Union: Non-Union
Base Location: Northreach Society Grande Prairie Administration Office, Wapiti House, Mobile/Outreach, scattered sites as required
Employment Type: Full-Time
Wage: Commensurate with experience
Shifts: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Vehicle Requirement: Yes
Application Deadline: Until suitable candidate is found
About Northreach Society
Northreach Society is a non‑profit organization based in Grande Prairie, Alberta, dedicated to improving health and well‑being across Northern Alberta. Our mission is to build a respectful, comprehensive, and dignified network of support for all populations through collaboration, education, health promotion, and injury prevention.
We provide a broad range of community‑based services, including overdose prevention, STBBI testing and support, harm‑reduction and injury‑prevention supply distribution, and additional health‑promotion initiatives. These include programs addressing food insecurity through our Helping Hands Division.
Guided by our vision of a safe and inclusive world free from discrimination, Northreach Society works to empower individuals and strengthen communities through innovation, compassion, and respect. Our organization is supported by a dedicated team of staff, collaborative partners, and a committed board of directors who work together to deliver essential programs that promote health, dignity, and community well‑being across the region.
Northreach Society strives to create a welcoming and inclusive workplace. We encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized individuals, people with lived or living experience, and others who bring diverse perspectives. We are committed to equity in hiring and ensure that all candidates are fairly considered based on their strengths and experience.
Position Overview
Recovery Support Worker (Opioid Agonist Therapy - OAT)is an essential member of Northreach Society’s Health Care Team, providing compassionate, evidence‑informed support to individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use challenges, or barriers to accessing health services. Rooted in the principles of a Recovery‑Oriented System of Care (ROSC) and harm reduction, this role delivers mobile outreach services in and around Wapiti House, at Northreach Society-operated sites, and within scattered community locations.
The Recovery Support Worker assists clients engaged in Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) by offering navigation, advocacy, overdose prevention/intervention, addiction‑related support, health education, and connections to clinical and community resources. Working collaboratively with Wapiti House, Alberta Health Services (AHS), and the Mobile Supervised Consumption Site, the position helps reduce service gaps and strengthen continuity of care for vulnerable community members.
This role requires regular walking and physical activity while carrying outreach supplies, along with a strong commitment to trauma‑informed practice, cultural safety, and low‑barrier engagement.
The overarching purpose of the Recovery Support Worker is to provide health‑based, client‑centered supports that promote physical, mental, and emotional well‑being while fostering recovery, safety, and stability through a harm reduction lens.
Key Responsibilities Include:
- Provide trauma‑informed, person‑centered, and culturally safe care to individuals accessing outreach services.
- Support clients receiving or seeking Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) by assisting with program access, appointment coordination, treatment adherence, stigma reduction, and medication understanding.
- Set up virtual appointments for clients, including telehealth connections, virtual OAT follow-ups, counselling sessions, and benefits-related meetings; support clients in attending and understanding these interactions.
- Transport clients when appropriate, such as to medical appointments, community services, or treatment access points, following organizational safety policies.
- Educate clients on STBBIs, promote routine testing, and support access to screening and treatment services.
- Promote safe engagement with the mobile supervised consumption site and other harm reduction programs.
- Offer individualized health education tailored to client needs and readiness.
- Conduct mobile outreach within shelters, encampments, public spaces, and other community settings.
- Build trusting, supportive relationships with street‑engaged clients through non‑judgmental, strengths‑based engagement.
- Assist clients in navigating health and social systems, including access to income supports, housing, identification, transportation, and medical services.
- Advocate for equitable access to care, services, and supports, ensuring client rights and needs are prioritized.
- Deliver overdose prevention, including naloxone education and timely response to opioid poisonings.
- Collaborate with team members to assess community needs, contribute to program goals, and participate in evaluation processes.
- Assess and support clients experiencing mental health concerns using trauma‑informed, non‑violent, and de‑escalation techniques.
- Identify signs of distress or crisis and facilitate appropriate referrals to mental health, primary care, or emergency supports.
- Complete all reports, case notes, data entry, and documentation accurately and in a timely manner.
- Ensure strict adherence to confidentiality, privacy legislation, and ethical practice standards.
- Support coordination of client care by setting up appointments, managing communication with service providers, and ensuring warm handoffs when needed.
- Participate in team meetings, case reviews, multidisciplinary planning, and collaborative decision‑making.
- Engage in ongoing training and development relevant to harm reduction, substance use health, mental health, and community outreach
- Contribute to a supportive, respectful, and collaborative team environment
Job Requirements:
- Criminal Record with Vulnerable Sector Check.
- Valid Alberta Class 5 driver’s license and access to reliable transportation
- Current First Aid/CPR certification.
Additional Qualifications:
- Direct experience working with marginalized populations, including individuals who use substances, are unhoused, or face barriers to accessing health care.
- Strong understanding of harm‑reduction philosophy and supervised consumption practices.
- Familiarity with STBBI prevention, overdose response, and safer substance use practices.
- Overdose response training (including naloxone administration) preferred.
- A combination of lived and professional experience is valued.
- Understanding of local health and social service systems, including addiction and mental health supports.
- Completion or willingness to complete naloxone training and other harm-reduction certifications.
Core Competencies:
- Demonstrates the ability to build trusting, respectful relationships with diverse individuals using a non‑judgmental, trauma‑informed approach.
- Engages clients with empathy, cultural humility, and sensitivity to varied lived experiences.
- Possesses strong verbal and written communication skills tailored to clients, partners, and multidisciplinary team members.
- Navigates challenging interactions with professionalism, compassion, and emotional regulation.
- Responds effectively to urgent or high‑risk situations using sound judgment, de‑escalation techniques, and safety‑focused decision-making.
- Demonstrates respect for people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences, and is committed to equitable, stigma‑free service delivery.
- Maintains appropriate professional boundaries, upholding privacy, confidentiality, and ethical practice.
- Maintains accurate, timely documentation and manages reporting requirements effectively.
- Demonstrates strong time‑management skills and works independently or as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Comfortable working in varied settings including outdoor outreach, drop‑in spaces, mobile services, and virtual care support.
- Shows commitment to continuous learning, skill development, and staying current in harm reduction, OAT, mental health, and community care best practice.
Work Schedule and Conditions
This is a full‑time position (37.5 hours per week), generally scheduled Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a 30‑minute unpaid lunch break. Occasional flexibility in hours or days may be required to meet community needs, including pre‑scheduled after‑hours tasks. The role involves a combination of standing, sitting, walking, driving, and community outreach throughout the day. A reliable, road‑worthy vehicle is required for travel to client appointments, community engagements, training, and partner locations.
Daily work includes direct interaction with individuals experiencing substance use, mental health challenges, housing instability, and other vulnerabilities. The position requires emotional resilience, cultural sensitivity, and a strong commitment to non‑judgmental, trauma‑informed care.
Employees must be physically mobile and able to lift and carry supplies, spend extended periods on their feet or walking, and perform administrative/desk‑based tasks as needed.
Due to the realities of living and working in the North, the successful candidate must be able to drive in all-weather conditions and feel comfortable meeting clients outdoors, including during cold or poor weather. Regular data entry and reporting both daily and monthly are required as part of ongoing program documentation.
Job Type: Casual
Pay: $24.00-$28.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Dental care
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Flexible schedule
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Grande Prairie, AB T8V 5B6: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Work Location: In person
