Peer Support Worker

**What We Do**

The Alex is a beacon of hope for Calgary’s most vulnerable citizens, offering wrap-around health care, housing, social, and wellness programs. With a patient and client-centered approach, we envision a community where every individual is valued and empowered to thrive. Our mission is to improve quality of life through accessible and integrated health, housing, and social services. With five decades of experience, we have earned a reputation for tackling tough health and social issues, guiding individuals on their journey from crisis to wellness, and from challenge to change.

**Program Overview**: The Street Team is an addiction and mental health focused outreach program that seeks to reduce barriers to services through proactive street engagement. Through the provision of harm reduction and basic needs supplies, the Street Team seeks to build relationships with street-connected individuals, facilitate access to recovery programs and services and increase community capacity to respond to opioid poisonings and crisis.

**Job Overview**: Reporting to the Team Lead and working collaboratively with the broader team of professionals at The Alex, the Peer Support Worker (PSW) draws upon their own lived experience to encourage and empower individuals who are living with addictions, mental health, physical health, and social complexities. This role will be the first point of contact for young people visiting The Alex Youth Health Centre’s drop-in space. The Peer Support Worker will provide immediate assistance for clients to access basic needs, and support to navigate health and social support. Additionally, this role will support programs, appointments, engage community members, and respond to critical incidents. This is a permanent, full-time position.

**What You Will Do**
- Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team of professionals to provide culturally appropriate, holistic, episodic health care to vulnerable populations in our community
- Contribute to the development and enhancement of programs at The Alex Youth Health Centre.
- Ensure clients and professionals are welcomed promptly, appropriately, and are supported effectively.
- Provide support during crisis/emergency situations by utilizing de-escalation techniques and/or motivational interviewing skills as appropriate.
- Offer an empathetic, listening ear to clients.
- Engage in supportive conversation with clients to explore, coordinate, advocate and connect to internal and external services and resources designed to meet the clients’ needs.
- Be a creative problem solver and have the ability to think outside the box in order to help clients achieve success where they formerly have not.
- Assist clients with needs related to housing, entitlements/benefits, employment, education, and community integration.
- Provide client-centered and culturally informed services.
- Support and assist with group programming for participants and staff relevant to lived experience.
- Complete data collection and documentation with precision, adhering to agency policies and procedures.
- Support and attend client appointments on and off site.
- Maintain client confidentiality and clear boundaries.
- Represent the program and the agency in the community in a professional manner
- Perform other duties as assigned.

**What You Bring**
- Completion of the CMHA Calgary School of Peer Support course considered a strong asset.
- Demonstrated commitment in peer support context working with individuals with health concerns, which may include and focus on mental health, substance use, poverty, homelessness and food insecurity.
- Lived experience navigating the health and social care systems is an asset.
- Superior engagement skills and excitement for new opportunities.
- Base level computer skills.
- Comfortable working independently and as a part of a team.
- Ability to contribute to a positive work environment and team culture.
- High level of initiative and self-motivation.
- Flexible and adaptable.
- High level of self-awareness.
- Determined and committed to excellence.
- Training in any of the following is considered an asset: Applied Suicide Intervention Training, Mental Health First Aid, Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, and Motivational Interviewing
- Working knowledge base of local resources for housing, mental health, addiction, community support, finances, etc.
- Class 5 driver’s license, personal vehicle for business use, and a clean 3-year drivers abstract are required.
- First Aid (Basic or Intermediate) - Level C CPR & AED within 30 days of hire date; certification must be valid for a minimum of 6 months upon hire.
- Class 5 driver’s license, personal vehicle for business use, clean 3-year drivers abstract, and $2 million liability coverage are required.
- Minimum of 21 years of age and three (3) years of driving experience is required to drive an Alex fleet vehicle.
- A satisfactory vulnerable sector criminal record clearance and child welfare interve