Interview with Christina Stabner, Mental Health Worker, PHS Community Services Society

Christina Stabner

Portland Hotel Society - Community Services Society - Social Housing in Vancouver 

We would like to commend the work of Christina and her colleagues PHS Community Services Society (PHS), a social housing provider in Vancouver and Victoria, for the excellent care and support they provide to our most vulnerable citizens.  And for me, Christina’s comments exemplify the truly positive outcomes that occur when people have safe, affordable housing and a liveable income.  Therefore, we gifted Christina with one of our T-shirts and we would like to share her story.

We met up with Christina on a rainy afternoon in a quiet room at one of PHS housing programs.  For those of you who don’t know, PHS is “a charitable non-profit that provides housing, healthcare, harm reduction and health promotion for some of the most vulnerable and under-served people in Vancouver and Victoria.”

I first met Christina at the beginning of the pandemic when one of my clients finally got safe, affordable and supportive housing with PHS. This client could be called “the hard-to-house”, although I do not like that term. A better way to express it would be a person experiencing homeless with intersecting layers of discrimination.  For the past 18 months Christina has worked closely with this person.  PHS staff also helped nurse this client back to good health after a long stay in ICU for pneumonia.  Christina tells me that not a shift goes by that she and her colleagues don’t marvel how well this client has done; the client’s life has been transformed. This is without a doubt a result of the kind, compassionate and skilled care that Christina and her colleagues provide their residents.  

Passion for Harm Reduction

Christina says, “people who work at the PHS are not here for a pay cheque, we are here because we are passionate about something, and we all agree on life-saving interventions, like harm reduction. Our philosophy is that it’s ok to use but we want to provide you with support to do that safely.  And you can’t be judgmental about anyone.”

She told me about a person she saw being held up on the side of the road on her way to work “Only homeless because I can’t afford housing.” She said it’s almost as if that person was wearing the Meme Tees T-shirt.  We talked about how even people with jobs are paying more than 60% or more, of their income on housing and not only that, people are fighting for a pay cheque to pay their rent. On top of everything else, it’s very competitive to even find a place to live.

Passion for PHS

How did you hear about PHS and what drew you to want to work for them?

I heard about PHS through a person who was already working at PHS.  I had just found out about a family crisis and was upset and crying.  This person talked with me and comforted me, and that she worked at a place that understood about these things.  I was terrified about losing my job, however, this person told me, “I want you to apply for a job at PHS.” Now I get to do the things that I love and have found new passion.  I didn’t know I was brave enough to work this job. Now I have been at PHS for three years as a mental health clinician and I think I’m doing pretty good. Christina is looking into enrolling in an LPN program and eventually to become a registered nurse.

What is your favourite part about working for PHS?

It’s hard to say, there’s so much.  I have built strong relationships with clients. I feel really excited about coming to work every day! It feels like everyone here is all family and I know all their family and friends that come here to visit. It’s a very loving environment that I think people might not have expected.  It’s about relationships!  

The best thing about coming to PHS every day is building relationships and helping, supporting people. I’m thankful to be able to give people that. Sometimes I do hit that burnout stage because it can be difficult and tiring at times, but then I remind myself that people need support – but with healthy boundaries! It’s great coming to work, I love it.  

Passion for Affordable Housing 

What is something that surprised you about working for PHS?

Not much surprised me, I think I knew what I was getting into. Although, I think that my judgement about people is gone completely.  I think that before, I was more judgmental.  I started working when I was 16 years old, had three jobs and used to think “why don’t you just get a job.”  But how can people get a job when they don’t have an address, or phone number, or have ID, or a safe place to sleep?  Now I get it.  You can’t be judgmental working here, or anywhere.

What is an experience that stood out for you had working for PHS?

There’s a lot of things, it’s helped me a lot in life.  Doing what I do, it impacts me in the way that it feels like I’m making a huge difference because I can provide the kind of care that is needed in a person’s maybe, worst day of their life. I am super proud of PHS’s help in housing people from the encampments.  It makes me so happy and proud to see people and families, leave this building and get other BC Housing, affordable housing -- this is a huge deal.  It’s so great to see people do better and better, it makes me say they are superheroes!

It was so great to sit down and talk with Christina, for me, she is a superhero!

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