Peer Support Worker - Community Connections
Top Benefits
About the role
Why work for CMHA York Region?
We are a team committed to our vision of mental health support for all. We offer an inclusive, innovative and high-performance work culture that helps us deliver transformational impact. The organization cares about the growth, safety, and well-being of employees and offers:
- Competitive Total Compensation (including salary, pension and benefits)
-
- HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan)
- Comprehensive Health Benefits
- Robust Performance and Career Development Program
- Learning & development opportunities
We are hiring a Peer Support Worker on our Community Connections Program!
If you are an individual who has personally experienced mental health and/or addictions and are ready to help others who have or are currently going through similar challenges, then this role is for you! If you are interested in bringing your experience to an innovative, award-winning organization that is continuing to grow and expand and you would love to work on this stellar multidisciplinary team to help people in their moments of need, please continue to read further.
**Closing Date:**March 31, 2026
**Position:**Permanent, part-time, 28 hours per week; evening hours and weekends may be required.
Salary Range:$28.58-34.62 per hour.This represents all steps of a seven-step salary grid, candidate experience to be considered when determining starting salary.
**Comprehensive Health Benefits:**Excellent Benefits Package: Full Extended Health & Dental, Life Insurance, EAP, STD, LTD, & Pension Plan. Generous paid time off including vacation, sick, and personal days.
**Location:**The Peer Support Worker for the Community Connections Program will work from our Aurora Office (15150 Yonge St., Aurora, ON L4G 1M2) and will be required to extensively travel within York Region and South Simcoe for client meetings, staff training and meetings.
Job Profile:
The Peer Support Worker collaborates with clients to provide individualized and flexible support to help engage and integrate them into the community, and help to facilitate access to resources and supports to maximize independence and potential, and promote recovery. The Peer Support Worker collaborates with clients in group sessions to facilitate and support recovery for adults facing mental health challenges through empowerment and respect by providing a range of social, educational, and recreational services. The Peer Support Worker has gone through a process of recovery and preferably has obtained peer support-related training to assist others with mental health challenges to identify and achieve life goals as part of their own recovery.
The Peer Support Worker uses empowerment and recovery-oriented approaches in group settings to help combat stigma, raise self-esteem and mastery, improve self-concept, and instill hope. The Peer Support Worker will be involved in facilitating groups in the community with partner agencies such as hospitals and CMHA offices. From time to time, the Peer Support Worker may be required to handle conflicts in the Program, and intervene in crisis situations. The peer support program increases access to best practice peer-led groups and assists individuals to the services and resources needed.
In addition to compliance with all organizational policies and procedures, the incumbent is also expected to behave ethically, demonstrate competence in effective communication and team building, demonstrate effectiveness in working in a collaborative environment, and demonstrate confidence in decision-making and in building relationships.
Requirements:
- Completed High School Diploma or Equivalent.
- Four years or more experience of the mental health system. -A valid Canadian driver’s license, a minimum $1,000,000 third party liability insurance and proof that insurance covers use of personal vehicle to transport clients.
- Peer support-related training (i.e. Wellness Recovery Action Plan/WRAP) is an asset.
- Personal lived experience in recovery related to mental health and/or addiction.
- Experience in group planning and facilitation is preferred.
- A second language (French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi, Italian, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Urdu) reflecting the local community is preferred.
- Ability to apply Recovery principles and empowerment-oriented philosophies and practices in work with consumers.
- Ability to observe boundaries, engage in appropriate emotional regulation, refrain from dual relationships with clients, maintain confidentiality, and engage in reasonable self-care strategies designed to reduce stress by balancing work/life responsibilities.
- Knowledge of the Ontario Mental Health Act, mental health reform principles, the Substitute Decisions Act, the Health Care Consent Act and PHIPA requirements.
- Extensive knowledge of supports and services in York Region, including formal and informal resources.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to demonstrate computer skills, specifically Microsoft Office and Outlook.
- A satisfactory and current Vulnerable Sector Screening (Police Check).
The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an individual assigned to the job. This information is not constructed to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel in the job.
This position reports to and is supervised by the Manager, People and Teams, Community Connections Program.
Working Conditions:
- May work extensively at a desk using a computer up to 7 hours a day.
