Addiction and Mental Health Worker,Peer Support – Black, Francophone Mental Health
Direct Service – (OPSEU)

Full-Time, Contract (end date: Up to one year)
London, Ontario (London Zone)

- Application Deadline: August 14, 2025 -

We believe that everyone has the right to access supports that will foster growth and allow them to live with dignity, and independence in our community. As an Addiction and Mental Health Worker, Peer Support - Black, Francophone Mental Health you will embody this belief by supporting members of black newcomer communities who need support to increase their psychological wellbeing and social connection.
You will use your lived experience as a newcomer specifically from a black, francophone community to support participants in their unique journeys toward wellness through developing an inclusive community, engaging peers with appropriate services and promoting wellness through individualized, one-to-one supports and group facilitation. You will offer a range of supports form listing, to problem solving to connection to more formal supports, as needed. You will perform these duties and responsibilities in a manner consistent with the principles of harm reduction, psychosocial rehabilitation, wellness-oriented practice, and an evidence-based peer support model.

Consider revitalizing your career and making a difference in your community by joining our team!

WHAT WE'RE OFFERING:

• What you'll be making - Starting rate for this role is $27.14 per hour (Level 1 – Direct Service), with a wage differential, based on regulation ($30.01 per hour for Level 1 – Direct Service, Regulated):
  • Successful candidates who are registered with one of the designated professional colleges (e.g. OCSWSSW, CNO, COTO, CRPO, CPSO, or CPO) will receive the wage differential for regulation
  • Successful external applicants will start at Level 1, with grid progression based on seniority up to Level 8 ($34.41 per hour for non-regulated, and $37.26 per hour for regulated)

• When you'll work - 70 hours biweekly; Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:30pm
• Your pension plan – Eligible for immediate enrolment in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP)
• What your benefits will be – 9% in lieu of benefits

HOW YOU WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

Core Values / Principles

The Peer Support Program will adhere to the following values and principles:

• Meet and engage peers “where they are at”
• Extend unconditional high regard to peers at every point in the journey
• Uphold the rights of peers to have their voices heard and valued
• Treat peers with respect, and expect respect in return; support mutually beneficial relationships
• Support peers to continue in their wellness journey, regardless of their diagnostic criteria and status
• Realize that relating based on shared/similar experience is unparalleled in terms of therapeutic value
• Recognize that peer supports have a different level of empathy than those without lived experience
• Able to intentionally share aspects of one's own story/experience, and able to show a level of vulnerability as a central component of practice
• Foster self-determination, independence and resist dependencies when working with peers
• Able to take chances by being honest and using direct communication with peers

Peer Support:

• Utilize own lived experience to support individuals in their resilience-building process
• Act in accordance with the Guiding Standards of Peer Support (comprised of Mental Health Commission of Canada's Values of Peer Support, Centre for Innovation in Peer Support's Peer Support Values in Action, Peer Support Canada's (PSC) Code of Conduct, Principles of Practice & Core Competencies)
• Model effective coping techniques and positive self-help strategies based on wellness principles
• Maintain confidentiality, and healthy boundaries within the supportive, collaborative peer working relationship
• Communicate with peers about the l'Abri du Soutien program and connect as appropriate
• Support a person-directed care philosophy and facilitate a trauma- and violence-informed, strengths-based approach to care that emphasizes the importance of safety, respect, hope, self-determination, and empowerment
• Selectively share lived/living experiences with people engaged with our services when appropriate
• Walk peers through the steps of problem solving
• Respect the rules of the community spaces we share with local partners
• Participate in supervision, and understand when supervision is needed to support the listener while maintaining professional ethics and boundaries
• Selectively share lived/living experiences with people engaged with our services when this is of service to them
• Understand and be able to recognize when a peer needs higher levels of support, and use supervision and referrals to connect them to those resources
• Promote decisions/actions that are consistent with a culture that values client-centred care.
• Demonstrate ability to deal effectively with sensitive issues with peer and families using a harm-reduction and trauma-informed approach.
• Support inclusion and equity by respecting others, embracing diversity and addressing oppression
• Identify, develop and maintain good links with a wide range of community resources
• Participate in public education and advocacy
• Ensure program evaluation process is followed
• Other duties as required

• Assist the peer to navigate systems and connect to appropriate resources
• Help peer identify practical strategies for achieving their vision
• Demonstrate an understanding of best practices related to supporting this demographic
• Demonstrate knowledge of community resources and its place within the mental health care system
• Assist in building positive working relationships across the service system

• Have knowledge of range of crisis prevention and intervention approaches including crisis prevention strategies, crisis planning, crisis intervention, risk assessment, relapse prevention strategies, harm reduction strategies, crisis services and hospital services.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO APPLY:
Police Vulnerable Sector Check Requirements
Successful candidates must have a Police Vulnerable Sector Check completed in the last six months. Interested applicants who reside in the City of London and are in need of a Police Vulnerable Sector Check (PVSC) are encouraged to apply for one as soon as possible as PVSCs in the City of London are currently taking approximately 2 weeks to be processed and offers of employment cannot be made without receipt of a PVSC.
We require the following qualifications:

• Lived experience of being a member of a Francophone, black community new to Canada
• Post-secondary education in mental health or addictions, or experience in community leadership within an ethnocultural francophone community (ie., elders, cultural advisors, etc.)
• l'Abri du Soutien Training
• Written and verbal fluency in French and English languages

We prefer the following qualifications:

• Completed formal peer support training and education (e.g., Peer Support Canada, PeerWorks, Support House, etc.)
• Lived experience navigating mental health or addiction challenges
• Experience working in Peer Support or facilitating Peer Support groups
• Experience as a group facilitator for meetings and committees
• Understanding of challenges facing newcomers, BIPOC and 2SLGBTQI+ communities in accessing supportive services
• Occasional travel within the Thames Valley region may be required
• Access to a vehicle for personal transportation preferred

INTERNAL APPLICANTS: To be considered as an internal applicant, current staff members are reminded to apply using their @cmhatv.ca or @slwar.ca email address.

Get your application in by – August 14, 2025
Our recruitment process allows us to learn about your previous work experience, your qualifications and your commitment to fulfilling our vision. While we appreciate the interest of all applicants, only those individuals being considered for a position will be personally contacted by someone from the interview team.
We welcome and encourage applications from all members of our community including persons of any gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, persons with disabilities, Indigenous persons, and members of visible minorities. If you require accommodations related to a disability at any point during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected]

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Legal Notifications:

• For legal purposes our full business name is: Canadian Mental Health Association Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services
• Artificial Intelligence is not currently employed in our recruitment processes

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