Peer Support Worker

Alexandra Comm Hlth Ctr; Calgary; On-site; CAD 49,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alex in Calgary is seeking a Peer Support Worker to assist individuals experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges within a place-based housing program. Reporting to the Program Manager, you will leverage your lived experience to build trust, support recovery, and connect residents to services.

You will work with a multidisciplinary team, ensuring respectful, trauma-informed care while maintaining boundaries, safety, and strong communication across partners in the community.

Qualifications

• Completion of peer support training preferred.
• Experience in peer support or helping individuals with mental health challenges is asset.
• Lived experience is required.

Responsibilities

• Work in a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.
• Build relationships with participants to understand context and reduce access barriers.
• Empower individuals to access community resources.
• Promote involvement in health and community activities.
• Accompany individuals to appointments and programs.
• Support participants with life skills and paperwork as needed.
• Liaise with supports and community agencies.
• Offer client-centered and culturally informed services.
• Contribute to a positive work environment.
• Data collection and entry as required.
• Perform additional duties as required.

Skills

Lived experience

Active listening

Empathy

Conflict resolution

Communication skills

Mental health knowledge

Team collaboration

Self-awareness

Crisis de-escalation

Education

CMHA Calgary Peer Support Training

Job description

Salary Range: $49,413.00 To $54,912.00 Annually

Have you worked with individuals experiencing mental health barriers, homelessness, and poverty in the past? Are you a person with lived experience looking to contribute to the learning and growth of another? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment? If so, this role may be for you!

What We Do

Since 1973, The Alex has been a community-based, not-for-profit organization providing integrated primary health care, community support services, and housing-focused programs to individuals and families who experience barriers to accessing traditional health, housing, and social service systems. Services are grounded in principles of health equity, low-barrier access, trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, harm reduction, and person-centered care.

Our Place-Based Housing Programs are low-barrier, recovery-oriented supportive housing programs operating under a Place-Based Supportive Housing (PBSH) model. These programs provide long-term housing and intensive wrap-around supports to single adults who have been chronically unhoused and high levels of vulnerability related to concurrent physical health conditions, mental illness, substance use, and cognitive impairment.

Reporting to the Program Manager, the Peer Support Worker will provide ongoing support to formerly homeless individuals as they establish permanent housing within the place-based supportive housing program. This individual encourages hope and empowers individuals experiencing addictions and mental, physical, and social complexities. Working alongside a multidisciplinary team, this position will draw on lived experience to collaboratively build equal, open and trusting relationships with participants.

This is afull-time, contract term position until March 31, 2027.

What You Will Do

• Work in a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.
• Build relationships with participants to understand community and cultural context and work to reduce barriers that limit access to health and social support.
• Empower individuals to access available community resources.
• Promote and/or facilitate involvement in health and community-based activities.
• Accompany individuals to internal or external appointments and programs.
• Participate in related service offerings and work alongside staff to identify and support participants requiring additional assistance, including life skills development, room preparation for unit inspections, and help with paperwork as needed.
• Liaise among natural supports, community agencies, and sector partners.
• Offer client-centered and culturally informed services.
• Positively contribute to work environment/culture.
• Data collection and entry as required.
• Perform additional duties as required.

What You Bring

• Completion of the CMHA Calgary School of Peer Support or another formal Peer Support Training program is preferred.
• Experience (volunteering, personal or paid), preferably in peer support, working with individuals with mental health challenges or addiction concerns considered an asset.
• A demonstrated understanding of how to utilize own lived experience to contribute to an individual’s learning and growth is required.
• Demonstrated ability to provide a kind, reassuring and judgement-free environment in sensitive situations.
• Ability to maintain a high level of self-awareness and healthy boundaries.
• Ability to engage in active listening and provide and accept constructive feedback.
• Effective conflict resolution, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Knowledge of local mental health and/or addiction systems and community services.
• Experience working in distress and/or high-stress situations, which may include emergency response.
• Proficiency in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with participants, associates, and other community agencies.
• Current certificate in Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, de-escalation or equivalent is preferred.
• Minimum of 21 years of age and three (3) years of driving experience to drive an Alex fleet vehicle.
• Class 5 driver’s license and clean 3-year drivers abstract are required.
• First Aid (Basic or Intermediate) – Level C CPR & AED within 30 days of hire date; certification must be valid for a minimum of 6 months upon hire.
• A satisfactory vulnerable sector criminal record clearance is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding and commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action is an asset.

Work Environment and Hours

• In-office components split between The Prelude: 1719-34 St. SE, Calgary, AB and Abbeydale: 808 Abbeydale Drive NE.
• 1 FTE (37.5 hours/week).
• Standard hours: Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
• This is a contract term position until March 31, 2027.

This position operates within a 24/7 residential environment supporting individuals with complex and high-acuity needs. Shifts may include days, evenings, overnights, weekends, and holidays. The role requires frequent physical activity, including standing, walking, stair use, and responding to resident needs and emergencies. Staff work independently and collaboratively to provide support in a dynamic setting where substance use may be present and exposure to noise, bodily fluids, second-hand smoke, and other environmental challenges can occur. Success in this role requires sound judgment, emotional resilience, and strong communication skills to effectively support residents experiencing mental health, behavioural, substance use, and medical challenges while fostering a safe, respectful, and trauma-informed living environment.

Driving on behalf of The Alex:

This position requires the incumbent to drive an Alex fleet vehicle. Candidates must show proof of a class 5 driver’s license, and a clean 3-year drivers abstract. Candidates must consent to the possibility of an annual driver's abstract review to meet our insurance provider’s requirements. Driving a fleet vehicle at The Alex also requires that staff are at least 21 years of age with a minimum of three (3) years’ driving experience.

This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is selected. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for a phone screening or interview will be contacted. The Alex is committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and will make every reasonable effort to accommodate candidates throughout all stages of hiring. If you require an accommodation, please contact us at [e-mail].

The Alex is committed to embedding the principles of equity, inclusion, and diversity across the organization. We are committed to removing barriers to employment that are faced by equity-seeking groups and encourage (but not require) members of these groups to self-identify as such in their cover letters.

For further information about The Alex and its programs, we encourage you to visit our website at www.thealex.ca.

At The Alex, we place a high value on strong, ethical, and professional relationships between clients and primary care providers. Clear boundaries are essential to ensuring safe, respectful, and effective care. To protect clients, medical professionals and staff, employees and contractors of The Alex are not permitted to access internal physicians, nurses, mental health clinicians, or other allied health professional services during their employment.

We recognize that some applicants may have had, or may currently have, meaningful care relationships with The Alex at the time of applying. If you are currently a client and wish to continue in our recruitment process, you are asked to disclose your service provider relationship. Should you be hired, you will be required to transition your care to an external provider within your first 90 days of employment and maintain this external care relationship for the duration of your employment. Reasonable extensions of the 90-day deadline may be considered where absolutely necessary and in the sole discretion of The Alex.