Peer Supporter – Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) Clinic

About this position

POSITION TITLE/ DEPT: Peer Supporter, RAAM Clinic

PRIMARY LOCATION: Humber River Hospital, Toronto - North York West.

CONTRACT POSITION:  Full-time contract, 37.5 hours/week, until October 23, 2023, with potential for renewal.

REPORTS TO: Harm Reduction and Outreach Programs Manager

Introduction:

Incorporated in 1998, Krasman Centre is a community based mental health and addiction Consumer/Survivor Initiative serving York Region, north Toronto and South Simcoe County. All our staff and volunteers are individuals with direct lived experience, of mental health and/or addiction challenges and/or as family members/caregivers. We offer a wide range of peer-support based programs and services including:

• Peer Support Drop-In Centres
• 24/7 Warm Line and Peer Crisis Support Service
• Mobile Peer Support Outreach
• Family Support Program
• Peer Support training programs
• Peer Navigators embedded in hospital Emergency Departments

More information about Krasman Centre can be found here: www.krasmancentre.com

Peer Support is a respectful relationship between the Peer Supporter and the individual that promotes empowerment, trust and mutuality and supports individuals to make changes and decisions to address their current level of distress and enhance their recovery and wellness. Peer Support uses recovery-oriented principles with individuals to help combat stigma, raise self-esteem, improve self-concept and instill hope.

Peer Supporters have gone through a process of recovery and have obtained peer support related training to assist others with mental health challenges. The Peer Supporter defines, models, and mentors recovery values, attitudes, beliefs, and personal actions in order to encourage wellness and resilience. Activities of peer support promote self-directed recovery by emphasizing the person, rather than the identified mental health, substance use/addiction challenge.

Position Description:

The Peer Supporter – RAAM clinic (location: Humber River Hospital), will work as a member of a diverse inter-professional team to facilitate and support individuals in their recovery process. Drawing from lived experience of mental health/substance use/addiction challenges, the Peer Supporter will assist individuals who attend the Humber River Hospital RAAM clinic location as they consider and determine their own unique goals and objectives. The goal of the Peer Supporter role is to enhance recovery and improve the quality of the person’s experience at the RAAM clinic, with system navigation and follow-up support, post RAAM clinic visit

The Peer Supporter is a non-clinical support to the person and as such is intended to be a comfort to the person and a resource to individualized community supports and practical recovery information.

Krasman Centre is seeking reliable, emotionally intelligent, professional and compassionate individuals with lived experience with substance use/addiction and recovery, to support participants within the Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic setting as well as in the community. The Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinic helps people who are struggling with substance dependency. Physicians and/or Nurse Practitioners along with Addiction Counsellors and the Peer Supporters will be available to provide assistance to those attending.

Duties:

• Offer support to participants before, during and after appointments, as appropriate, following established protocols
• Orient the person to the Peer Supporter role including an understanding of the non-clinical role and voluntary nature of peer support
• Welcome participants attending, build rapport, and create a comfortable and judgement-free atmosphere
• Answer participants’ questions, and explain the RAAM clinic services/ processes
• Using a person-centered approach to provide participants with appropriate information and resources in the community
• Work with/ have access to confidential material and maintain compliance with Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)
• Working as part of the clinic team; support participants throughout the process, one on one, and possibly through facilitating Peer Support groups
• Participation and involvement in other programs, and broader agency activities
• Work collaboratively with internal and external partners
• Provide support in a manner consistent with recovery philosophy, which emphasizes peer and natural support, and the de-escalation of distress
• Provide information on individual advocacy, self-help, recovery/wellness, “crisis” planning and prevention, empowerment tools as requested by person
• Collaborate with individuals, promote self-advocacy and support individual to advocate for themselves
• Documentation, statistical data collection as needed, using strengths-based, recovery supporting language
• Interact with, establish and maintain cooperative relationship with Humber River Hospital personnel and all RAAM clinic personnel
• Provide education about recovery and peer support to staff and participants
• Provide peer support services reflective of the diverse needs of individuals
• Community based face to face visits and virtual supports may also be needed
• This position will be required to work at the Richmond Hill Drop In location 1 day per week.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Personal lived experience with substance use/addiction challenges and recovery
• Graduate or current participant in peer support training
• Strong knowledge and grounding in Harm Reduction principles and practices
• Strong knowledge and practice of anti-racism and anti-oppression principles and commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion
• Awareness of issues faced by equity-deserving communities
• Ability to apply Recovery principles, strengths-based approach and empowerment-oriented philosophies and practices in work with participants
• Strong knowledge, understanding and practice of trauma informed approaches to mental health, substance use and addictions issues
• Possess excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills enabling you to work within a collaborative and diverse inter-professional team
• Ability to communicate and work comfortably with diverse communities
• Knowledge of systemic issues such as poverty, unemployment, stigma, medications, and the isolation felt by individuals with substance use/mental health issues and their families
• Extensive knowledge of local supports and services in GTA, including formal and informal resources
• Effective leadership, decision-making, organizational and problem-solving skills are required
• The ability to be flexible, self-directed, self-reflective and supportive
• An ability to relate to participants from a peer perspective, as well as communicate to a health care team with an understanding of the recovery model
• Ability to work effectively as a team member in a dynamic and fast-paced multi- disciplinary environment is essential
• Provide supports reflective of the needs of the individual and when appropriate their families
• Demonstrate self-awareness and purposeful self-disclosure
• Demonstrate awareness of diversity issues and the personal impact of barriers, stigma and discrimination faced by people with addiction/mental health challenges
• Ability to use computers and software such as Microsoft Windows, Office and Teams
• Ability to speak a second language is a strong asset
• Knowledge of the Ontario Mental Health Act, mental health reform principles, the Substitute Decisions Act, and the Health Care Consent Act and PHIPPA requirements
• Current certificate in or ability to complete First Aid and CPR training
• Recent crisis intervention training an asset
• Valid driver’s license and access to personal vehicle for purposes of work-related travel is an asset

Schedule/Working Conditions:

• Full-time contract (37.5 hours per week), starting as soon as possible until October 23, 2023.  There is a possibility of renewal depending on funding.

• EVENING and WEEKEND SHIFTS MAY BE REQUIRED

• Dynamic, self-directed environment. You may be required to support individuals in community-based settings

NOTE: This position is conditional upon the candidate being in adherence with the current Covid-19 Vaccination policy of the Krasman Centre and Humber River Hospital.