Peer Support Specialist - WMTS

Job summary

The Peer Support Specialist provides recovery-focused support to individuals aged 16+ dealing with substance use and mental health challenges. They facilitate peer-led groups and collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to foster hope and independence.

Job details

WE’RE HIRING: FULL TIME PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST - WMTS Location: Brantford, ON Hours: Full Time – Sunday-Thursday 2:30pm-10:00pm Start Date: ASAP (Vacant Position) Apply by: September 30th, 2026 Email Applications to: recruit@soarcs.ca [recruit@soarcs.ca] ABOUT SOAR COMMUNITY SERVICES At SOAR, we believe in lifting communities through compassionate, inclusive, and innovative care. Serving the communities of Brantford, Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk since 1968, we are accredited in Children and Youth Mental Health, Community Mental Health and Addictions Services and Youth Justice Services through the Canadian Centre for Accreditation. Our departments include Employment, Justice, Mental Health and Addictions, and Housing. Join a team that’s committed to making a difference – every day. THE OPPORTUNITY We are recruiting for a Peer Support Specialist. This role is a vital part of our Withdrawal Management and Treatment Services program. As a Peer Support Specialist, you will be supporting individuals aged 16+ experiencing substance use and concurrent mental health challenges by drawing on your own lived or living experience of recovery. Peer Support Specialists are not counsellors. Their role is grounded in shared lived experience — building connection, offering encouragement, and helping others feel hopeful about recovery. This position is based within our Withdrawal Management and Treatment programs, where you will support clients as they begin their recovery journey by fostering connection, comfort, and engagement within the program. Peer Support Specialists also collaborate with peers across the agency and participate in SOAR’s broader peer support initiatives, contributing to the development and growth of peer programming across services. WHAT YOU’LL DO • Build supportive relationships with clients by drawing on and appropriately sharing your lived or living experience of recovery • Offer connection, encouragement, and hope to individuals navigating substance use and concurrent mental health challenges • Share recovery insights and coping strategies to encourage hope and connection • Facilitate peer-led groups • Support clients in identifying personal goals and steps toward recovery and independence • Work collaboratively with staff while bringing a peer perspective to the interdisciplinary team • Maintain professional boundaries within the peer role and participate in agency-wide peer initiatives WHAT YOU’LL BRING • Comfort identifying as a person with lived or living experience of substance use and/or mental health recovery and using that experience in a peer support role • Ability to act as a positive recovery role model while respecting the individual paths of others • Understanding peer support principles • College diploma or certificate in any field • Strong communication and relationship-building skills • Comfort facilitating conversations and peer-led groups • Experience with Microsoft Office and electronic databases • Full G level drivers license • Ability to work in environments where exposure to direct and vicarious trauma may occur WHY JOIN SOAR? • Salary: Starting at $24.25 per hour. • Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and travel insurance, with options fully paid for Full Time staff. • Time off: 3 weeks’ vacation, 60 hours of personal leave, and 15 hours of wellness time (pro-rated first year). • Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) for staff and their families. • RSP/TFSA matching for eligible staff. • A supportive, values-driven workplace that prioritizes your well-being. READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT? We’re looking for someone passionate about empowering client voices, connection in community care and inclusion in action! If that’s you, we want to hear from you. SOAR Community Services is committed to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging within our workplace and across the communities we serve. We welcome applications from individuals with lived and living experience and from members of equity-deserving groups, including Indigenous, Black, and racialized communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and persons with disabilities. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. If you require accommodations as part of the hiring process, please let us know so that we may arrange for their provision. Personal information submitted will only be used for the purposes of the competition in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Full Time – Sunday-Thursday 2:30pm-10:00pm

What you’ll do

The Peer Support Specialist provides recovery-focused support to individuals aged 16+ dealing with substance use and mental health challenges. They facilitate peer-led groups and collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to foster hope and independence.

Requirements

Candidates must have lived or living experience with substance use or mental health recovery and possess a college diploma or certificate. A full G level driver's license and proficiency in Microsoft Office and electronic databases are required.

Benefits

• Health insurance • Dental insurance • Vision insurance • Travel insurance • Vacation time • Personal leave • Wellness time • Employee assistance plan • RSP matching • TFSA matching

Listed skills

• crisis intervention · Preferred
• Group Facilitation · Preferred
• Mental Health Support · Preferred
• interdisciplinary collaboration · Preferred
• Communication · Preferred
• Microsoft Office · Preferred
• Relationship Building · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Peer support
• Substance use support
• Mental health support
• Relationship building
• Communication
• Group facilitation
• Crisis intervention
• Recovery coaching
• Interdisciplinary collaboration
• Microsoft Office
• Database management
• Professional boundaries
• Community Mental Health
• Valid Driver's License
• Compassion
• Mental Health
• Management
• Disabilities
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Innovation
• Relationship Building
• Vicarious Traumatization
• Peer Support

Job areas

• Social Services
• Healthcare
• Peer Support Specialist
• Social / Human Services Specialist
• Social Work Associate Professionals
• Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other