About Radius
Radius Community Health & Healing provides interdisciplinary, person-centered primary health care to vulnerable Edmontonians with complex needs. Through primary care and health promotion, Radius improves the quality of life and well-being of individuals who face multiple barriers to accessing health services. Radius achieves this by providing the highest standard of evidence-informed and client-focused inter-professional care.
Job description
Contract until March 2024 with the potential to extend
Radius’s team of nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners, medical office assistants, outreach workers, health advocates, mental health therapists, and other professionals offer comprehensive, wrap-around care to Edmonton’s most marginalized population.
Within the supervised consumption services (SCS), the healthcare professional (HP) will provide direct client care to program participants accessing the consumption site. Emphasis will be placed on forming relationships with clients, establishing rapport, monitoring substance use, and assisting and treating potential signs of overdose as clinically indicated. The SCS HP will also be responsible for medical interventions within SCS – primarily the reversal of drug poisonings and incidental medical concerns brought up by SCS clientele. SCS staff will also facilitate clients’ connection between the SCS and all programs at Radius to allow the client to move along the spectrum of care toward recovery.
As part of the community response team, the HP, along with a client support worker, will be responsible for walking around the area surrounding Radius to engage with community members and respond to and prevent overdoses by providing education and naloxone kits. This position requires the HP to walk outdoors in all seasons and occasionally lift heavy loads.
Key Responsibilities
In collaboration with the healthcare team, HPs provide the following services:
• Maintain a quiet, safe space for service users
• Build relationships with service users
• Provide referrals to support services
• Provide education and counselling on safer drug use, harm reduction, and sexual health
• Provide overdose prevention education and Naloxone training for take-home Naloxone kits
• Manage drug poisoning emergencies
Qualifications
• Current registration with a professional college (CLPNA, CRNA or ACP)
• Current CPR (Mandatory)
• Vulnerable sector check and suitable criminal record check (Mandatory)
• Experience with marginalized populations (e.g. homeless serving sector, social service agencies) is an asset
• Non-violent crisis intervention is an asset
Knowledge/Skills
• Able to balance numerous demands and conflicting priorities, strong problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to demonstrate patience and understanding for those with substance misuse and mental health disorders
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Knowledge of de-escalation techniques
• Strong computer proficiency and experience with MedAccess EMR an asset
• Understanding of trauma-informed care
• Must be able to operate within a harm-reduction model of care
• Understanding of cultural awareness
• Ability to walk long distances and be on feet all day in a variety of weather conditions.
• Ability to lift up to 20 kg