Peer Support Facilitator - 2SLGBTQI Health & Wellness

Durham-Community-Health-Centre; Pickering; On-site; CAD 51,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

HOOPP

Job summary

Durham Community Health Centre (DCHC) is seeking a Peer Support Facilitator to contribute lived experience and leadership to its 2SLGBTQI Health & Wellness program. You will integrate gender-diverse care, provide peer-based support, and help shape service delivery and future hub-space models.

The role emphasizes advocacy, system navigation, and creating a welcoming environment while collaborating with the gender care team to promote inclusive, client-centered care.

Qualifications

• 2-year Diploma in Social Services / Mental Health and Addictions or similar.
• Strong understanding of the needs, challenges, and barriers facing transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals in healthcare and social service systems.
• Demonstrated personal lived experience navigating gender identity and/or gender-affirming care is required.
• Minimum 2 years of program planning and delivery experience.
• Peer Support Training Certificate is an asset.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and active listening skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interprofessional team environment.
• Effective organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to remain flexible, self-reflective, empathetic, and supportive in a dynamic environment.
• Experience facilitating peer support groups or educational sessions is an asset.
• Experience working with service users or community organizations is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Provide one-on-one peer support to individuals navigating gender identity and gender expression, offering empathetic listening, guidance, mentorship, and emotional support.
• Facilitate support groups focused on gender-diverse experiences, fostering a safe, inclusive space for sharing and peer connection.
• Share personal lived experiences, where appropriate, to offer insights and peer-led encouragement.
• Assist clients in accessing healthcare, mental health, and community services related to gender-affirming care.
• Advocate for client needs by building bridges between community members and healthcare services, increasing trust and engagement.
• Contribute lived experience to program design and planning, ensuring services are reflective of client needs and community realities.
• Represent the 2SLGBTQI Health & Wellness program at community events, outreach activities, and advocacy initiatives.
• Collaborate with the broader gender care team to promote comprehensive, gender-affirming care and cultural safety.
• Participate in ongoing training, supervision, and professional development opportunities to strengthen peer support skills.
• Maintain confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries at all times.

Skills

Strong communicator

Collaborative team player

Interpersonal skills

Adaptability

Time management

Crisis management

Empathy

Prioritization

Education

2-year Diploma in Social Services / Mental Health and Addictions

Peer Support Training Certificate

Job description

Position Title: Peer Support Facilitator – 2SLGBTQI Health & Wellness

Employment Status: Temporary Full-Time Contract, until September 29, 2028

Position Status: This is a Bargaining Unit position. All terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreement apply.

This posting is for an Existing vacancy.

Job Posting Deadline for Internal Candidates: October 23, 2026, at 5:00pm

Hours of Work/Schedule: 35 Hours per week (May includes some evening/Night shift)

Position Reports To: Manager, Integrated Care and Experience

Salary Range: Annualized salary range $51,000 - $57,000, commensurate on skills and experience, plus participation in HOOPP.

Primary Work Location: Pickering, ON (with flexibility to transition or to work at other DCHC sites as required)

Organization

Who We Are: Durham Community Health Centre (DCHC) is a registered charitable organization that provides integrated, accessible, and equitable community-based primary care, wellness services, and health education for Durham community members facing barriers to health and well-being.

Who We Serve: DCHC offers equity-focused programs and services for priority populations, including Indigenous peoples, Black communities, 2SLGBTQI+ community members, newcomers to Canada, seniors, and clients without a family doctor. This approach helps community members access both preventive care and care when they are ill.

How We Work: Our interprofessional team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, counsellors, dietitians, outreach workers, medical secretaries, and administrative staff. Together, we place each client at the centre of care and respond to their needs through integrated clinical care, wellness supports, and health education.

Why Join Now: This is an exciting time to join DCHC as we advance an energizing path toward greater impact in local health care. Guided by our Strategic Plan, Theory of Change, brand, client stories, and resources, we are diversifying, expanding, and strengthening how we serve the community.

Position Overview

The Peer Support Facilitator will integrate their personal lived experience with gender-diverse healthcare to contribute insight, support, and leadership to services offered by Durham Community Health Centre’s 2SLGBTQI Health & Wellness program.

Working as a valued member of the Gender Care Team, the Peer Support Facilitator will offer peer-based support, advocacy, and system navigation assistance to clients exploring or affirming their gender identity. This role is pivotal in fostering a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment where clients feel empowered and supported throughout their journey.

The Peer Support Facilitator will also bring essential lived experience to inform service delivery, guide program design, and help shape the evolution of DCHC’s future hub-space model for 2SLGBTQI Health & Wellness.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide one-on-one peer support to individuals navigating gender identity and gender expression, offering empathetic listening, guidance, mentorship, and emotional support.
• Facilitate support groups focused on gender-diverse experiences, fostering a safe, inclusive space for sharing and peer connection.
• Share personal lived experiences, where appropriate, to offer insights and peer-led encouragement.
• Assist clients in accessing healthcare, mental health, and community services related to gender-affirming care.
• Advocate for client needs by building bridges between community members and healthcare services, increasing trust and engagement.
• Contribute lived experience to program design and planning, ensuring services are reflective of client needs and community realities.
• Represent the 2SLGBTQI Health & Wellness program at community events, outreach activities, and advocacy initiatives.
• Collaborate with the broader gender care team to promote comprehensive, gender-affirming care and cultural safety.
• Participate in ongoing training, supervision, and professional development opportunities to strengthen peer support skills.
• Maintain confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries at all times.

Qualifications

• 2-year Diploma in Social Services / Mental Health and Addictions or similar.
• Strong understanding of the needs, challenges, and barriers facing transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals in healthcare and social service systems.
• Demonstrated personal lived experience navigating gender identity and/or gender-affirming care is required.
• Minimum 2 years of program planning and delivery experience.
• Peer Support Training Certificate is an asset.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and active listening skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interprofessional team environment.
• Effective organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to remain flexible, self-reflective, empathetic, and supportive in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and create a safe space for peer sharing and support.
• Experience facilitating peer support groups or educational sessions is an asset.
• Experience working with service users or community organizations is an asset.

Key Competencies

• Strong communicator
• Collaborative team player
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Adaptability to changing priorities and client needs
• Strong time management and organizational skills
• Crisis management and problem-solving abilities
• Empathy and a client-centered approach
• determine priorities.

Full vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for this position (DCHC will however adhere to its duty to accommodate those who are unable to be fully vaccinated for a reason related to a human right protected ground). DCHC encourages applications from individuals who reflect the diversity of the communities served, including Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and other equity-deserving groups.

Application Process

1. 1. While we thank all applicants for their interest in applying, only those qualified and considered for an interview will be contacted. All applicant submissions will be kept on file for six months, for future consideration.
2. 2. All applicants are encouraged to provide a valid email address for communication purposes. Applicants may receive written correspondence regarding this job posting directly to the email address provided on their resume. As an applicant, it is your responsibility to ensure that you check your email regularly.
3. 3. All positions are subject to the successful completion of the following pre-employment conditions for all external hires: Reference Checks; and Criminal Background checks (including Vulnerable Sector Screening).
4. 4. Please be advised that AI Technology supports the screening process of applications. All final hiring decisions are made by our recruitment team.

Durham Community Health Centre (DCHC) is committed to creating an inclusive environment that welcomes and celebrates diversity so that all employees have the opportunity to thrive. DCHC will comply with all applicable standards as set out in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), the provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code, and any other applicable legislation. Accessibility: If you have accessibility needs and require alternate formats or other accommodation, please contact our Talent and Culture team at 905-723-0036, or by email to [e-mail].