Casual Community Crisis Responder - CRCL Comox Valley

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
• Completion of the CRCL mandatory trainings.

• 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: $36.06/hour to start with stepped increases based on your seniority with AVI. (Pay for this role is based on the BCGEU pay grid 38) 

• Term: starting December 1, 2026
• Hours and Schedule: This position works a 4 week rotation and the shifts are 12 hours long. The rotation is:
  • 4 days on, 4 days off with shifts running from 8:15 am to 8:15 pm
  • Subject to change based on operational needs of program.

• 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.
• Weekend Shift Premium for Some Shifts: Weekend Shift Premium of an additional $0.50/hour applies to each hour worked between 00:01 hours Saturday and 24:00 hours Sunday. As such, some of the shifts of this ad may qualify for an additional $0.50/hour premium.
• Union: AVI is a union environment under the Collective Agreement: HEABC & Health Services & Support Community Subsector Association 2025-2029 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 gets paid an extra 5% in lieu of vacation 5% in lieu of stats, meaning your hourly rate is actually 10% higher than listed.
• Hours of Work, Days Off and Work Area may be subject to change.

Please click on 'Apply to position' and submit your statement of interest, resume (optional) and/or cover letter (optional). This position is internally posted only. Please send your statement of interest by Friday, October 16, 2026, at 5 pm.

Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.