Staff Spotlight
Kyle Yrjola, Clinical Coordinator
Today we are excited to shine a light on Kyle Yrjola, Clinical Coordinator for Insite and Onsite located on the downtown eastside (DTES) in Vancouver.
Part of a continuum of services, Insite provides a supervised, clean and safe environment for people who use drugs. Clients develop trusting relationships with the team of healthcare workers making them more likely to access healthcare and pharmaceutical alternatives to the toxic illicit drug supply, treatment, counselling and other supports.
Working in the community
“I enjoy the complexity and problem-solving that comes with the role,” says Kyle. “Working in the community requires a certain level of creativity that keeps me on my toes!”
Kyle has wanted to work in the DTES for a while but wasn’t sure if it was the right fit. “I tested it out at first by working casually at Insite and fell in love with it,” he tells us. “I met amazing people from staff to participants in the community, including my professional role models.”
He enjoys that no two days are the same and the shifts go by fast because so much is happening. “When the coordinator role came up I leaped at it and am thankful for it!”
While being a low-barrier harm reduction site carries many connotations, the one that humbles Kyle is that [Insite] is a place that people trust. “People who have been traumatized by traditional healthcare facilities choose to come here and ask for help,” he explains. “At times, it becomes an act of reconciliation and trust building by listening to and witnessing people’s trauma and challenges. I am continuously inspired by the people I work with and work for.”
Supportive and action-oriented leadership
Kyle tells us that he feels supported in his role at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). “When I first started this role, I was asked about vaccine availability for trans/non-binary people who are street entrenched. I sent out probing emails and the response I received from leadership at other VCH sites was swift, supportive, and action-oriented. Shortly after asking for direction, I was able to set up an immunization campaign at Insite.”
Fun fact: Opening its doors in 2003, Insite was the first sanctioned supervised drug injection site in North America (receiving federal exemption from Health Canada) and has saved thousands of lives. This means Insite is turning 20 years old this year!
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Explore the current career opportunities for Clinical Coordinator at Vancouver Coastal Health.