Registered Nurse - Substance Use & Mental Health

Full-Time, Regular Position

Salary Range: $65,362 - $76,897

Includes Health Benefits & HOOPP

 

South Riverdale Community Health Centre is a non-profit, multi-service organization that provides primary healthcare, social and community outreach services with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention primarily to people of East Toronto. Our mission is to improve the lives of people that face barriers to physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being. We do so by meaningfully engaging our clients and communities, ensuring equitable access to primary health care and delivering quality care through a range of evidence informed programs, services and approaches. As a leader in community health, our locally and internationally recognized community services include cutting-edge primary health services, health promotion, harm reduction, environmental health, community food centre and population-based community programs for marginalized peoples. We value health equity and inclusion and respect in our work and in the delivery of our services.

 

The Registered Nurse – Substance Use & Mental Health provides nursing support across teams within the Substance Use & Mental Health team; including the Safer Opiate Supply (SOS) & Consumption & Treatment Service (CTS) teams.

 

This position will be responsible for conducting SOS screening and intake assessments for potential clients, providing primary care across teams, system navigation/co-ordination, health education, and overdose response. This position will work collaboratively with other interdisciplinary team members, health care professionals/service providers and service users in the identification and resolution of health issues and integration of care.

 

This position will be required to work some flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends and will also be involved in outreach work and working with clients who are COVID-19 positive. 

 

This position is expected to work onsite.

 

Responsibilities:

• Supports a welcoming, non-judgmental and safe space
• Assesses and manages episodic and chronic conditions commonly seen in primary health care
• Provides supportive education and counselling which may include preventative counselling, brief supportive counselling or short-term crisis management when indicated
• Assesses the need for prescriptions, laboratory and diagnostic tests within the RN scope of practice
• Completes intake and assessments as necessary e.g. health histories, psychosocial, functional and family status, and physical assessments such as wound assessments, both in order to establish a plan of care within nursing scope of practice and to connect service users to additional services
• Works with service users to identify health issues and develop a plan of care
• Works within an interdisciplinary team setting, under the guidance of Medical Directives, or in consultation with other SRCHC primary care providers or other relevant inter-professional team members as appropriate
• Responds to medical emergencies in accordance with scope of practice
• Dispenses medication to service users as per medical directives and as delegated by health Centre physicians and nurse practitioners
• Develops rapport with service users and maintains therapeutic relationships within professional boundaries
• Supports service users to safely administer their own drugs, who may present with a variety of acute and chronic illnesses/diseases
• Assesses, responds to and manages overdose events
• Initiates emergency response if necessary, as per established protocols
• Provides harm reduction materials and information to service users and ensures safe disposal of used equipment in accordance with established protocols
• Seeks out opportunities to provide supportive counseling, education and referrals to services within and outside of SRCHC
• Assesses service user knowledge of drug consumption processes and works with service user to achieve the best possible health outcomes for each service user
• Monitors and ensures appropriate flow of service users through the services and service areas
• De-escalates conflict with or among participants, according to established protocols
• Follows established documentation protocols and maintains clear, accurate and timely written documentation in accordance with procedures and policies of the College of Nurses of Ontario, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and SRCHC
• Prepares/maintains statistical data, correspondence reports and other documentation, as required
• Ensures operations of the CTS comply with all exemption requirements and guidelines
• Supports SRCHC’s research and evaluation activities; such as collecting, analyzing and reporting on data, participates in research as applicable
• Identifies trends or issues related to the health status of priority groups and uses this information in service planning and advocacy work
• Works collaboratively with other staff team members, participates in inter-disciplinary case conferences and team meetings, as required by SRCHC, and collegially shares information, and demonstrates and/or provides guidance on clinical/health related tasks
• Participates in clinical care at off-site locations/partner agencies as required
• Incorporates health promotion and harm reduction strategies and recognizes the determinants of health, as well as the social and structural inequities that create the conditions of the social determinants of health
• Maintains a hygienic working environment, conducts infection control tasks in accordance with related policies and procedures
• Assists with stocking, organization and inventory of supplies
• Preserves confidentiality and seeks to minimize risk
• Attends mandatory training as applicable
• Collaborates within own team and other teams across the organization to identify and provide health education to target groups
• All other duties as required

 

Qualifications:

• BSc in Nursing from a recognized university
• Current registration as a Registered Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario
• 3 – 5 years in a community setting or combination of community, hospital or public health settings; experience in primary care or street/outreach nursing an asset
• Significant frontline nursing/street nursing harm reduction experience; values aligned with a harm reduction approach to service delivery
• Proven experience with overdose response and training in/experience with oxygen and Naloxone administration
• Physical ability to provide support in an overdose situation
• Thorough current nursing knowledge and proficiency in conducting a comprehensive health history, physical assessment and construction of a nursing management plan
• Experience working with people who use drugs, as service users and as co-workers
• Experience in emergency response
• Experience in program development, implementation monitoring and evaluation an asset
• Demonstrated ability to de-escalate conflict
• Confidence in asserting and maintaining strong boundaries
• Demonstrated thorough knowledge and understanding of infection control and preventative practices
• Knowledge and experience of primary care issues and challenges for high risk communities
• Knowledge of community services and resources; strong advocacy skills
• Proficiency in the use of computer technology and various software applications
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to actively and accurately listen
• Open to feedback
• Ability to appropriately handle conflict
• Demonstrated respect for diversity, equity, anti-racism and accessibility with the ability to work collaboratively and positively with others
• Demonstrated display of sensitivity and empathy to others
• Open, non-judgmental and willing to learn
• Experience working with racialized populations, indigenous peoples, women who engage in sex work, prisoners/ex-prisoners, people with mental health challenges, and people who have experience trauma, would be an asset
• Respects and values the diversity of communities and individuals
• Police clearance documentation will be required for employment
• Proof of triple COVID-19 vaccination status will be required for employment

 

The deadline for applicants is Thursday, August 31, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. (noon).

 

Please mail in your cover letter and resume in confidence to:

The Hiring Committee – Registered Nurse – Substance Use & Mental Health

South Riverdale Community Health Centre

955 Queen Street East          

Toronto, ON  M4M 3P3

 

Or by email to:  humanresources@srchc.com

 

Please enter “Registered Nurse – Substance Use & Mental Health” in the subject line of your email.

 

No faxes, phone calls, or requests to meet please.

 

This is a bargaining unit position with CUPE Local 5399.

 

SRCHC welcomes applications from people with disabilities.  Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

 

SRCHC is an equal opportunity employer.  We would like to thank all those that apply but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

 

SRCHC encourages applicants who are racialized (IBPOC) and/or applicants who face any barriers as a result of systemic discrimination to apply for this position.

 

SRCHC encourages a scent-free environment.  Employees, students, volunteers, and visitors are asked to refrain from wearing fragrances and other scented personal care products (i.e. perfumes, deodorants, lotions, hairspray, etc.) while at the Centre.