Drop-In Harm Reduction Worker

Fred Victor; Toronto; On-site; CAD 33,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

7% vacation pay

Employee assistance plan

Job summary

Fred Victor in Toronto seeks a Drop-In Harm Reduction Worker to join the Community Services team. You will support unhoused and housed participants with harm reduction services, meals, and a safe drop-in space at 40 Oak Street.

Lead harm reduction activities, manage supplies, coordinate drug checking, provide education, and maintain accurate logs, working with TDCS in a low-barrier, client‑centered environment.

Qualifications

• College diploma in social service work or related field.
• Minimum 2–3 years in harm reduction, drug checking, or related services.
• Knowledge of harm reduction principles and current drug trends.
• Naloxone certification and willingness to train others.

Responsibilities

• Deliver low-barrier drop-in services and support meals and basic needs.
• Oversee harm reduction supply stock and inventory within budget.
• Run weekly harm reduction kit-making sessions with clients.
• Build connections with participants across housing statuses.
• Provide training on harm reduction topics to staff.

Skills

Harm reduction

Client engagement

Education and training

Team collaboration

Naloxone training

Education

College diploma in social service work

Job description

INTERNAL/EXTERNALJob Title: Drop-In Harm Reduction WorkerNumber of Positions: 1Reason for Posting: Existing VacancyRate: $29.40 per hourVacation: 7% Vacation PayHours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 2:30pm -10:30pm with some flexibility required

depending on program-needsPosting Date: October 21, 2026Application Deadline: October 30, 2026Location: 40 Oak St., Toronto

Why Fred Victor?For 130 years, Fred Victor has been a leader in helping people rebuild their lives in Toronto. Our mission is to improve the health, income and housing stability of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. We are committed to ending homelessness, one person at a time.

The Community Services (CS) department at Fred Victor is a multi-service, multi-site structure that encompasses the 40 Oak Community HUB and community programs, Employment and Training Services, Drop-Ins, Keep Cool Programs, and Food Services. Additionally, it operates social purpose enterprise with catering and community outreach services and spearheads a significant Peer Training Initiative that prioritizes the involvement of individuals with lived experience.The Drop-in Extended Program will operate during Extreme Cold Weather alerts from November 15, 2026, to April 15, 2027, with extended hours of 2:30pm - 10:30pm. The program will provide respite from cold weather, snacks and beverages, shower and laundry facilities, community referrals and harm reduction services utilizing a low-barrier philosophy.The Harm Reduction Worker is an active member of the Drop-In team, contributing to the delivery of low-barrier Drop-in services for people who are unhoused or unsheltered, as well as those who are housed but experiencing isolation, precarious circumstances, or barriers to care. The Drop-in is a place of safety, belonging, and connection for all Drop-in participants, and the Harm Reduction Worker plays a full role in that environment, supporting individuals to reduce isolation, build natural supports, and navigate systems, while bringing specialized harm reduction expertise to the team. This position operates from a foundational belief that all people, regardless of their housing situation or substance use, deserve dignity, safety, accurate information, and care that meets them where they are.Within the Drop-in, the Harm Reduction Worker participates across the full range of low-barrier services, including meals, basic needs support, relationship-building with Drop-in participants, and general program flow, while leading the program’s harm reduction functions. This includes drug checking services, harm reduction supply management, and direct education and support for Drop-in participants who use substances. They work collaboratively with the broader team to ensure harm reduction is embedded throughout the Drop-in, not siloed as a single service, and are knowledgeable about the local drug supply, current risk trends, and the full spectrum of harm reduction and substance use services available in the community.Does this sound like work you want to be a part of?We offer a supportive and collaborative environment, an opportunity to join a diverse team of caring professionals and a chance to make a difference. With over 75 programs and 25 sites, there are lots of opportunities to grow your career with us. Many members of the management team started in relief and front-line roles.

What You Will Do:

