Peer Support Specialist

**OVERVIEW**

Canadian Mental Health Association Durham is an integrated community mental health and primary care hub that has been providing mental health services to Durham Region for over 60 years.

During that time, it has evolved to provide a broad range of services to individuals and their families experiencing mental health challenges, from information and education to case management, psychosocial rehabilitation, housing and primary healthcare. These services are provided through inter-professional teams focused on providing clinically based services that, in addition to dealing with client mental health issues, address social determinants of health using the recovery model.

This position provides specialist support for Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) within the Canadian Mental Health Association Durham (CMHA Durham).

**Responsibilities**
- Participates as a member of a high performance, multi-disciplinary team working with individuals living with severe and persistent mental illness within a variety of community settings
- Provides strengths-based and recovery oriented approaches with individuals and groups to help combat stigma, promote self-determination and instill hope
- Provides consultation utilizing self-disclosure and sharing of life experience to serve as mentor and role model
- Promotes awareness and supports client participation in consumer self-help programs and advocacy organizations that promote recovery
- Facilitates recovery education and support groups including Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) from a recovery and strengths based perspective
- Assists clients to recognize and develop coping mechanisms to deal with symptoms and social stigma
- Educates staff within the team regarding the consumer perspective on the mental health system and assisting the team to maintain a client-centred approach that maximizes client participation and empowerment
- Advocates for development of consumer initiatives within the community and identifying opportunities for client empowerment
- Attends professional meetings, educational conferences and designated training workshops, as assigned, in order to maintain up-to-date knowledge and transfer knowledge to staff within the organization
- Documents client contacts within predetermined time frame in accordance with CMHA Durham policies and procedures
- Supports and assists clients with maintaining their skills to live independently in the community and promotes safe and healthy living standards ensuring that client’s basic needs of food, clothing and shelter are met
- Provides support services to clients assisting with scheduled appointments, arranging transportation to appointments and/or accompanying clients to appointments, as necessary
- Provides assistance to clients establishing peer and family support networks
- Establishes supportive therapeutic relationship with clients and advocates for, and with, clients families
- Provides clients with opportunities for learning through recreation, vocational and concurrent disorder activities
- Other tasks as assigned by management

**Requirements**:

- Must be able to work from a position of lived experience as a recipient of mental health services for serious mental illness
- Peer Support certification preferred
- Sound knowledge of the Mental Health Act, Health Care Consent Act, Ontario ACTT Standards, social service benefits and related legislation in Ontario
- Ability to engage in participant interactions which negotiate complex boundaries of selfdisclosure and appropriate working relationships
- In-depth knowledge of recovery and peer support movements
- Instructor certification in WRAP preferred
- Excellent communication (written and verbal) skills
- Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships clients, community, partners and represent the agency in a professional manner at all times
- Ability to acquire and utilize community resources effectively to meet client’s needs
- Flexibility to adapt to change
- Ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds
- Ability to work independently and in a dynamic team environment
- Ability to think critically and creatively
- Ability to manage crisis situations
- Post-secondary education is an asset
- Valid Ontario Driver’s license, access to a dependable vehicle in safe working order and appropriate insurance coverage
- Ability to work a variable work schedule, which may include evenings and weekends, as required
- Knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook), as well as the internet
- CMHA Durham is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees and members of the public feel valued, respected and supported. We are dedicated to cultivating a workforce that reflects the diversity of the public and the communities we serve._
- CMHA Durham is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment in accordance with the Ontario