PFT - Peer Support Worker

Under the direction of the Supervisor, the Peer Support Worker will provide life supportive counselling and residential support to the Safe Beds clients of CMHA-WECB.  The incumbent will assist and support clients to develop the necessary skills to improve their quality of life and connect to appropriate resources to avoid homelessness. The Peer Support Worker is able to guide and support service users through the recovery process from a peer perspective.  The intent is to ensure client safety and to assist individuals to become self-sufficient in the community in keeping with the principles of recovery.

Given the nature of this position, it is a requirement that the individual has personal lived experience with substance use and recovery and/or mental illness and is willing to self-disclose.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

Peer Support Workers offer understanding, emotional support, and inspire hope and the possibility of recovery. Peer Support Workers build trusting relationships based on shared lived experience; role-modelling individual recovery and living well with mental illness; and engaging service users with mental health services and the community. Peer Support Workers can make a meaningful connection with others by building a relationship through talking and listening, supporting self-care and well-being, and challenging stigma. In collaboration with the team, the Peer Support Worker will be responsible to:

• Provide necessary support and guidance to service users, to enable them to maintain independent community living
• Offer peer-based emotional and practical support to individuals experiencing mental health concerns, illness, or addiction.
• Foster trusting, non-judgmental relationships rooted in shared experience, empathy, and cultural humility.
• Assist service users to become familiar with and comfortable using community services
• Recognize signs of mental health crisis, distress, substance use or unsafe conditions and respond using trauma-informed practices.
• Provide immediate support and connect individuals to appropriate services or crisis response teams when needed.
• Actively monitor, record and report on progress being made
• Provide one on one work with individuals in community, utilizing brief/ narrative strengths based model to help client identify and build on individual strength
• Empower and encourage members in the development of recreational, social and educational opportunities and goals.
• Advocate for the needs and rights of individuals within health systems, service agencies, and workplaces.
• Deliver presentations, facilitation, coaching, teaching wellness, life and social skills in an individual or group setting
• Act as advocate and encourage self-advocacy
• Model effective coping skills
• Participate in the intake and referral process and ensure proper documentation and files are maintained and up to date for each individual
• Provide language and cultural interpretation where appropriate or connect individuals to other supports and advocates that best meets the individual’s needs.
• Maintain clear, confidential, and respectful records of support provided, in accordance with agency policies.
• Contribute to data collection and reporting processes to demonstrate impact and support continuous program improvement.
• Discuss challenging individuals with Program Supervisor and/or Manager and the team; participate in case conferences and progress reports with the members of the team.
• Provides short term coverage for Residential Support Workers as needed. This will include, but is not limited to, the following:
  • In collaboration with the client - Goal plan development relating to mental health, housing and activities of daily living.
  • Supporting clients in following through the steps of their goal plan.
  • Making appropriate community referrals to continue client support past Safe Beds.
  • Completion of Safety Plans when necessary
  • Completion of Wellness-Recovery Plans
  • Completion of housing related tasks including but not limited to - By-Names List completion/update/referral, Central Housing Registry completion/update/referral, Private Market Rental housing searches, Completion of referrals to supportive housing/rest home placements.
  • Assessing clients on level of appropriateness for entry into the building through both the intercom and in the front vestibule.
  • Completing self-guided pocket/bag searches with clients upon client entry into the building

EDUCATION & SKILLS:

• Requires knowledge and skill normally acquired through completion of a two (2) year post-secondary diploma in social services or human sciences. Successful completion of Peer Support training is required upon hire.
• One (1) year recent and relevant experience, in the judgement of the employer, working with vulnerable individuals, particularly those with a mental illness, addictions or related diagnosis.
  Given the nature of this position, it is a requirement that the individual has personal lived experience with substance use and recovery and/or mental illness and is willing to self-disclose.
• Demonstrates ongoing commitment to personal recovery and has attained a stage of stability that allows for ethical, professional, and effective peer support to individuals at various stages of their recovery.
• Familiarity with the guiding principles of peer support as detailed by Peer Support Canada, a deep commitment to understanding the recovery model, and a willingness to share experiences/stories as part of the peer role is required.
• Comprehensive knowledge of mental illnesses, signs and symptoms, as well as planning and organizational skills. Strong assessment skills. Knowledge of community resources. Successful attainment and maintenance of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is required upon hire.
• Computer literacy skills and working knowledge or various Microsoft Windows application is required.
• Bilingualism in both official languages at the advanced level is considered an asset.
• A valid Ontario Driver’s License with access to a reliable vehicle and proof of current insurance and licensing are required for this position.

Hours of Work:             Thirty-Five (35) hour work week. The agency’s regular hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Flexible hours are required to meet client and service needs.

Salary range:                 Grade 6, $32.54 – $38.50 per hour

                                            Per 2026 - 2028 Collective Agreement

Applicable shift premiums are paid in accordance with the Collective Agreement, Article 17.11.

Please submit your cover letter and resume clearly stating how your skills and experience meet the position requirements prior to the posting closing date.

Posting Date:           Thursday, October 22, 2026

Posting Deadline:  Monday, November 2, 2026 @ 4:30pm

We thank all applicants for their interest in employment at CMHA-WECB. We are however, unable to respond to individual calls. Only those individuals selected for consideration will be contacted for next steps. Thank you for your understanding.

This position is posted per Article 15 of the Collective Agreement. Internal candidates will be considered in priority as established by the Article, as such external candidates may not be considered if there is a qualified internal applicant.

We are dedicated to creating a workplace that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We welcome applications from individuals of all identities and experiences, as we believe that diverse perspectives strengthen CMHA. If you require accommodations during the application process, please contact us at hrteam@cmha-wecb.on.ca. 

Please note that candidacy for positions will require you to be authorized to work in Canada.

Please note that a satisfactory police vulnerable sector check is required as a condition of employment for all roles with CMHA-WECB.