Recovery College Peer Facilitator
Job Description
Job Title: Peer Facilitator, Community Education and Training
Job Classification: Peer Facilitator
Position Type: Casual
Program Areas: Community Education and Training, Peer College, Prosper Place, Community Strategies
Hours: Variable (Courses, workshops, events, and activities take place on weekdays, evenings, and weekends)
Salary/Wage: $ 32.15 per hour
Organization Summary
CMHA Edmonton is a non-profit organization that envisions mentally healthy people in caring communities. We work to increase awareness and understanding of mental health, mental illness, recovery, and suicide prevention through education. We support the maintenance of mental wellness, the resilience and recovery of people in distress including those affected by mental health challenges or suicide by providing crisis intervention, safe, long-term, and affordable housing, peer connections, suicide grief and family support, and provide opportunities, tools, and resources to both maintain and improve mental wellness to our community members and community partners.
Join us as we work towards making a difference in the lives of individuals, families, friends, and peers looking to maintain mental wellness, and those affected by mental health challenges and difficult situations which may include abuse, addiction, bullying and harassment, discrimination, family violence and trauma, grief and loss, isolation, suicide, and unsafe housing.
Community Education and Training
The Community Education and Training department at CMHA Edmonton provides training programs for individuals, groups, and organizations to develop and explore skills, strategies, and tips that contribute to overall mental wellness and individual recovery through a variety of programs and events involving Recovery College Edmonton, Stronger Communities, Peer College, and various community outreach and engagement events and projects with a focus on growing and maintaining relationships with community members and community partners, and the curiosity and commitment to continuing to grow, and co-develop new programs and materials within our organization and community.
Prosper Place
Prosper Place is a member run community of people with lived experience of a mental health or addictions challenge. People come to Prosper Place to explore, discover, and choose their personal paths of recovery, wellness, and resilience. Prosper Place is a member-run community built on four main pillars of programming:
Skills Building
Learning new things
Reception training, canteen, tours, and other daily operations and activities
Personal Growth
Exploring, discovering, and choosing your own personal path
Taking and co-creating learning activities and Recovery College courses or other workshops
Socialization
Meeting new people or catching up with old friends
Making new friends and acquaintances
Having fun together playing games or eating a meal
Food Security
Members enjoy healthy, nutritious, low-cost meals
Members benefit from a Food Pantry partnership with the Edmonton Food Bank
Community Strategies
The Community Strategies team provides public education through information booths, workshops, presentations, and other activities through community outreach and engagement efforts. The focus of these initiatives is to proactively engage community members to learn about, and to be able to access the programs and services, lived experience opportunities, and education opportunities at CMHA Edmonton. These initiatives are designed to work in concert with our community partners.
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Job Summary
Reporting to the Manager, Community Education and Training, Peer Facilitators provides facilitation for courses, workshops, events, and other activities that are open to individuals who are looking to maintain and care for their mental wellness, individuals experiencing mental wellness concerns, mental illness, and or, addiction related challenges, as well as caregivers, family, friends, and peers.
Peer Facilitators may also provide support to Peer College, Prosper Place, and the Community Strategies department with facilitation, co-development, and the co-evaluation of new courses and projects.
Peer Facilitators co-facilitate in pairs, and together they will both demonstrate the values of CMHA programs and the competencies for peer-driven courses and activities. These include hope, collaboration, personal growth, recovery planning, communication, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, managing information, capacity building, and inclusivity.
Peer Facilitators can use their own recovery stories to inspire hope in others, and to share their practical, first-hand knowledge of strategies for promoting mental wellness and available resources.
Courses, workshops, events, and activities are offered weekdays, evenings, and weekends, online, via hybrid delivery, and in-person, in multiple locations. Flexible availability is an asset.
Qualifications/Experience
Successful completion of group facilitation training and peer support training through the Introduction to Peer Support Practice for Community training available through CMHA Edmonton.
Lived experience with mental health or addiction concerns or lived experience in supporting a loved one or family member with mental wellness or addiction concerns is required for this position.
Familiarity with the guiding principles of peer support as detailed by Peer Support Canada, a deep commitment to understanding recovery-oriented models, and a willingness to share experiences/stories as part of the peer role is required.
Successful attainment and maintenance of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is an asset.
Experience working or volunteering within addiction or mental health organizations is an asset.
Acceptable attainment and maintenance of a Police Information Check with a Vulnerable Sector Check and an Intervention Record Check.
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Skills/Abilities
Strong interpersonal, relationship building, verbal, and written communication skills, and group conflict management.
Ability to actively listen, ask motivational questions, reframe where needed, and focus on the strengths of the learners involved in the programs offered at CMHA Edmonton.
Ability to set boundaries with learners and share appropriately in a professional setting.
Demonstrated understanding of mental health and the maintenance of mental wellness, mental illness and recovery, information and referral services, and crisis intervention.
Knowledge of, and ability to access and utilize mental h
