CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Addiction Support Workers : Shelter, Detox, Outreach
Alpha House is always interested in hearing from those who have worked or would like to work in the field of addictions.
Opportunities are available for front line, casual and full time Addiction Support Workers. Related education or experience in the addiction field would be an asset but a willingness to learn from our extensive training is a must. Some lifting required. You will have a proven interest in addiction, homelessness and mental health issues.
As a candidate you will be able to use your assessment skills to work with a diverse population of men and women under the influence of alcohol or other drugs in a supportive environment. You will help manage our shelter, outreach program and detoxification centre. Your skills in crisis management, withdrawal management and the ability to work shifts are necessary prerequisites.
Contact the Executive Director at Alpha Admin,
Other Contacts: Alpha Main
Nicole Bealing, Outreach/Shelter Coordinator. Send resumes to: nicole@alphahousecalgary.com
Sharon Bourassa, Detox Coordinator at sharon@alphahousecalgary.com
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Addiction Support Workers |
Alpha House is a
charitable organization that provides care and support for men and women with
alcohol abuse and other drug dependencies through its shelter, detox, and
outreach programs. We are presently hiring for our Alpha 2 alternate shelter
located in the lower level of the Booth Centre 631-7 Ave SE Calgary. You must
be 18 years or older, have completed grade 12, have a clean driving record and
active class 5 license; provide a surveillance report and a recent TB test. You
will have a proven interest in addiction, mental health, homelessness and
social service work. This is a temporary, full time position requiring the
ability to work three night shifts at 36 hours per week. Must work well in a
team and some lifting is required. Guaranteed work from September 08 to April
09. See our web site for more information www.alphahousecalgary.com. Resumes
can be faxed to attn: Kathy at 403 237 8361 or by email
kathy@alphahousecalgary.com
Reporting to the Executive Director the position of Part Time (Weekend) Cook is available. Duties and responsibilities include the following:
Contact kathy@alphahousecalgary.com or call 403 237 8341 for an interview. Resumes can be emailed to Kathy or faxed to 403 237 8361 attn: Kathy Christiansen.
Natural Helper:Volunteer Opportunity At Alpha House
An open letter to those who are in recovery and want to "give back":
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Alpha House. I hope this orientation letter will be of some help to you and your commitment.
Volunteering in the Alpha House Detox program is about the relationship that you form with a client(s). An hour from your week spent sharing with a client(s) can be a gift that can lead to change. Guidelines are important and need to be followed. Before your commitment as a volunteer starts we will review a job position and talk of mutual expectations. Till then I have a couple of suggestions for you when considering Alpha House for a volunteer placement.
Check out our web site at www.alphahousecalgary.com
On it you will find a downloadable brochure and volunteer application (On the Donations page under Volunteering).
You can also send me your address and I will send a package to you if that is easier.
As for volunteering and “giving back" as a Natural Helper you might want to consider what you will receive.
One area that Alpha House is of value to volunteers is that it is a good place to learn. New approaches to addiction are always emerging along with the tried and tested. Some training in referral counseling, crisis management, withdrawal management information and harm reduction will be made available to you through your interactions with other staff, your volunteer binder and in more formal training opportunities.
To help you sort out your commitment of at least six months 1- 3 hours a week you will be invited on a tour of our facility. You will also be introduced to our Detox Coordinator who would be your site contact and provide you with evaluations of your work. If you volunteer in the Detox she will have input into what she feels you will need to know in order to work best with clients. What you also may want to consider is your preference of working with men or women or if it matters. You will also need to consider our cigarette smoking policy for clients. Volunteers and staff are asked to smoke outside but Detox clients need to remain inside during periods of withdrawal. Since our Detox still provides time for clients to smoke inside you will have to consider your needs regarding this. Unfortunately we cannot offer any volunteer or paid staff who works in our Detox a smoke free environment.
I would also encourage you to rent or check out from the public library (or from me once committed) a copy of the book or DVD "Addiction: New Knowledge, New Treatment, New Hope.”; a fourteen part series from HBO. Since we work with many different types of addiction you might find this series a useful addition to your own knowledge base.
Overall I hope I don't sound too formal with this letter. Volunteers in Detox are a new thing for us at Alpha House and I am hoping it will be a good experience for all, especially if you decide it is a fit you want to pursue. As a 'Natural Helper' you have much to offer. We look forward to developing a relationship with you that is direct, supportive and caring.
To discuss this or other volunteer opportunities contact David C. Burke at 403 237 8341 or email at david@alphahousecalgary.com