Peer Support Specialist Early Psychosis Intervention

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 organization cares about the growth safety and well-beingof employees and offers:

• Competitive Total Compensation (including salary benefits pension)
• HOOPP(Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan)
• Comprehensive Health Benefits
• Robust Performance and Career Development program
• Learning & development opportunities

Learn more about us by visiting: are hiring a Peer Support Specialist for our Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI) program!!

Position 1:Permanent Full-time working 35 hours per week. Evening and weekends may be required.

Salary Range: $56444 to $68429 per annum. *This represents all 7 steps in the salary band. Salary will be dependent on candidate experience and program requirements.

Closing Date: December 22 2025

Location: The Individual is expected the work out in the community as well as in Aurora office (located at 15150 Yonge Street ). Staff will be required to travel to different community locations and to visit clients in their homes. Will be required travel within York Region & South Simcoe for group facilitation training and meetings.

Job Profile:

The Peer Support Specialist 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. This individual will be running groups in congregate settings and will be providing one-on-one short-term support where required. They will make referrals to CMHA programs or community agencies based on clients needs. Peer Support Specialists have lived experience with mental health and/or addictions and use these experiences to assist others with mental health challenges to identify and achieve life goals as part of their own collaboration with the team the Peer Support Specialist uses empowerment and recovery-oriented approaches with individuals and groups to help combat stigma raise self-esteem and mastery improve self-concept and instill hope.

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.

Responsibilities:

• Maintains a client caseload in accordance with the funding requirement recognizing the need for extensive travel in some rural areas and intensiveness of contact with specific clients.
• Initiates referrals to other CMHA programs or external agencies as required.
• Establishes a collaborative partnership with clients that involves non-judgmental listening and client-directed goal setting that fosters independence self-determination competence and hope by employing empowerment/Recovery principles and practices.
• Informs clients of confidentiality requirements and limitations of confidentiality.
• Assists clients in developing individual empowerment plans that include discussion of their strengths and needs setting of long and short-term goals establishing methods to address the goals and creating target gates.
• Routinely discusses life and interpersonal skills and problem-solving approaches to help clients gain more independence and provides practical assistance as needed.
• Provides information about community resources to clients and with their permission family and significant others.
• May use own personal story in therapeutically relevant ways and in a mutually agreeable manner to help clients seeking recovery.
• Conducts hospital and community visits explaining the peer support role within the team.
• Develops and facilitates client and family groups at various CMHA office through York Region and South Simcoe.

Requirements:

• A degree or diploma in the health or social services or a related discipline.
• Four years or more experience of the mental health system
• Personal experience in mental health and/or addiction recovery.
• Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) certificate.
• Group facilitation experience in congregate settings preferred.
• Ability to observe boundaries engage in appropriate emotional regulation refrain from dual relationships with consumers maintain confidentiality and engage in reasonable self-care strategies designed to reduce stress by balancing work/life responsibilities
• Ability to prioritize needs and organize work efficiently
• Aptitude in developing innovative approaches to service delivery
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• A second language (Cantonese Farsi Italian Korean Mandarin Punjabi Russian Tamil Urdu) reflecting the local community is considered an asset
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Proficiency with various forms of presentation media
• Competence in relevant computer applications particularly Microsoft Office and Outlook
• Knowledge of the Ontario Mental Health Act mental health reform principles the Substitute Decisions Act the Health Care Consent Act and PHIPA requirements
• Ability to apply Recovery principles and empowerment-oriented philosophies and practices in work with clients
• A valid Canadian drivers license a minimum $third party liability insurance
• A satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Screening or 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 Manager People & Teams.

Working Conditions:

• May work extensively at a desk using a computer up to 7 hours a day.
• Works in the community and in clients homes. Transporting the clients may needed.
• 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.

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.

To request this posting in an alternate format or to request an accommodation in the application process email .

Application Procedure: If you are interested in this opportunity please visit and search for Peer Support Specialist click on the Apply Now button and proceed to upload your cover letter and resume.

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 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 Code3. 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.

Required Experience:

IC