- Works in the community and between sites, including extensive travel within York Region and South Simcoe.
- Works in a standard office environment, generally in a shared office setting.
- Weekend and evening hours may be required.
- May be required to work remotely/from home during crisis/emergency situations.
**Disclaimer:**In keeping with mental health reform, best practices, funding and direction this position may later require knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions not noted here.
Application Procedures:
If you are interested in this opportunity, follow the link below and click on the “Apply Now” button in the top right corner of the page to proceed to upload your cover letter and resume:
https://cmha-yr.on.ca/careers/
Complete the application form and submit the following:
- Cover letter with 300 words or less which tells us why you want the role and why you should be considered for this position. (PDF or Word document)
- Resume (PDF or Word document)(applications received without a Resume attached will not be considered).
CMHA-YRSS is dedicated to promoting employment equity and dismantling obstacles to employment for marginalized communities. CMHA-YRSS supports the journey to mental wellness, and we welcome applicants with lived experience of mental illness. In acknowledgment of the systemic underrepresentation faced by Black, Indigenous, racialized peoples, and those living with disabilities, this opportunity has been developed based on the special program provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code. We therefore extend invitations for applications from the following groups:
- Racialized Persons
- Indigenous Persons
- Persons living with Disabilities
While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Not the right fit? Search for Peer Support Worker jobs in Aurora, ON
About Canadian Mental Health Association | York Region & South Simcoe
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health organization in Canada providing a full scope of mental health and addictions services for over 100 years. As the nationwide leader and champion for mental health, we facilitate access to the resources people require to maintain and improve mental health and community integration, build resilience, and support recovery from mental illness and addiction.
CMHA York Region South Simcoe (CMHA-YRSS) is one of the fastest growing branches of the Canadian Mental Health Association with around 350 staff and 100 volunteers. We offer 30+ publicly funded programs and services for youth (12+), adults and family caregivers. Last year we provided mental health and addictions services to more than 42,000 individuals.
Our community is filled with innovators who create change, professionals who deliver excellence, influencers who create impact, and passionate, determined people who are creating our vision of Mental Health for All.
Similar jobs you might like
Peer Support Worker - Community Connections
Top Benefits
About the role
Why work for CMHA York Region?
We are a team committed to our vision of mental health support for all. We offer an inclusive, innovative and high-performance work culture that helps us deliver transformational impact. The organization cares about the growth, safety, and well-being of employees and offers:
- Competitive Total Compensation (including salary, pension and benefits)
-
- HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan)
- Comprehensive Health Benefits
- Robust Performance and Career Development Program
- Learning & development opportunities
We are hiring a Peer Support Worker on our Community Connections Program!
If you are an individual who has personally experienced mental health and/or addictions and are ready to help others who have or are currently going through similar challenges, then this role is for you! If you are interested in bringing your experience to an innovative, award-winning organization that is continuing to grow and expand and you would love to work on this stellar multidisciplinary team to help people in their moments of need, please continue to read further.
**Closing Date:**March 31, 2026
**Position:**Permanent, part-time, 28 hours per week; evening hours and weekends may be required.
Salary Range:$28.58-34.62 per hour.This represents all steps of a seven-step salary grid, candidate experience to be considered when determining starting salary.
**Comprehensive Health Benefits:**Excellent Benefits Package: Full Extended Health & Dental, Life Insurance, EAP, STD, LTD, & Pension Plan. Generous paid time off including vacation, sick, and personal days.
**Location:**The Peer Support Worker for the Community Connections Program will work from our Aurora Office (15150 Yonge St., Aurora, ON L4G 1M2) and will be required to extensively travel within York Region and South Simcoe for client meetings, staff training and meetings.
Job Profile:
The Peer Support Worker collaborates with clients to provide individualized and flexible support to help engage and integrate them into the community, and help to facilitate access to resources and supports to maximize independence and potential, and promote recovery. The Peer Support Worker collaborates with clients in group sessions to facilitate and support recovery for adults facing mental health challenges through empowerment and respect by providing a range of social, educational, and recreational services. The Peer Support Worker has gone through a process of recovery and preferably has obtained peer support-related training to assist others with mental health challenges to identify and achieve life goals as part of their own recovery.
