Responder (Community Crisis) – CRCL CASUAL

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 Crisis 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.

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 Crisis Responder is expected to be:

• →Model a high degree of cultural competency, including ensuring services are culturally sensitive and incorporate Indigenous knowledge, practices, and approaches to healing and wellness

• →Ready and able to respond to mental health and substance use related crises,

• →Triage and adjust responses depending on call acuity, severing and other incoming calls,

• →Think critically and respond quickly, especially in critical situations and when deciding the next course of action,

• →Attend back-to-back calls,

• →Communicate effectively with and follow the direction of the CRCL team’s Dispatch/Coordinator or any supervisor,

• →Remain responsive to incoming calls up until the end of shift, and/or when Mandatory Emergency Overtime is in effect,

• →Demonstrate emotional resilience, including and especially within complex situations,

• →Work effectively as a team, including respectful communication throughout and following an emergency crisis response,

• →Continuously center the needs of the person experiencing crisis

• →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,

• →Develop comprehensive safety plans and establish post crisis follow-up care, centering the needs of the person in crisis.

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 Crisis Responder is required to:

• Be open to feedback, engage in self reflective practices and humility,

• Understand and practice both collective and personal accountability,

• Be self-directed and able to perform all duties and professional obligations, without prompting or reminding,

• Demonstrate and engage in collaborative support and relationship building with K'ómoks First Nation Community, and its members

• Adhere to all CRCL Program Policies and Practices

• Adhere to AVIs Policies and Procedures and Code of Ethics

• Strong understanding of colonialism and the ways in which historical and ongoing colonization impacts Indigenous People
• Minimum 2-3 years relevant experience, including mental health services, de-escalation and crisis response, and case management.
• Degree in the mental health field (counselling, social work, psychiatric nursing).
• Model a high degree of cultural competency, including ensuring services are culturally sensitive and incorporate Indigenous knowledge, practices, and approaches to healing and wellness
• Crisis Intervention Skills, including extensive experiencing with situational awareness, mental health assessments and suicide intervention.
• Able to respectfully engage and support Indigenous relationships, with a trauma informed and decolonial lens
• Demonstrated skills, experience, and knowledge of harm reduction and health promotion practices.

• Demonstrated practice of social justice, cultural humility, and trauma-informed approaches to care
• 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
• Master’s degree is an asset
• First aid and CPR level C  
• Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s License with “Normal” Drivers Status  
• 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)
• Employment subject to criminal record check for working with vulnerable population

• Ability to manage hostile interactions, utilizing non-violent communication, situational awareness, and diffusing techniques.

• 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.

• Humility, flexibility and self-directed

• Ability to critically assess and remain grounded in complex, changing situations.

• Ability to work mandatory overtime, to continue to provide emergency responses, where and as needed.

• Pay: $33.99/hour to start with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI. (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU pay grid 38) 

• Hours and Schedule: casual shifts falling between Monday- Friday 9:30am-10:30pm. Subject to change based on operation needs of program.

• Casual staff are expected to work a minimum of 225 hours per contract year, or at least 18.75 hours per month.

• Mandatory Training Schedule: Mandatory Training Schedule: Must commit and complete Mandatory trainings set out by CMHA BC.

• Location: CRCL 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.

• Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2022-2026 and this role is a BCGEU union position.

• 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.

• Other Perks: This position receives Stat In Lieu, which means is paid an extra 5% in lieu of vacation 5% in lieu of stats, meaning your hourly rate is 10% higher than listed.

• Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change.

Accommodation is 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.