Casual Support Worker
The Healing Institute
The Healing Institute is a premier addiction and mental health treatment center located on the beautiful Gabriola Island, British Columbia, situated on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Set on 7 acres of oceanfront and forested land overlooking the Pacific Ocean, our lodge-style retreat offers a peaceful and intimate environment for our residents. Private rooms with ensuite bathrooms, many featuring ocean and forest views, allow participants to begin each day immersed in the natural beauty of coastal British Columbia. At our center, we believe that personal growth and healing flourish in connection with others and with nature.
Our mission is to help individuals struggling with addiction and mental health challenges find their path to lasting recovery and a renewed sense of purpose. We specialize in individualized treatment programs addressing addiction, anxiety, depression and trauma using the most up-to-date evidence-based practices. Our multidisciplinary team maintains a high staff-to-participant ratio and creates personalized treatment plans to ensure that every participant receives focused interventions designed to support sustainable recovery.
Reporting to the Support Team Lead, the Support Worker plays a vital role in the day-to-day functioning of the Therapeutic Community, providing emotional support, practical assistance, and milieu stabilization while modeling recovery-oriented and trauma-informed care. Support Workers at THI are active members of the community, not passive observers. They engage alongside clients, participate in programming, foster connection, and help maintain a calm, structured, and emotionally safe environment. This role is well-suited to individuals who are grounded, compassionate, dependable, and motivated to contribute meaningfully to the healing journeys of others.
Role-Specific Accountabilities
- Provide consistent emotional support, encouragement, and grounding to clients within a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and non-judgmental framework.
- Actively engage with clients throughout the shift by maintaining presence, visibility, and relational connection within the therapeutic milieu.
- Support clients in following daily routines, attending scheduled programming, and remaining engaged in their recovery goals.
- Assist with the delivery of the Therapeutic Community model, including group activities, work-as-therapy, recreational programming, and community rituals.
- Facilitate and co-facilitate group and individual activities responsive to the emotional, behavioral, and recovery needs of clients.
- Monitor client well-being, behavior, and emotional regulation, and communicate observations and concerns to the Support Team Lead and clinical staff.
- Assist in de-escalation and crisis response under clinical guidance, ensuring safety, dignity, and relational accountability at all times.
- Foster a respectful, supportive, and recovery-oriented community culture grounded in mutual responsibility and care.
- Perform operational and housekeeping duties to maintain a clean, safe, and therapeutic living environment.
- Conduct safety rounds and support site security, including during awake overnight shifts.
- Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential documentation of client interactions, incidents, and observations.
- Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings, training, and ongoing professional development.
Qualifications
- Certificate, diploma, or degree in psychology, social work, counselling, nursing, addiction studies, or a related field preferred (students in progress considered).
- Experience in mental health, addiction recovery, residential care, or a related human-services setting is an asset.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and boundary-setting skills.
- Demonstrated capacity to remain calm, compassionate, and grounded in emotionally charged situations.
- CPR and First Aid certification (or willingness to obtain).
- Valid Class 5 driver’s license.
- Ability to work rotating shifts, including days, evenings, weekends, and awake overnights (24/7/365 operations).
- Commitment to trauma-informed, culturally safe, and recovery-oriented practice.
- Ability to meet the physical and emotional demands of working in a residential treatment environment.
Conditions of Employment
- Successfully complete and pass a Criminal Records Review Program record check.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $20.00-$24.00 per hour
Application question(s):
- Do you currently reside on Gabriola Island, or are you able to commute to Gabriola for work?
- Are you available for a rotation of shifts including days, evenings, and overnights?
- Do you understand that this is a casual position, with no guarantee of hours?
Education:
- Secondary School (preferred)
Experience:
- Support Worker: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
