Peer Support Worker

**Title**:Peer Support Worker
**Location**:The Nest
**Position Status**:Part-time 16 hrs/week
**Reports to**:Program Manager
**Salary**:Starting at** **$21.50/hr

**THE OPPORTUNITY**

**Job Summary**

The Peer Support Worker (PSW) provides supportive mentorship during the recovery and capacity building of residents and alumni by engaging in their physical and mental health needs, as well as being a bridge between residents and other members of the multidisciplinary team.

Peer support workers have “lived experience” of substance use and/or mental illness and its treatment. The PSW will work in conjunction with The Nest staff, (Mental Health Worker/ Case Manager/Program Assistants/ Program Manager) to help create stronger connections between staff and residents.

**Essential Duties and Responsibilities**
- Support individuals to identify their own achievable goals.
- Encourage discussion around future housing needs beyond the 2 years of the Supportive Recovery Housing program.
- Draw on personal experiences with incarceration, addiction, and mental wellness challenges to provide empathy and support to residents to live their most meaningful, authentic lives.
- Support residents by discussing goals and communicating feedback to Case Manager or Mental Health Worker.
- Assist residents to identify barriers and determine positive actions to overcome them.
- Assist staff with monitoring the general well-being of residents who might be experiencing substance induced acute psychosis and or mental health decompensation.
- Provide a safe environment to facilitate support groups such as AA, NA, CA, and SMART meetings.
- Communicate with Mental Health Worker, Case Manager and Program Assistants on important conversations with residents who may need extra support.
- Maintain client confidentiality and respond to client rights to health care information.
- Convey any information required for documenting on the facility brief.

**THE CANDIDATE**

**Qualifications**
- Two years of personal lived experience in recovery, recovery in substance use or co-occurring substance use and/or mental wellness challenges.
- Effectively communicate professionally, verbally and written in English.
- Current First Aid with CPR.
- Current WHMIS certification.
- Criminal record check for working with vulnerable populations.

**Skills and Knowledge**
- Demonstrated ability to perceive situational or other stressors, subtle changes in motivation that elevate. risk, and act proactively in response.
- Demonstrated ability to engage and involve adults in support and learning activities.
- Demonstrated ability to adjust one’s approach to meet the demands and needs of constantly changing conditions, situations, and people.
- Experience leading or participating in community groups.
- Experience providing one-to-one support in a relevant setting.
- Ability to work collaboratively and productively with a multidisciplinary team.
- Strong critical thinking and decision-making skills.
- Appreciative of and sensitive to a culturally diverse work setting.
- Able to give and accept feedback constructively.
- Innovative, flexible, creative, curious, motivated to learn, grow, and adapt to change.
- Experience with mental health barriers and substance misuse disorders.
- Ability to maintain a high level of performance while working independently.
- Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.

**PHOENIX SOCIETY**

The Phoenix Society is an accredited, multi-service agency serving the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and dedicated to providing accessible services and opportunities to people who face barriers related to addiction, mental health, housing, education, criminal justice involvement and/or employment.

**Vaccination Requirement**:
Effective October 26 2021, all new hires at the Phoenix Society require full COVID 19 vaccinations (have a series of a World Health Organization-approved vaccine against infection by SARS-COV-2, or a combination of approved WHO vaccines). Individual medical exemptions must be approved by the Provincial Health Officer.

**Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion**: