Women's Support Worker- Sistersquare

Requisition Number: WOMEN001813
Type: Internal & External – Part-Time (Temporary for 3 months with the possibility of extension)
Hours of Work: Avg 20 hours per week; (Friday Through Sunday; 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with every second Friday free from work)
Compensation: $31.56 - $33.49 /hr.
Program & Location: SisterSquare – Downtown Eastside, Vancouver
Union: BC Government Employee’s Union (BCGEU) – This position requires union membership
Deadline: By noon Thursday, December 12th, 2024

About Us:
Atira Women's Resource Society, an award-winning nonprofit organization known for its inclusionary hiring practices and where a job is more than a pay cheque. We offer the opportunity to work alongside a remarkable group of women working to make the world a more just place, one woman, one child, one home, one job at a time.

About the Job:
Reporting to the Program Manager, the Women’s Support Worker will be responsible for providing both emotional and practical support to women at an Overdose Prevention Site (OPS). The role involves direct engagement with individuals in a harm reduction setting, which includes supervised areas for injection and smoking. This position requires outdoor work, so appropriate clothing for varying weather conditions is necessary.
Dogs are regularly present on-site, so candidates should be comfortable working in an environment where animals are present.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide one-on-one support through active listening and advocacy
• Accompany women to appointments or activities as needed
• Assist women in maintaining a clean and organized living space
• Prepare and deliver food to individuals on-site
• Support health and medication needs, including the administration of naloxone
• Collaborate with women and co-workers to develop and implement creative programming
• Work in a heated outdoor smoke inhalation tent at SisterSquare OPS, which is designed for harm reduction services

We encourage creativity and leadership, allowing staff the opportunity to collaborate and implement programs that directly support the women we serve.

About You:
You are a feminist, passionate about the work of ending violence against women and children. You embrace Atira’s mission, vision, values and philosophy. You have a well-developed understanding of and commitment to anti-oppression work and intersectionality. You are familiar with colonialism especially as it applies in Canada and you understand the impact of the residential school system. You are committed to working with women who are struggling with substance use and or mental wellness and understand and are comfortable working within a harm reduction environment. You support women who choose abstinence, but understand abstinence is just one option for women struggling with substance use. Your definition of woman includes transgender, two spirit and intersex women, and transfeminine individuals. You are sex worker positive.
You question actions inconsistent with our values and you treat everyone with fairness and respect independent of their status or disagreement with you. You expect great things from yourself and your co-workers. You inspire others with your passion for women’s anti-violence work and your eagerness for excellence. You contribute to an environment where women can flourish and grow and you seek what is best for women, rather than what’s best for you or your team. You challenge the status quo to improve quality and sustainability and you take smart risks and make tough decisions without agonizing.
Resumes from qualified First Nations, Métis and or Inuk women are encouraged, as are resumes from Black women, women of colour, trans women, women who are disabled, and women from other equity seeking groups. Fluency in a language(s) other than English is an asset.

Application Process:
Provide a cover letter with a current resume describing how you meet or exceed the above-noted qualifications. Resumes with a Cover Letter unique to Atira are guaranteed a review. Candidates who lack the experience and qualifications set out in the posting may not be considered, although an exceptional cover letter and transferable skills may overcome lack of experience for some positions. Please go to atira.bc.ca/careers for a current list of postings.