boundaries.
- Crisis de-escalation and intervention skills and experience with situational safety and/or mental health assessments is an asset.
- Able to respectfully engage and support Indigenous relationships, with a trauma informed and decolonial lens.
- Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge of harm reduction and health promotion practices.
- Demonstrated practice of social justice, cultural humility, and trauma-informed approaches to care.
- Relevant or applicable training/experience in anti-racism and an analysis of colonialism and the ways in which historical and ongoing colonization impacts Indigenous People.
- First aid and CPR level C
- Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s License with “Normal” Drivers Status
- Driver’s Abstract (AVI will review the past year’s driving record. Drivers will need to have no suspensions or prohibitions or 1 passenger only restrictions or a Driver's Factor of 1.1 or lower).
- Employment subject to criminal record check for working with vulnerable population
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
- Ability to supervise diverse, busy work environments including multi-tasking, directing, and supporting multiple team members, and navigating complex situations to ensure staff safety and quality program delivery.
- Ability to manage hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication, situational awareness, and diffusing techniques.
- Emotional Resilience and ability to center the needs of the person in crisis, including persons who are angry, hostile, expressing values and beliefs that are opposed to yours/the teams.
- Humility, flexibility and self-directed
- Ability to critically assess and remain grounded in complex, changing situations.
- Ability to work mandatory overtime, to continue to provide emergency responses, where and as needed.
POSITION DETAILS:
- Pay: $39.67/hour to start with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI. (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU pay grid 38+10%)
- Hours and Schedule: casual shifts falling between Monday- Friday 9:30am-10:30pm. Subject to change based on operation needs of program.
- Casual staff are expected to work a minimum of 225 hours per contract year, or at least 18.75 hours per month.
- Mandatory Training Schedule: Must commit and complete Mandatory trainings set out by CMHA BC.
- Location: CRCL office and Throughout Comox Valley responding to crisis and in the community and where as needed, including in people’s homes, community centers and outside/with folks surviving outside.
- Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2025-2029 and this role is a BCGEU union position.
- 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.
- Other Perks: This position receives Stat In Lieu, which means is paid an extra 5% in lieu of vacation 5% in lieu of stats, meaning your hourly rate is 10% higher than listed.
- Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change.
TO APPLY:
Please click on 'Apply to position' and submit your resume and cover letter(optional) . This position is open until filled.
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.
Accommodation is 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.
