Community Mental Health Responder - AVI CRCL - Casual

AVI Health & Community Services Society; British Columbia; On-site; Part time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Community Mental Health Responder to join a dynamic team providing acute mobile crisis support. This role emphasizes person-centered, harm reduction, and trauma-informed care, focusing on the well-being of individuals experiencing mental health and substance use crises. The ideal candidate will possess strong crisis intervention skills, cultural competency, and emotional resilience, enabling them to effectively engage with diverse populations. Join a passionate team dedicated to empowering communities and making a meaningful impact in the lives of those in crisis. This position offers a unique opportunity to work in a supportive environment while contributing to innovative community-led care initiatives.

Benefits

Pension Plan Contribution

Additional 5% in lieu of vacation

Additional 5% in lieu of stats

Union Environment

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years relevant experience in mental health services and crisis response.
• Strong understanding of colonialism and its impact on Indigenous People.

Responsibilities

• Provide mobile crisis support and de-escalation for individuals in crisis.
• Develop comprehensive safety plans and establish post-crisis follow-up care.

Skills

Crisis Intervention Skills

Cultural Competency

Emotional Resilience

Situational Awareness

Non-violent Communication

Education

Undergraduate Degree in Mental Health Field

Tools

First Aid and CPR Level C

Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s License

Job description

AVI Health & Community Services (AVI) increases health equity by providing highly responsive, harm reduction-based HIV, hepatitis C, substance use, sexual health, mental health, and other community health services, and is informed by the voices of people with living experience. We envision a community where people can experience optimal health and wellness, and be free from stigma, marginalization, and criminalization. For more information see www.avi.org

Our work takes place in Kwakwaka’wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Coast Salish territorial regions on what is colonially known as Vancouver Island. The rich and beautiful lands and waters of this Island have been home to over 50 First Nations for time immemorial; we respectfully acknowledge their past, present, and future sovereignty.

AVI Crisis Response, Community-Led (CRCL)

The AVI Peer Assisted Care Team (CRCL) is funded by the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian Mental Health Association. CRCL is a peer-assisted care program and 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. Working in collaboration with all team members, the Community Mental Health Responder is responsible for providing rapid point of service mental health crisis management and de-escalation, including assessment, suicide intervention and safety planning, as well as acute care planning and follow-up.

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:

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 Community Mental Health Responder is expected to be:

1. Model a high degree of cultural competency, including ensuring services are culturally sensitive and incorporate Indigenous knowledge, practices, and approaches to healing and wellness
2. Ready and able to respond to mental health and substance use related crises
3. Triage and adjust responses depending on call acuity, severing and other incoming calls
4. Think critically and respond quickly, especially in critical situations and when deciding the next course of action
5. Attend back-to-back calls
6. Communicate effectively with and follow the direction of the CRCL Team’s Dispatch/Coordinator or any supervisor
7. Remain responsive to incoming calls up until the end of shift, and/or when Mandatory Emergency Overtime is in effect
8. Demonstrate emotional resilience, including and especially within complex situations
9. Work effectively as a team, including respectful communication throughout and following an emergency crisis response
10. Continuously center the needs of the person experiencing crisis
11. 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
12. 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 may change quickly, including with persons who may be or become escalated.

At all times, the Community Mental Health Responder is expected to:

1. 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
2. Decenter themselves to provide care to all persons accessing our services
3. Utilize situational awareness, assessment, de-escalation, and mental health training to work safely within changing and unpredictable environments
4. Be prepared for and able to adapt to changing work environments, including:
5. All kinds of weather
6. For extended periods
7. Within and around diverse types of substance use
8. Within and around respiratory illnesses
9. Within potentially hazardous dwellings
10. Within unknown and unpredictable environments
11. Perform in-person assessment to critically assess and determine the next course of action, including in cases where Dispatch was unable to provide detailed information
12. Remain on scene and able to critically assess, including when a situation escalates and/or requires a higher level of care
13. Professionally engage service providers, including police, ambulance, fire and healthcare providers, etc.
14. Utilize ongoing assessment, rapport building and universal precautions
15. Utilize direct questions (open and closed ended), direct feedback and motivational interviewing skills

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 Community Mental Health Responder is required to:

1. Be open to feedback, engage in self reflective practices and humility
2. Understand and practice both collective and personal accountability
3. Be self-directed and able to perform all duties and professional obligations, without prompting or reminding
4. Demonstrate and engage in collaborative support and relationship building with K'ómoks First Nation Community, and its members
5. Adhere to all CRCL Program Policies and Practices
6. Adhere to AVIs Policies and Procedures and Code of Ethics

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Strong understanding of colonialism and the ways in which historical and ongoing colonization impacts Indigenous People
2. Minimum 3 years relevant experience, including mental health services, de-escalation and crisis response, and case management
3. Undergraduate Degree in the mental health field (counselling, social work, psychiatric nursing)
4. Model a high degree of cultural competency, including ensuring services are culturally sensitive and incorporate Indigenous knowledge, practices, and approaches to healing and wellness
5. Crisis Intervention Skills, including extensive experiencing with situational awareness, mental health assessments and suicide intervention
6. Able to respectfully engage and support Indigenous relationships, with a trauma informed and decolonial lens
7. Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge of harm reduction and health promotion practices
8. Demonstrated practice of social justice, cultural humility, and trauma-informed approaches to care
9. 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
10. First aid and CPR level C
11. Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s License with “Normal” Drivers Status
12. 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)
13. Employment subject to criminal record check for working with vulnerable population

KEY CHARACTERISTICS:

1. Ability to manage hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication, situational awareness, and diffusing techniques
2. 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
3. Humility, flexibility and self-directed
4. Ability to critically assess and remain grounded in complex, changing situations
5. Ability to work mandatory overtime, to continue to provide emergency responses, where and as needed

POSITION DETAILS:

1. Pay: $33.99/hour to start with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI. (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU paygrid 38)
2. Hours and Schedule: Casual basis
3. Position: This is a casual position
4. Location: AVI Comox Valley 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
5. Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2022-2025 and this role is a BCGEU union position
6. 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
7. Other Perks: This position gets paid an extra 5% in lieu of vacation 5% in lieu of stats, meaning your hourly rate is actually 10% higher than listed
8. Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change.

TO APPLY:

Please click on “Apply To Position” and attach your resume and cover letter. 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.

It is beneficial to identify in the cover letter if you are Indigenous and/or have lived/living expertise relevant to the position.

Accommodations are 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.