Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Languages
Timeline
Generic

Rachel Smith

Burnaby,Canada

Summary

Experienced with direct client support, crisis intervention, and advocacy. Utilizes effective communication and empathy to build trust and provide guidance. Track record of implementing successful community outreach programs and fostering supportive environment.

Overview

13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Social Worker

Fraser Health Substance Use Service Access Team (SUSAT)
01.2025 - Current
  • Screens and assess clients to determine treatment needs and risk. Provides brief interventions and supports clients while awaiting treatment.
  • Delivers short-term treatment, crisis support, and case management, including therapy and recovery planning, in collaboration with healthcare teams.
  • Coordinate access to harm reduction, OAT, and other supports. Builds partnerships with hospitals, clinics, and community programs to ensure integrated care.
  • Build relationships and promote connections to community resources and programs within the Fraser Health region to support client well-being.

Social Work Student

BCMHSUS & Heartwood Centre for Women
01.2025 - 04.2025
  • Applied a strength-based, client-centered approach by collaborating with healthcare professionals, patients, and families to enhance engagement, co-develop strategies, and implement projects that strengthen patient and family voices in care planning, ensuring services align with their priorities and needs.
  • Supported Social Workers with trauma and violence informed, recovery-oriented practice group programming focused on empowerment, relapse prevention, and emotional regulation for women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse individuals with complex substance use and mental health needs.
  • Co-facilitated client-centered recovery-oriented by fostering a safe, collaborative environment where participants-built resilience, developed coping strategies, and engaged in peer-supported healing.
  • Working within clinics that collaborated with interdisciplinary teams including legal professionals, correctional staff, and mental health providers to support client rehabilitation, I developed more awareness of the intersection between the criminal justice system and behavioural health.

Outreach Worker

Vancouver Costal Health Overdose Outreach Team (OOT)
01.2016 - 01.2025
  • Offer support for individuals who have recently experienced an opioid poisoning event and/or are high risk for opioid poisoning.
  • Provide coordination on services related to substance use, opioid agonist therapy and/or safe supply, poisoning prevention and harm reduction.
  • Advocate, when necessary, for individuals accessing health care and/or Opioid Agonist Therapy (methadone, suboxone, iOAT, etc).
  • Worked with a multidisciplinary team, including doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals, to develop integrated care plans that address the holistic needs of individuals, ensuring all aspects of their health are considered.
  • Work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide outreach services to individuals in the community who have difficulty accessing services with serious substance use disorders and other complex medical and psych-social needs such as mental health and/or primary care needs.
  • Assisted social workers in St. Paul’s emergency department by delivering immediate support to individuals who experienced an overdose, ensuring compassionate care and facilitating access to community resources.
  • Arrange, plan, escort, and accompany individuals to appointments, errands and other activities.

Temp Coordinator

Lookout Society
01.2013 - 01.2016
  • Hire, train, and support staff, including handling discipline and performance appraisals.
  • Provided direct support to staff and clients, addressing individual needs and promoting a stable housing environment.
  • Oversee scheduling, payroll, callouts, and administration tasks.
  • Assist in maintaining the program budget and forwarding purchase orders for approval.
  • Provide financial documentation and ensure fiscal responsibility.
  • Supervise and manage housing operations in the Downtown Eastside (DTES).
  • Provided crisis intervention, support services, and medication administration to high-risk adults, ensuring stability and long-term well-being.

Education

Bachelor of Social Work -

Nicola Valley Institute of Technology
04.2025

Skills

  • Compassionate
  • Case management
  • Client advocacy
  • Conflict resolution
  • Multidisciplinary team collaboration
  • Risk assessment
  • Crisis intervention
  • Case needs assessments
  • Resource navigation

Certification

  • Registered Social Worker (RSW) — BC College of Social Workers
  • Vulnerability Assessment Tool (VAT)
  • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
  • Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
  • Standard First Aid Level C
  • Non-violent Crisis Intervention Certificate (NVIC)

Languages

American Sign Language (ASL)

Timeline

Social Worker

Fraser Health Substance Use Service Access Team (SUSAT)
01.2025 - Current

Social Work Student

BCMHSUS & Heartwood Centre for Women
01.2025 - 04.2025

Outreach Worker

Vancouver Costal Health Overdose Outreach Team (OOT)
01.2016 - 01.2025

Temp Coordinator

Lookout Society
01.2013 - 01.2016

Bachelor of Social Work -

Nicola Valley Institute of Technology

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Rachel Smith