Youth Peer Support Worker (2025-208-CC)

Toronto, ON, Canada

Part Time

Community Care

Experienced

Competition: (2025-208-CC)	*Youth Peer Support Worker (2025-208-CC)*
Employment Type:	Part time, Bargaining Unit (1 Vacancy)
Work Hours:	21 hours/week - 3 days per week, 11:00 am - 7 pm
Work Setting: Salary:	Hybrid - Opportunity to work remotely after orientation & training period Rate: F: $24.48/hour
Application Deadline:	April 11, 2025, by 11:59 pm

Program Overview

The peer support worker role makes up a core feature of this holistic, collaborative team, working alongside a case manager, two clinical therapists and a psychiatrist. The peer support worker actively listens to clients and provides meaningful insights from a place of lived experience. The candidate will provide social and emotional support as needed, and most importantly, will seek to inspire hope in those that they work with and serve. Our peer support workers will offer flexible scheduling, safe, non-judgemental spaces to hold difficult conversations and promote comfort and security in ways that traditional counselling and therapeutic models are not always in a position to provide.

The peer support worker will utilize their lived experience with mental health and/or addiction challenges as they support clients in working towards their unique goals. This may include, but is not limited to, ongoing encouragement and support, coaching and consulting with partners to obtain needed resources, supports and services. In some cases, this may include collaborating with the larger care team to build needed bridges from community to inpatient supports and from inpatient supports to community, linking clients with resources for both more intensive care where required or to sustain their recovery and independence through intentional community integration.

What You Will Do

Operates from a critical, trauma-informed lens, including Anti-Black Racism (ABR), Anti-Oppressive practice (AOP), and a demonstrated understanding of colonialism and its intergenerational effects on black, racialized and Indigenous communities
Interacts and engages with 2SLGBTQIA+ content and communities and helps to support safe and brave spaces for youth from all diverse backgrounds with a stress on equity
Provides short-term, one-on-one support that is tailored to the individual needs of the client (active listening, coaching, mentoring, sharing, guiding, liaising etc)
Supports discussion around goal-creation and goal-setting and works across a multi-disciplinary team to assist in actualizing the client’s unique recovery plans
Assists in establishing bridges, pathways and linkages across WoodGreen and all youth programs and services in Toronto
Provides information and supports connections to programs, services and supports that are relevant to the specific needs of the client in both mental health and substance use
Draws on personal, lived experience to build trust, establish a working relationship and assist in navigating systems in addictions and mental health
Where appropriate, supports the design, development and facilitation of workshops in addiction and mental health through the Youth Wellness Centre on Wednesday and Thursday evenings
Where appropriate, supports the co-creation of spaces that assist in amplifying youth voices on topics specific to mental health and substance use (focus groups, advisories etc)
Attends monthly supervisions with management
Participates in staff meetings and consultations as needed and/or required
Attends committee meetings to collaborate with agency partners as needed

What You Bring to the Team

A degree or diploma in the health or social services, or a related discipline preferred. Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) certificate, or other peer support training, preferred.
A personal experience with mental health and/or addiction, and established recovery. One-year experience in a peer support role, required.

What Will Set You Apart

Personal experience with mental health and/or addiction, and established recovery.
Willingness to share their own personal recovery journey
One-year experience in a peer support role
Open, willing and comfortable to engage, couch and support individuals who may be experiencing crisis
Knowledge of systemic issues such as stigma and the isolation felt by individuals with serious mental illness and their families.
Knowledge of recovery principles (i.e. stages of change) and empowerment-oriented philosophies and practices that support self-determination and independence
Demonstrated knowledge of youth mental health and substance use resources and youth community services
Knowledge of harm reduction principles and activities
Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations and to recognize and respond appropriately to the needs of peers/clients/consumers of services
Demonstrated ability to role-model therapeutic relationships with marginalized populations and work from an anti-oppressive and trauma informed lens
Ability to establish and maintain rapport with clients
Ability to observe and recognize changes in clients
Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
Ability to work independently and in cooperation with others
Ability to use effective interpersonal skills to establish/maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, the public and other agencies.
Ability to organize and prioritize.
Demonstrated skill in using computers including using technology-based solutions for service delivery, documentation, and viewing screening and assessment data

WoodGreen is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free selection process and work environment. If contacted in relation to an employment opportunity, please advise our People & Culture representatives at careers@woodgreen.org of the accommodation measures required. Information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially.

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