Peer Support Worker

Position: Peer Support Worker Location:  54 Wolseley St., Toronto, hybrid, minimum 3 days in office Term: 18-month contract position, 30 hours per week Salary: $23.00/hour Application Posting Date: November 23, 2025 Application Close Date: December 12, 2025
ABOUT US:  Stella's Place is an innovative mental health service for young adults years). We utilize innovative clinical practices and processes that put young adults in the 'driver's seat' of their own recovery plan. We are expanding our team to meet the growing demand for our service. 
Mission: Partnering with young adults 16-29 years old and professionals to provide a collaborative, innovative model of mental health services. Vision: Healthy, resilient young adults living the lives they choose. Values: At Stella's Place, we fundamentally value the capabilities and contributions of young adults as we seek breakthrough innovations that benefit our community and society as a whole. 
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Our Peer Team is recruiting a Peer Support Worker vacancy. In this role as a Peer Support Worker, you will work as a member of our multidisciplinary team to facilitate and support participants with their recovery process. You will draw from your lived experience with mental health challenges and recovery to assist participants in setting goals for their own recovery. Your collaborative work with participants will be as a coach and liaison in assisting participants to advocate for themselves. 
As a Peer Support Worker, you are expected to actively engage in collaborative work with other members of the staff team to maximize participants' outcomes.  This position requires you to use self-disclosure in a positive and practical manner to support participants' understanding of our program and service model of care. Peer Support Workers are expected to actively engage with participants both in person and through our online program delivery.
As a Stella's Place employee, you will be expected to actively engage on committees, support agency-wide events, research activities, support the organisation with speaking engagements and activities, and build our organisational culture. 
You are expected to work in collaboration with the organization to foster a workplace that embraces diversity of experiences, opinions, and identities, encourages teamwork, and complies with all applicable and regulatory requirements. 
This is an 18-month contract position that expires at the end of the term or should the employee become 30 years of age prior to the duration of the term. 
KEY FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Programs and Services
You will :

• Focus primarily on supporting participants in our Cafe space, group facilitation, connecting and navigating support at Stella's Place. 
• Support Clinical participants to apply learning concepts in practice.
• Co-facilitate programs in a manner that centres the participants and maximizes their outcomes
• Be a shared learner with participants, rather than being a helper, therapist, or treatment provider. 
• Connect with participants on an individual basis to facilitate and encourage their connection with other participants. 
• Contribute to program development, outreach, research, and educational activities of the programs.  
• Provide services reflective of the diverse needs of the participants. 
• Assist participants in accessing local community-based resources
• Provide a consumer-survivor perspective to program development and implementation
• Documentation of relevant participants' interaction in accordance with Stella's Place policies, procedures, and protocol

Community of Practice 
In collaboration with the Senior Peer Initiatives Manager

• Actively engage and support other Peer Support Workers during COP meetings which will serve as a forum where Peer Support Workers can share experiences, discuss challenges, raise ideas and brainstorm solutions to enhance their performance, support workshop activities and the program in general
• Support Peer Support Workers understanding and application of core Peer Support concepts and competencies.

Participant Supports

• Assist participants in the development of empowerment in the recovery process, through self-directed recovery choices
• Provide participants with a sense of validation of their own lived experience and the experiences of others
• Assist participants in their efforts to be active in the areas of socialization, recreation, education, and vocation
• Assist participants in their efforts to understand their mental health condition and the process of recovery
• Assist participants in their efforts to maintain, regain, or establish an active and enjoyable lifestyle
• Assist participants in the efforts to have positive relationships with friends, family, and/or colleagues
• Participate in communication and planning for multidisciplinary treatment team work
• Participate in the development and delivery of group programming, as required 
• Be prepared for each program workshop session (e.g., coordination, collaboration, plans, and materials).
• Support the proper completion of workshop reports, including the collection of important statistical information.

