Position Summary
The Peer Support Worker is a temporary position reporting directly to the Health Director or designate through the Maggie Willier Health and Wellness Department. The Peer Support Worker is responsible for providing culturally safe, non-judgmental, strengths-based support to individuals and families affected by substance use, overdose risk, trauma, mental health challenges, or recovery needs. This position supports Strong Roots: Strengthening Community Capacity for Healing and Recovery, a Maggie Willier Health and Wellness Department initiative that will enhance substance use and overdose response capacity through training, outreach, peer-led support, and community education. The Peer Support Worker will assist with evening peer support programming, mobile outreach, wellness check-ins, harm reduction education, recovery support, and referrals to appropriate services. The Peer Support Worker will use lived experience, community connection, training, and relationship-building to help participants feel heard, supported, and connected. This role does not provide clinical counselling, therapy, or medical care. The Peer Support Worker will work as part of a broader health and wellness team, including cultural supports, community programs, frontline staff, and partner agencies, to support safety, healing, belonging, and recovery.
Key Responsibilities
- Peer Support and Recovery Support
- Provide non-judgmental peer support to individuals and families affected by substance use, overdose risk, trauma, or recovery needs.
- Offer encouragement, practical support, and connection to help participants identify their own wellness and recovery goals.
- Build trusting relationships with participants through respectful listening, consistency, confidentiality, and cultural humility.
- Support participants in accessing appropriate community, cultural, health, mental health, addictions, housing, social, or emergency services.
- Provide follow-up support where appropriate to help reduce isolation and strengthen connection to services and community supports.
- Evening Peer Support Program
- Assist with the delivery of evening peer support sessions in a safe, welcoming, and trauma-informed environment.
- Support participants during group sessions, sharing circles, wellness activities, and culturally grounded recovery activities.
- Help prepare spaces, supplies, sign-in sheets, refreshments, and materials for evening programming.
- Work with staff, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and partner agencies to support culturally appropriate programming.
- Identify participant needs and communicate concerns to the appropriate supervisor or support team.
- Mobile Outreach and Harm Reduction
- Participate in mobile outreach activities, including wellness check-ins and community-based support.
- Provide harm reduction information, basic supplies, and overdose prevention education as directed by program guidelines.
- Support community members in accessing Naloxone training, recovery resources, and crisis supports.
- Assist with outreach to members who may experience barriers to accessing services, including transportation, isolation, stigma, or after-hours needs.
- Maintain appropriate boundaries and follow safety procedures during outreach activities.
- Community Education and Awareness
- Support community education sessions related to substance use, harm reduction, overdose prevention, recovery, stigma reduction, and wellness.
- Assist with preparing and distributing plain-language information materials.
- Encourage respectful community conversations that promote compassion, understanding, and shared responsibility for healing and recovery.
- Support awareness events, workshops, open sessions, and community gatherings connected to the Strong Roots initiative.
- Cultural Safety and Community Wellness
- Support culturally grounded approaches to healing, wellness, and recovery.
- Work respectfully with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, staff, families, and community members.
- Follow Driftpile Cree Nation cultural protocols, values, and community safety principles.
- Support participants in accessing cultural wellness activities, land-based gatherings, and traditional supports where appropriate.
- Help create an environment that is safe, respectful, inclusive, and free from lateral violence, discrimination, stigma, or harassment.
- Administration and Reporting
- Maintain accurate records, including attendance, outreach contacts, activity summaries, referrals, and participant feedback.
- Protect participant privacy and confidentiality in accordance with DCN policies and program requirements.
- Assist with tracking supplies, preparing materials, and documenting program activities.
- Provide updates to the supervisor regarding participant needs, emerging issues, safety concerns, and program successes.
- Support reporting requirements connected to the Strong Roots initiative as needed.
- Health, Safety, and Boundaries
- Follow DCN policies, safety procedures, confidentiality requirements, and professional boundaries at all times.
- Recognize when a participant requires clinical, medical, mental health, addictions, child welfare, housing, or emergency support and refer appropriately.
- Respond to concerns in a calm, respectful, trauma-informed manner.
- Participate in required training such as Naloxone, Mental Health First Aid, trauma-informed care, Wellbriety, and other relevant training.
- Report safety concerns, incidents, or risks to the supervisor in accordance with DCN procedures.
Qualifications
- and Experience
- Lived experience related to recovery, substance use, mental health, grief, trauma, homelessness, family wellness, or system navigation is considered an asset.
- Experience supporting individuals, families, youth, or community members in a helping role is an asset.
- Experience working with Indigenous communities and understanding of Cree culture, traditions, and community protocols is an asset.
- Training in peer support, harm reduction, overdose prevention, Naloxone, trauma-informed care, Mental Health First Aid, Wellbriety, or related areas is an asset.
- Equivalent combinations of experience, training, and community knowledge may be considered.
- Skills and Competencies
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to listen without judgment and build trust with participants.
- Understanding of confidentiality, personal boundaries, and respectful support.
- Ability to work with people experiencing crisis, grief, trauma, substance use, or complex life situations.
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm in challenging situations.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Basic documentation and record-keeping skills.
- Commitment to cultural safety, inclusion, harm reduction, recovery, and community wellness.
- Additional Requirements
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation is preferred.
- Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, as required by programming.
- Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check.
- Intervention Record Check may be required.
- Willingness to complete required training.
- Commitment to upholding Driftpile Cree Nation’s values, policies, confidentiality requirements, and community safety principles.
- Working Conditions
- Combination of office-based work, community-based programming, evening sessions, and mobile outreach.
- Regular working hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Some work may occur after regular office hours, including evenings and weekends.
- May involve supporting individuals experiencing crisis, grief, trauma, substance use, or emotional distress.
- Moderate physical activity may be required, including setting up program spaces, transporting supplies, and assisting with outreach activities.
This position plays an important role in strengthening community-based recovery support, reducing stigma, increasing access to harm reduction and wellness resources, and supporting long-term healing and resilience through the Maggie Willier Health and Wellness Department.
Agreement Length: Temporary One-Year Term 2026-2027
Application Deadline: Until a suitable candidate has been selected
Please provide a copy of your current Criminal Record Check and Intervention Record Check upon the interview.
To apply, please submit your resume to the following link
https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=420a791b-3310-4960-bcc0-67ae848a9a5d&ccId=19000101_000001&type=JS&lang=en_CA [https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=420a791b-3310-4960-bcc0-67ae848a9a5d&ccId=19000101_000001&type=JS&lang=en_CA]
**Please be advised only suitable applicants will be notified**
