Clinical Support Attendant supports safe and effective delivery of care for all clients

Wayne Guitard likes a challenge, and he gets plenty of them in his job as Clinical Support Attendant at Raven Song Community Health Centre (CHC). Wayne’s bottom line is simple: clients visit because they need to access care. His role has been recently developed to make sure people get the care they need, while maintaining a safe environment for the CHC staff. His client base comprises the unattached, complex clients who require primary care services and may exhibit challenging behaviours on site.

“In the role of Clinical Support Attendant, my paramount concern is for safety of staff. This naturally leads to safety and security  for patients and visitors, and makes everyone’s visits easier,” says Guitard. “I get to know the clients, and can help them to feel welcomed, which may make them more likely to stick around for their appointments. That’s why we’re all here — to get our clients the care they require.”

The Clinical Support Attendant supports the clinic assistants at the CHC. As Wayne becomes familiar with clients, he learns behaviour triggers for each one, and does a lot of de-escalation work with clients. When necessary, he does behaviour care planning to support clients in using the clinic. This might be as simple as asking a client to go outside and chat when the waiting area is noisy, or specific resource planning to support a client and clinicians through an appointment, upheld by letters of expectation issued to clients. Specific site procedures are developed by teams, including risk management, ethics and primary care.

Wayne Guitard, Clinical Support Attendant, Raven Song CHC

“The little things matter so much. For example, we had an issue with clients wanting to bring in their bikes, because they had no lock — if they couldn’t bring their bike into the CHC, they would leave without attending their appointment,” says Wayne. “So, now we have a bike lock loan program. We read a script to the client, chart their acceptance of the loan terms, and the locked-up bike means they keep their appointment. Simple, but so important to the client, and to the provision of care.”

Wayne’s role of Clinical Support Attendant supports the larger Urban Vancouver Safety and Security strategy, and has been developed out of a thorough review of CHCs conducted over the past year and a half. The strategy seeks to support best practice and balance all three pillars of safety and security: Education and Training; Infrastructure; and the most appropriate use of Security Personnel. After education and training and infrastructure implementation, transition toward a Mobile Security Unit plan will be implemented starting December 5 at three Urban Vancouver CHCs, including Evergreen, Pacific Spirit and South.

As opposed to security personnel, the Clinical Support Attendant maintains his focus on staff safety, but adds a direct benefit to clients, by supporting them to receive primary care. And sometimes it is the little things that make all the difference.

“A fellow called into the CHC — he was lost, upset, and ready to give up on his appointment. He couldn’t read, so he couldn’t tell us what intersection he was near. We used landmarks to figure out his location, and it turned out he was only a block away. I went and got him — his anger turned to gratitude, and he kept his appointment.”