The Peer Support Worker uses empowerment and recovery-oriented approaches in group settings to help combat stigma, raise self-esteem and mastery, improve self-concept, and instill hope. The Peer Support Worker will be involved in facilitating groups in the community with partner agencies such as hospitals and CMHA offices. From time to time, the Peer Support Worker may be required to handle conflicts in the Program, and intervene in crisis situations. The peer support program increases access to best practice peer-led groups and assists individuals to the services and resources needed.
In addition to compliance with all organizational policies and procedures, the incumbent is also expected to behave ethically, demonstrate competence in effective communication and team building, demonstrate effectiveness in working in a collaborative environment, and demonstrate confidence in decision-making and in building relationships.
Requirements:
- Completed High School Diploma or Equivalent.
- Four years or more experience of the mental health system. -A valid Canadian driver’s license, a minimum $1,000,000 third party liability insurance and proof that insurance covers use of personal vehicle to transport clients.
- Peer support-related training (i.e. Wellness Recovery Action Plan/WRAP) is an asset.
- Personal lived experience in recovery related to mental health and/or addiction.
- Experience in group planning and facilitation is preferred.
- A second language (French, Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi, Italian, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Urdu) reflecting the local community is preferred.
- Ability to apply Recovery principles and empowerment-oriented philosophies and practices in work with consumers.
- Ability to observe boundaries, engage in appropriate emotional regulation, refrain from dual relationships with clients, maintain confidentiality, and engage in reasonable self-care strategies designed to reduce stress by balancing work/life responsibilities.
- Knowledge of the Ontario Mental Health Act, mental health reform principles, the Substitute Decisions Act, the Health Care Consent Act and PHIPA requirements.
- Extensive knowledge of supports and services in York Region, including formal and informal resources.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to demonstrate computer skills, specifically Microsoft Office and Outlook.
- A satisfactory and current Vulnerable Sector Screening (Police Check).
The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an individual assigned to the job. This information is not constructed to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel in the job.
This position reports to and is supervised by the Manager, People and Teams, Community Connections Program.
Working Conditions:
- May work extensively at a desk using a computer up to 7 hours a day.
- Works in the community and between sites, including extensive travel within York Region and South Simcoe.
- Works in a standard office environment, generally in a shared office setting.
- Weekend and evening hours may be required.
- May be required to work remotely/from home during crisis/emergency situations.
**Disclaimer:**In keeping with mental health reform, best practices, funding and direction this position may later require knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions not noted here.
Application Procedures:
If you are interested in this opportunity, follow the link below and click on the “Apply Now” button in the top right corner of the page to proceed to upload your cover letter and resume:
https://cmha-yr.on.ca/careers/
Complete the application form and submit the following:
- Cover letter with 300 words or less which tells us why you want the role and why you should be considered for this position. (PDF or Word document)
- Resume (PDF or Word document)(applications received without a Resume attached will not be considered).
CMHA-YRSS is dedicated to promoting employment equity and dismantling obstacles to employment for marginalized communities. CMHA-YRSS supports the journey to mental wellness, and we welcome applicants with lived experience of mental illness. In acknowledgment of the systemic underrepresentation faced by Black, Indigenous, racialized peoples, and those living with disabilities, this opportunity has been developed based on the special program provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code. We therefore extend invitations for applications from the following groups:
- Racialized Persons
- Indigenous Persons
- Persons living with Disabilities
While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Not the right fit? Search for Peer Support Worker jobs in Aurora, ON
About Canadian Mental Health Association | York Region & South Simcoe
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health organization in Canada providing a full scope of mental health and addictions services for over 100 years. As the nationwide leader and champion for mental health, we facilitate access to the resources people require to maintain and improve mental health and community integration, build resilience, and support recovery from mental illness and addiction.
CMHA York Region South Simcoe (CMHA-YRSS) is one of the fastest growing branches of the Canadian Mental Health Association with around 350 staff and 100 volunteers. We offer 30+ publicly funded programs and services for youth (12+), adults and family caregivers. Last year we provided mental health and addictions services to more than 42,000 individuals.
Our community is filled with innovators who create change, professionals who deliver excellence, influencers who create impact, and passionate, determined people who are creating our vision of Mental Health for All.