Peer Support Worker

**Position Information**

**Posting Number**:

- BMHC25-088E

**Title**:

- Peer Support Worker (TPT 0.8 FTE)

**Position Status**:

- Temporary Part-time

**Contract End Date**:

- 12/31/2025

**FTE**:

- 0.8

**Job Schedule**:

- Days/Evenings/Weekends

**Department**:

- Forensic Psychiatry - BMHC

**Union**:

- OPSEU Local 439

**Site**:

- Brockville Mental Health Centre

**About The Royal**
- As one of Canada’s foremost mental health care and academic health science centres, The Royal has a clear purpose: to get more people living with mental illness into recovery faster. This is at the core of everything we do and it is driven by the passion, focus and dedication of our employees. Every day, the work that we do transforms the lives of people with mental illness through specialized mental healthcare, advocacy, research and education._

**Purpose**:
Under the guidance and support of the Client and Family Hub, the Forensic Family Peer Support Worker will provide recovery-based peer support services and outreach support to family members of individuals in assessment, stabilization, rehabilitation, and transition phases of the Forensic Unit. This position will serve as a family advocate (advocating with NOT for) and support the family while other team members focus on the individual. The Forensic Family Peer Support Worker performs a wide range of task to assist the family who support their family member. This includes supporting family with finding needed resources, assisting families with understanding, and developing family goals and plans and supporting them while they support their family member as requested by the family. One to one peer mentoring and group peer support for the family. The Forensic Family Peer Support Worker will role model wellness and recovery, ongoing coping skills from a family perspective. The Forensic Family Peer Support Worker will also offer a family perspective to the clinical team with the purpose of supporting their understanding of family perspectives.

**Duties**:
As a Forensic Family Peer Support Worker, you will:

- Interface with peers, colleagues, service providers, family members and community members in an empathetic, professional manner.
- Establish a rapport with people of various cultural and/or economic backgrounds.
- Represent the Royal with a high level of professionalism within the community and workplace.
- Work one to one with family members to support them in the development and achievement of self-determination, personal growth and empowerment and their own individual recovery goals.
- Speak from the perspective of a family member, providing input and sharing of personal experiences regarding supporting a family member with mental health/substance use and forensics’ issues.
- Attend case conference meetings for the purpose of supporting the family upon request of the family.
- Supports family members in advocating for themselves within the Royal and the community.
- Facilitate and/or co-facilitate small and large group presentations on mental health topics, including sharing personal journey of recovery.
- Share aspects of one’s lived expertise in a way that is helpful to the family they are supporting, while demonstrating the values of peer support.
- Possess an understanding, belief, and commitment to wellness/recovery.
- Believe in the recovery potential of all people with mental health and substance use challenges and be committed to the philosophy of peer support.
- Maintain ethical and professional conduct in accordance with the MHCC Guidelines to the Practice and Training of Peer Support.
- Participate in ongoing training, professional development, and continuing education to assist in peer support work.
- Coordinate and/or provide Peer Service activities including, but not limited to providing connection to supports in the community as well as at recovery education programs, facilitate family peer support groups as scheduled, outreach to families and community.
- Inform families on community resources, including housing, employment, education, transportation, recreation, health, and other resources to support the needs of both the families as well as supports to support the needs of the individual.
- Ensure the representation of a family perspective in all areas of work as assigned but not limited to marketing efforts, curriculum development, program design, planning, policy, and delivery.
- Actively participate in staff meetings, supervision sessions, community of practice, and team/group activities.
- Complete all paperwork in a timely manner and keep files organized and up to date.
- Participates in program evaluation, continuous quality improvement and research activities as appropriate.
- Be familiar with the Royal’s strategic plan.
- Keep current with hospital policies and procedures and applicable legislation (Mental Health Act etc.).
- Keep up to date by reviewing current literature, attending workshops/seminars, networking with colleagu