Peer Support Worker

About the role

The Peer Support Worker uses their lived experience of mental health and/or substance use to provide culturally grounded, trauma‑informed, and relationship‑based support to community members. Working as part of the Health Centre team, they provide outreach, connection, and assistance in accessing services while contributing lived‑experience perspectives to program planning and service improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Build trusting, respectful, non‑judgmental relationships with individuals facing mental health or substance‑use challenges.
• Provide one‑on‑one peer support, outreach, encouragement, and practical assistance.
• Support individuals in distress or crisis and connect them with clinical, cultural, health, and community resources.
• Assist with navigation of health and social service systems, including accompaniment to appointments when appropriate.
• Use lived experience to reduce stigma, encourage help‑seeking, and promote wellness.
• Promote harm‑reduction, trauma‑informed, recovery‑oriented, and culturally safe approaches.
• Advocate for individuals and help remove barriers to services.
• Collaborate with the Health Centre team and community partners for coordinated, holistic support.
• Contribute lived‑experience perspectives to community engagement, program planning, service development, and evaluation.
• Participate in team meetings, debriefs, supervision, training, and professional development while maintaining documentation, confidentiality, and professional boundaries.

Required profile

• Experience in peer support, community outreach, mental health, substance use, wellness, or related community‑based services.
• Relevant peer‑support training, certification, or equivalent experience in mental health, substance use, harm reduction, trauma‑informed practice, or crisis intervention.
• Experience working with Indigenous communities and culturally grounded services.
• Valid Class 5 BC driver’s licence (asset, not required).
• Satisfactory criminal record check with vulnerable‑sector screening.

What we offer

• Extended health care (dental, vision, LTD, life, HSA) – 100% employer paid.
• Wellness and cultural days.
• Pension plan.
• Paid time off, including an additional two‑week office closure during the winter break.
• Work on reserve with tax‑exempt income for status employees.