mental health technician

support worker

frontliner

shelter support worker

janitor

VICTORIA COOL AID SOCIETY

As someone who has worked for Victoria Cool Aid Society for close to 25 years, I have had the opportunity to experience the organization through many stages of growth and change.  I have had the privilege of working in supervisory and management roles within Cool Aid's Health and Support Services department throughout this time.  

What has kept me here for nearly a quarter century is the people. I have had the opportunity to work alongside diverse, caring, compassionate, and dedicated colleagues who genuinely want to make a difference in our community. I have also had the privilege of supporting clients and participants who consistently demonstrate resilience, gratitude, and generosity despite the challenges they face. Being reminded daily of the good fortune and privilege I experience in my own life is a gift.

It is important to acknowledge that this is not easy work. Like many non-profit organizations, Cool Aid operates in an environment where community needs often exceed available resources. Staff support people experiencing homelessness, poverty, chronic health challenges, colonization, trauma, grief and loss, and many other forms of marginalization. There are difficult days, and the work can be emotionally demanding.

Like any large organization, Cool Aid is not perfect. It is often juggling multiple priorities, including operational improvements, system changes, strategic initiatives, and partnerships aimed at addressing complex health and housing challenges in our community. At the same time, it strives to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for all staff, volunteers, and participants. No easy task!

My experience, however, has been that people here care - a lot. The vast majority of staff and leaders work hard, support one another, and are genuinely committed to making a positive difference in the lives of others. I am very grateful for the long and rewarding career here at Cool Aid.


Cool Aid is not a "great place to work", despite what they say on their job ads. If you spend any time with people who work in housing it doesn't take long to see how unhappy people are. It was rare to hear a positive comment about management or the company overall. It is a very negative environment. Management is completely out of touch with the front-line, possibly also out of touch with reality. The incompetence of management is appalling, it's hard to believe the organization is able to function at all. They are constantly hemorrhaging workers. They will hire pretty much anyone, some of the people who work there are lazy at best, harmful to coworkers and clients at worst. 
Pros: Money is better than similar organizations, some coworkers are great people, 12 hour shifts mean you only have to go three times a week.
Cons: Management from the bottom to the top are almost comically bad at their jobs. They are also mean-spirited and compassionless. Workers are completely disposable. Clients can be very abusive, and management lets them get away with it. Beware if you are a person of colour, you will likely endure racial slurs. Also women staff put up with harassment. Some of the buildings are hazardous in several ways and you will likely be subjected to second hand smoke (cigarettes, meth, heroin etc.)

Apply at own risk!

In some of their job ads they state:
 "Cool Aid is a great place to work! We foster personally impactful work in a culture that embraces innovation, teamwork, inspirational leadership, and knowledge sharing. We are taking concrete steps to address local issues by undertaking relevant and important work in the community, guided by a powerful mission, strong history of service, and a great culture of caring for our clients. Along with being an intrinsically valuable workplace, we offer various training opportunities and are continually rated high in Culture and Diversity, Pride, and Teamwork and Camaraderie in our Great Place to Work Survey."
The last survey was anything but rated high in Culture and Diversity, Pride, and Teamwork and Camaraderie in our Great Place to Work Survey!! It took a real nose dive! No trust in Management. Zero transparency. If you truly want help people find another way to do it. This place is not it. Ideas fall on deaf ears...

A typical day involved supporting HR operations in a unionized long-term care environment and working closely with healthcare teams. While the role provided valuable experience in healthcare HR and collective agreements, the workplace culture was very challenging. There was limited support for HR staff and, in my experience, the environment did not feel psychologically safe. Concerns around bullying, discrimination, and inclusion were difficult to address in this department, particularly because there was no internal support structure for HR professionals themselves. The most valuable part of the job was learning about unionized healthcare environments and employee relations, but the most difficult aspect was navigating a non diverse workplace culture that lacked supportive leadership and accountability.

It is a corporate culture that breeds contempt and unhealthy competition.  Managers are absent, and when present have this blame the employee for everything attitude.  NO managerial support and dangerous working conditions that see you exposed to various forms of smoke, abuse from management and clients.  You spend a large portion of your shift navigating clients that are allowed to run roughshod over you and you have no recourse or manager that will stand up for you as an employee.  The senior management are so disconnected from what is going on at the ground level, they will not even come to see what workers have to deal with on a daily basis, that we are treated as disposable employees.  No attempt is made to listen and hear what is being said.  Its all about making it easier for them, yet we as the workers on the ground doing the grunt work are ignored and treated like trash.  No room for any form of generative discussions because no one would listen.  Very punitive managers and human resource workers.

I’ve met so many amazing staff and clients in this role. Built some incredible connections and was able to improve my interpersonal skills greatly. 
Super rewarding to help clients move in a positive direction. However, so many clients aren’t in a position to be able to improve themselves because they need more community and mental health supports. So a lot of the job is just watching clients deteriorate. 

I would say the most negative thing is the drama and gossip that spreads between and within sites. I love the union protections we have that help with work safe, but it leads to so many toxic staff members being unfirable. there are staff that are borderline abusive and bullies, and management can’t do anything about it because the union protects them. Unfortunately clients end up being impacted by this the most

I’ve been with Cool Aid for a year and I love the past paced environments. Most staff are pretty cool to work with and the clients can be challenging but also friendly. I like working the 12hr shifts and being off for 4 days if I want and can pick up overtime if I want.  You do respond to overdoses and work with people who have trauma so if you like a fast paced job, I would recommend. It’s not a job if you like slower paced unless you work in some of the senior sites. The money is great but Victoria is still expensive to live in. 

This is not a job for the faint of heart.  That being said, my overall experience has been a positive one.  There are opportunities for growth on a daily basis.  Very supportive Team Leaders and co-workers.  I've learned not to reach out to management and to rely on my self and my co workers.  I've been with Victoria Cool Aid Society in supportive housing for 9 years.

Is not for everyone but for someone who is selfless, empathetic and compassionate. The position is autonomous and self-managing. Needing to make decisions quickly, setting appropriate boundaries. It is important to trust your instinct in this position.
It's not a job you do for the money but because you care about connecting with others, with the hope of changing lives. I do Love the work not the graveyard hours, which is where you would most likely start. Good luck!

I loved my actual job. Enjoyed interacting with, supporting and getting to know the clients. Most co workers were very supportive, knowledgeable, and enjoyable to work with. 
Management/HR on the other hand; were not trustworthy,  consistent,  or fair. 
Staff shortages caused an occasionally stressful workplace, and passive aggressive pressure from schedulers and upper mngmt to work extra shifts.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Mental health technician 46 salaries reported	$32.41 per hour
Support worker 4 salaries reported	$26.50 per hour
Frontliner 8 salaries reported	$36.27 per hour
Shelter support worker 1 salary reported	$25.57 per hour
Janitor 2 salaries reported	$26.24 per hour

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