AVI HEALTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES (AVI) is a multi-disciplinary community-based organisation providing HIV, hepatitis C and harm reduction services out of 5 locations across Vancouver Island. AVI provides services to people living with HIV and hepatitis C and harm reduction clients. We take evidence-based action to prevent infection, provide support, and reduce stigma. We work within a social justice and health promotion framework to ensure equity and access to services for all.

At the core of what we do is our ability, and commitment to, creating meaningful connections. Every day, we strive to create meaningful connections between clients and staff, between peers, between staff members, between organizations, between communities, and between funders and impactful programs. For more info see www.avi.org

PURPOSE OF POSTING

This posting is to establish pre-qualified applicants to fill vacancies of excluded manager roles. Vacancies filled through this process could be temporary, ending on return of incumbent, or ongoing roles.

To be considered, applicants must meet the posted job requirements and successfully complete the screening process.

JOB SUMMARY

With the support of the Program Director, the Excluded Manager provides support and supervision of staff and the daily administration and operations of harm reduction, health promotion, and/or crisis response teams. The Excluded Manager has a strong relational practice of leadership based in the principles of harm reduction, community care and solidarity.

The Excluded Manager will support staff who hold multiple, intersecting identities including (but not limited to) people who use/d drugs, people who navigate their own mental wellness daily, people with lived/living experience of HIV and HCV, and LGBTQ2S+ people - from a sex positive, person centered and harm reduction-based approach. The Excluded Manager will work alongside the leadership team to align programs strategic goals and operational requirements.

The successful candidate embodies collaboration, is supportive and empathetic, and upholds AVI’s harm reduction, social justice, trauma-informed care and cultural humility values with staff and people accessing our services. They support and ensure that the staff team all promote the dignity and respect of the people we serve and the people providing services.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Leadership and Team Management:

• Provides strong leadership and direction to team members and contributes to mentorship and modeling of practice including conflict resolution.

• Engages with staff to establish empathetic supervisory relationships that are grounded in trauma informed practice, the principles of harm reduction, and mutually defined boundaries.

• Fosters a team culture that values diversity, inclusivity, and collaboration.

• Manages staff recruitment, interviewing and hiring, work assignments, orientation, training, performance supervision, and discipline according to work rules, regulations, and collective agreement.

• Monitors and responds to performance concerns including gathering information, tracking documentation, and making decisions around disciplinary processes, when necessary.

• Conducts performance evaluations and professional development activities that support the growth and well-being of team members and of the program.

• Conducts regular team meetings, 1-on-1 check ins, and facilitates trainings to support collaboration, growth, and the wellbeing of staff.

• Provide one week of on-call manager coverage every 5 weeks

2. Program Oversight and Development

• Ensures that programs are operating in alignment with AVI’s principles of social justice, trauma-informed care, and cultural humility.

• Provides direct support to program participants alongside staff members and engages with participants to ensure community involvement in service design, implementation, delivery, and evaluation.

• Works with leadership team members to identify and respond to staff needs, participant concerns, and issues related to programming and occupational health and safety.

• Develops, implements, and maintains administrative and operational policies and procedures.

• Reviews and authorizes credit card expenses, petty cash, and monitors expenditures related to program budget.

• Prepares statistical and program information narratives for reporting to funders

• Approves significant leaves and payroll expenditures and provides ComVida oversight and manages the scheduling of those they directly manage.

• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with community partners and service providers

• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

3-5 years demonstrated leadership experience including the following:

• supervision of a diverse staff team, preferably within a non-profit or community-based organization.

• delivering/managing programming and services directly with program participants with a harm reduction lens.

• Leading critical incident debriefs.

• Working in solidarity with diverse populations including people who are criminalized for their drug use and/or mental health; people who are denied housing/precariously housed/warehoused; racialized identities; Indigenous & Metis persons; LGBTQI2S+ identities; sex workers; people with disabilities.

• Experience and understanding of union dynamics in the workplace.

Education and Training:

• University degree in Health or Social Services, (Public Health, Social Work etc.) or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Relevant training/experience in anti-racism and a strong analysis of colonialism and the ways in which historical and ongoing colonization impacts Indigenous People

• Experience managing hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication, and diffusing techniques.

• First Aid training and experience responding to critical incidents including overdose/toxic drug poisoning.

• Knowledge and working relationships with local service care providers including housing, income and food security supports that may benefit persons served.

• Strong knowledge of substance use disorder and opiate agonist treatment options.

• Excellent communications skills including in-person and via technology (ie video calls, Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams). Ability to quickly grasp fundamentals of new computer programs.

• Current Valid BC Drivers’ License may be required

Skills and Abilities:

• In-depth understanding of current systemic barriers and violence faced by people who use drugs and/or experience mental health distress, and a working knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of anti-oppressive practice

• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to coach and mentor staff, facilitate conflict resolution, foster empathic communication and demonstrate clear boundaries.

• Demonstrated commitment to the policy and practice of harm reduction, cultural safety and trauma and violence informed practices in the provision of health and social services.

• Demonstrated understanding of the continuing and on-going impact of colonization, and anti-colonial, anti-racist practices, and principles

• Demonstrated understanding of the importance and role of people who use drugs in the development, delivery, and evaluation of services intended to benefit them.

• Positive approach, flexible, resourceful, and enjoys working in a dynamic, informal, and relational workplace.

• Strong project coordination skills, including budget and workload management.

• Ability to work in a variety of settings on a regular basis, including at different worksites, occasionally accompany staff on community outreach, and in shared office spaces.

POSITION DETAILS:

• Pay: Rates dependent on position, starting at $43.05 per hour based on the HEABC paygrid for excluded managers.

• Hours and Schedule: To be determined based on position specifics.

• Location: AVI Victoria Office and in the community as needed.

• Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2019-2022 and this role is an Excluded Position.

• Benefits: This position may be eligible for extended health, life and AD&D on the 1st of the month after this position begins. AVI pays for the entire cost of the plan on behalf of its staff.

• Pension: This position may be immediately eligible to join the Municipal Pension Plan. At this time, AVI contributes an additional 9.31% towards your pension account.

• Other Perks: This position gets 8% vacation (equivalent of 4 weeks), receives a paid day off for every Stat Holiday and Easter Monday and accrues a Sick Bank of 6.9%. Sick and Vacation Days are both available to be used after your first 3 months at AVI.

TO APPLY:

To apply, send your resume and cover letter through the portal you are viewing this ad on. We will start reaching out to applicants the week of July 28th to complete the screening processes.

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.

Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

We would like to thank all those who apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.