• Actively participate in the delivery of low-barrier Drop-in services alongside the broader team, including supporting meals, basic needs, guest flow, and community-building activities, while bringing a harm reduction lens to all aspects of the program environment.
• Lead the stocking, organization, and inventory management of all harm reduction supplies across the program, coordinating with the Drop-In Supervisor to maintain adequate supply levels within budget.
• Oversee weekly harm reduction kit-making sessions with clients, ensuring kits are consistently stocked, meet quality standards, and are ready for distribution; use kit-making as an opportunity to build relationships, provide harm reduction education, and engage Drop-in participants in meaningful group activity.
• Engage Drop-in participants who are both unhoused and housed in building connections, reducing isolation, and navigating systems; recognize that the Drop-in serves people across a range of housing situations, and that loneliness, disconnection, and barriers to care are shared experiences regardless of housing status.
• Provide informal training and consultation to team members on harm reduction topics, drug supply trends, overdose response, and working with Drop-in participants who use substances.
• Contribute to team meetings, case consultations, and program planning, bringing a harm reduction lens to program decisions and policy development.
• Maintain accurate documentation including service logs, incident reports, supply tracking, and data relevant to funder reporting.
• Participate in staff training, professional development, and relevant community of practice tables related to harm reduction, drug checking, and substance use services.
• Serve as the primary point person for the drug checking initiative at 40 Oak Street, working in partnership with the Toronto Drug Checking Service (TDCS); coordinate scheduling, logistics, and day-to-day delivery of drug checking at the Drop-in site (i.e., sample collection, preparing samples for transport, sharing results, supplies management).
• Educate Drop-in participants and team members about drug checking services and the unregulated drug supply, how to access the service, and how to use results to make safer decisions; lead outreach within the Drop-in to increase awareness and uptake of the initiative.
• Provide individualized harm reduction support to Drop-in participants across the full spectrum of their relationship with substance use, applying knowledge of the Stages of Change model to meet drop-in participants where they are without judgment or precondition; work collaboratively with the Systems Navigator to facilitate warm referrals and connect Drop-in participants to appropriate services when they express interest.
• Distribute harm reduction supplies including safer use equipment (pipes, rigs, cookers, filters), naloxone kits, wound care supplies, safer sex supplies, and other materials, ensuring consistent, barrier-free access.
• Provide overdose prevention education and naloxone training to Drop-in participants, family members, and program participants as requested; maintain and replenish naloxone supplies across the program.
• Respond to overdose situations on-site using naloxone, rescue breathing, and emergency protocols; support debrief with staff and Drop-in participants following overdose events.
• Offer one-to-one harm reduction conversations with Drop-in participants, exploring their goals, concerns, and the harms they most want to reduce in a collaborative, client-directed manner.
• Support Drop-in participants who use substances in addressing wound care, vein health, and other drug-related health concerns; provide basic care and link to nursing, outreach health teams, and medical services as needed.
• Provide information about safer use practices, including safer injection, inhalation, and oral consumption, tailored to the substances Drop-in participants are using and the risks they are most concerned about.

Continuum of Services & Access

• Support Drop-in participants in accessing harm reduction and substance use services in the community, including supervised consumption sites, safer supply programs, and opioid agonist therapy(OAT/methadone/Suboxone); make direct referrals and work closely with the Systems Navigator to ensure Drop-in participants receive timely, warm connections to the services that align with their own goals and readiness.
• Partner closely with the Systems Navigator on referrals, warm handoffs, and coordinated support for Drop-in participants; communicate regularly to ensure Drop-in participants are connected to services without gaps or duplication.
• Build and maintain relationships with community harm reduction programs, public health units, addiction medicine services, outreach teams, and peer organizations to facilitate timely and appropriate connections.
• Advocate for Drop-in participants’ access to services by supporting them in navigating barriers including stigma, waitlists, ID requirements, and other systemic obstacles.
• Provide information about safer supply and prescribed alternatives for Drop-in participants interested in reducing risks associated with an unregulated drug supply, and support access to prescribing services where available.

What You Bring to the Team:

• College diploma or certificate in social service work, community and social services, addictions and mental health, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Minimum 2–3 years of experience in harm reduction, drug checking, addictions services, public health, or community health work.
• Demonstrated, in-depth knowledge of harm reduction theory and practice, including non-judgmental service delivery, the social determinants of health, and the substance use continuum.
• Knowledge of the local drug supply, overdose trends, and current substances of concern including fentanyl analogues, xylazine, and benzodiazepine-adulterated opioids.
• Experience with or willingness to be trained in drug checking methodologies including fentanyl test strips and reagent testing.
• Naloxone certification; ability and willingness to train others in naloxone use.
• Knowledge of community-based harm reduction and substance use services including supervised consumption,
• safer supply, and OAT, as well as familiarity with the Stages of Change model and its application in harm reduction practice.
• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to engage with people who are actively using substances, experiencing homelessness, or in crisis without judgment.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and across community partnerships.
• Lived experience of substance use, homelessness, or related experiences is a genuine asset and will be
• recognized as a strength.
• Mental Health First Aid, ASIST, or equivalent training is an asset.

What Sets You Apart:

• You bring deep knowledge of harm reduction practice and the local substance use landscape, and you stay current on drug supply trends, drug checking methods, and evolving community needs.
• You are skilled at meeting people exactly where they are in their relationship with substances, without judgment, without precondition, and without an agenda for what their journey should look like.
• You understand the Stages of Change model and apply it practically, recognizing that every guest is at a different point in their relationship with substances, and that your role is to reduce harm and support informed decisions, not to direct anyone toward a particular outcome.
• You are a trusted resource for your team, bringing harm reduction knowledge to the whole program environment and supporting colleagues to work with Drop-in participants who use substances with confidence and compassion.
• High integrity; genuine commitment to social justice, equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression, and the dignity of every person who uses substances.
• Exposure to challenging and unpredictable situations based on program environments.
• Possible exposure to unpleasant odors.
• Regular interaction with Drop-in participants who may be actively using substances, intoxicated, in withdrawal, or in overdose.
• Travel between Community Services program sites via TTC.

Compensation and Benefits:

• For the Drop-In Harm Reduction Worker, Fred Victor offers an hourly rate of $29.40
• 7% vacation pay
• Access to employee and family assistance plan

A Police Record Check is required by the final candidate prior to hiring.

Accessibility & Accommodation

Fred Victor is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment where employees feel valued and respected, and where every employee has the opportunity to realize their potential. As such, we welcome and encourage applicants who identify as racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identities and have lived-experienceIf you are a person with a disability and require accommodation and/or assistance during the application process, please contact us in advance. We strive to provide reasonable accommodations whenever requested. Information received relating to accommodation requests will be treated with confidentiality.