Job Posting: HIV and Hep C PEER Position, Options

via Options for Sexual Health (Options)

 

Status: Part time, 50 hours per month (average 12.5 hours per week; weekly hours are flexible based on needs of project and your schedule. This means some weeks can be more hours, some weeks less, as long as 50 hours are completed per month).

Pay: $25 per hour, paid bi-monthly (there will be some tax taken off this amount based on law unless you are on disability, as this is within the allowable amount). Contract position until March 31st 2023 (with possibility of extension). 3-month trial period to see if the position is working for you and the organization. This position does not include health benefits or a union. You need a Social Insurance Number on Turtle Island (on the lands that are now called Canada) to apply for this position.

Location: During the COVID-19 pandemic, work hours can be done remotely. Some work hours may need to take place at Options Provincial Office (3550 East Hastings Street, Vancouver). Where most work hours take place (whether remote or in office) is flexible based on your personal needs and preferences.

 

Which program is this for?
At Options for Sexual Health, we received funding for a project for people who are living with and facing higher chances (due to systemic reasons) for HIV and/or Hepatitis C, and identify as women/womxn (inclusive of Trans, cis-women), Two-Spirit people, Gender Diverse and non-binary people (who were assigned female sex at birth). This project is meant to serve communities across the province of what is now known as British Columbia.

This project involves increasing education and awareness for service providers on the system side of things and also resources for people with living/lived experience with HIV and/or hepatitis C. This Peer Position will be working alongside and will have the support of the Knowledge Exchange and Translation Coordinator (KETC), who is in the full-time role for this project.

 

Who should apply?
It is very important that this project is guided by the voices of PWLE* (people with living/lived experience).

Please note that as a peer position, we are specifically looking for someone with living/lived experience with HIV and/or Hep C (current or cured in the case of Hep C). We welcome you to self-identify within your application, cover letter or resume. (Please know that beyond self-identifying your HIV and/or Hep C status in your job application, you will not be asked to share any other details about your HIV/HCV story in the job interview).

We recognize that having living/lived experience of HIV, Hep C or both HIV and Hep C are 3 different experiences and that the Peer Position is not expected to represent all 3.

As a peer, you are incorporating your lived experiences into the duties of this role, which often includes personal disclosures of that lived experience. For example, this position does ask that within educational, peer group settings, and when connecting with other organizations, you are comfortable identifying as a person living with HIV and/or Hep C. You can of course set limits around how much you share based on your comfort level. For example, someone might share that they are living with HIV and/or Hep C and that will be the extent of how much they share. Or they may feel comfortable sharing more about their story in terms of lived experiences of health care, stigma, etc. A person may or may not feel comfortable sharing how they contracted HIV and/or Hep C and that is not required. Additionally, experiences of trauma and violence may not feel safe to share. Please share on your own terms and your safety in sharing always comes first.

This project is geared towards people who identify as women/womxn (inclusive of Trans, cis-women), Two-Spirit people, Gender Diverse and non-binary people (who were assigned female sex at birth). As such, we encourage peers who self-identify with any of these identities to apply.

Our goal at Options for Sexual Health is to be a diverse workforce that includes the voices of those who have been disproportionally affected by colonization and oppression in sexual and reproductive health.

To be a diverse workforce that is representative (at all levels) of the people we serve, we welcome and encourage applications from anyone who identifies as Indigenous, Black, people of color, LGBTQ2SAI+, Two-Spirit person, member of a marginalized populations, and persons with disabilities. If you are a member of any of these groups, we welcome you to self-identify within your application, cover letter or resume.

*We recognize that hiring a diverse workforce is only one step towards meaningful inclusion. We are working with consultants to further guide us in the process of inclusion and steps towards decolonization.

As an important member of the team and to uphold the values of our organization, we are also looking for someone who is passionate about advancing sexual and reproductive health care from a sex-positive, pro-choice, decolonizing, anti-racist and feminist perspective.

 

What the position involves: The work of this role includes providing guidance and direction to all aspects of the project; working on a mapping project showing services for women, inclusive of Two-Spirit, trans, gender-diverse people and cis-women; peer support, resource development, outreach to community and health care providers; educational workshops for service-providers, and more.

Please view the entire job description on Options site for in-depth information about what the role involves, qualifications and experience; and how to apply. The deadline to apply is November 19, 2021.