Harm Reduction Worker

Harm Reduction Worker

Part-Time temporary position of up to 6 months in duration. 0.6 FTE (21 hours/week).

Bargaining Unit - UFCW Local 175

Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre (Parkdale Queen West CHC) is a dynamic, community-based health care organization serving mid-west downtown Toronto. Offering a broad range of services, including primary health care, dental care, harm reduction, health promotion, counselling, and community development programming, we are also committed to serving people who face barriers to health care, and we strive to reduce these barriers. PQWCHC is a multi-sited organization.

We are seeking a Harm Reduction Worker who shares our passion for making a difference; you see this role as an opportunity to take the next step in your successful career while contributing to a vision of Inclusive Communities. Responsive Healthcare. Healthier Lives.

Reporting to the Manager, Harm Reduction Programs and Outreach, you will:

• Provide support to people who use drugs through harm reduction supply distribution, crisis intervention, referrals, just listening counselling, information sharing and system navigation.
• Identify harm reduction kit needs in the community; plan and lead kit making sessions meet the needs.
• Recruit, train, engage and support volunteers from diverse community who use drugs in kit making.
• Provide mentorship to peer workers, volunteers and clients on-site and drop-in programming, including providing assistance and education around overdose response, housing, income support and provide access asset-based capacity building opportunities.
• Participate in supply inventory and management
• Identify needs and gaps in harm reduction supports and care; develop, implement, and monitor health education strategies and programs to meet said needs with an intersectional and equity lens; including regular drop-in programming.
• Support evaluation and quality assurance, from developing, implementing, maintaining and evaluating goals and objectives, to support harm reduction programs.
• Resource development in collaboration with the harm reduction team.
• Track, collect and maintain accurate data for reporting. Write and submit accurate reports in a timely manner.
• Manage petty cash and work with the Manager to ensure that the funding requirements are adhered to.

Qualifications:

• Substantial knowledge of drug use, specifically injection drug use, acquired through a combination of work experience, lived experience and/or education or training.
• 2 to 5 years’ relevant experience in a community setting, and experience in and program development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience with overdose prevention and response and training in/experience with Naloxone administration.
• Experience working with marginalized communities such as people experiencing homelessness and under-housed, psychiatric consumer/survivors, people who do sex work and people who use drugs.
• Experience in peer mentorship and support roles is an asset.
• Strong understanding of and commitment to harm reduction, trauma-informed, and anti-oppression practices.
• Confident in asserting and maintaining strong boundaries.
• Extensive advocacy, crisis intervention and prevention, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills.
• Extensive knowledge of community-based resources.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Proficiency in one or more languages other than English, and personal/lived experience of drug use, homelessness, and/or street involvement are considered assets.

Compensation: $30.51 to $35.93 per hour

If you are interested in joining in a creative and dedicated team to, we want to hear from you! Applicants, please send your resume and cover letter in a single document (MS Word or PDF format only). Please apply using the form at the bottom of the PQWCHC employment page: https://pqwchc.org/contact/employment/

Job ID: 2025-026

Please also note that the successful candidate will be required to provide a police vulnerable sector check as a condition of employment, however strong consideration is made to the type of offense. Employment is conditional upon having had a COVID-19 vaccination(s) (as per Health Ontario) 14 days before starting employment.