Documentation

• Accurate and timely completion of all administrative documentation, including time sheets, expense claims, 
• Timely completion of participants' TREAT notes, data entry as required
• Timely responses to emails and meeting invites 
• Up-to-date and accurate recording of your daily activities in your electronic calendar 

Performance Management and Professional Development

• Participate cooperatively in Stella's Place performance management system process/system
• Participate in ongoing professional development and mandatory training
• Actively engage and participate in the supervisory process with the Senior Peer Initiatives Manager

Other Duties as Assigned

• Attend and participate in team/staff meetings, and all staff meetings as required
• Participate in agency quality improvement activities, e.g., committee work, special events, etc.
• Participate in quality improvement activities at the team/program level
• Participate in external committees as required
• Duties may change from time to time

QUALIFICATIONS The successful candidate will have lived experience and have received mental health services. Past participants of Stella's Place who completed the DBT program prior to 2023 or earlier are also invited to apply. 
Computer literacy and the willingness to learn new computer programs are required, including the ability to use online platforms to provide programs and services. Your role will include documentation via online applications. For virtual meetings, on camera attendance is required to ensure safety and security. 

• You have a strong understanding of either Somatic Therapy, Mindfulness, Expressive Art, Yoga, Music Therapy, as well as significant comfort with group facilitation and public speaking. 
• You possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills that will serve you well when working collaboratively with our diverse multidisciplinary team. 
• You possess effective decision-making, organizational, and problem-solving skills. 
• Experience providing peer support through volunteer or paid work experience. 
• Ability to apply Recovery principles and empowerment-oriented philosophies and practices in work with participants.
• Ability to observe boundaries, engage in appropriate emotional regulation, refrain from dual relationships with participants, maintain confidentiality, and engage in reasonable self-care strategies designed to reduce stress by balancing work/life responsibilities. 
• Your skills will include the ability to be flexible, self-reflective, supportive, and demonstrate excellent boundaries. 
• The ability to work effectively in a dynamic and fast-paced multidisciplinary environment and the ability to support a positive and healthy work environment are essential. 
• Experience working with participants, staff, and organizations serving participants with a diversity of experiences, opinions, and identities is required. 
• Ability to centre participants' needs during your interaction or in program or planning spaces.  
• You possess knowledge in the areas of group facilitation, community resources, the recovery process, and the peer support role. 
• Preference will be given to candidates who have completed the Stella's Place My Next Chapter peer support training program or other certified peer support training.

ASSETS:

• Bilingualism (French)
• Attendance at a postsecondary institution 
• Participation in training on Peer Support/Recovery 
• Knowledge of Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP).

REPORTING AND HOURS

• This is a full-time position prorated at 30 hours per week.
• Report to the Senior Peer Initiatives Manager, with training and supervision provided
• Some evenings and/or weekend hours may be required.

COMPENSATION:

• $23.00/hour 
• A generous health and vacation package, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision health benefits, 3 weeks vacation, and 15 health days annually prorated to .75 FTE. Vacation increases after one year of service.  

HOW TO APPLY: Please submit your resume and a cover letter outlining your interest and relevant experience. Applications received by the deadline will be reviewed.
To be considered for the Peer Support Worker position at Stella's Place, you must be 18 to 29 years of age and submit your CV and a cover letter clearly stating: Your professional background/experience  Why you would be a good fit with Stella's Place How did you hear about the position (include specific website or network)
We thank all candidates for their interest. Only applicants who include cover letters will be considered. We regret that only those selected for an interview will be contacted. AI is not used to screen applicants. 
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION: Stella's Place is committed to having a workforce that reflects the diversity of the City of Toronto in general and of our participants in particular. We encourage applications from racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, and all those who can provide and contribute to the diversification of perspectives at Stella's Place.
Stella's Place is committed to hiring practices that are inclusive and barrier-free. Stella's Place will provide reasonable and appropriate accommodation during all stages of the hiring process in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code in order to ensure the equal and fair assessment of all job applicants. Applicants are asked to make any accommodation requests in advance. AI is not used in this recruitment process.

---