Peer Support Worker

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

**Please be advised only suitable applicants will be notified**