Peer Support Worker

Covenant House International; Toronto; On-site; CAD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision care

Personal days

Employee assistance program

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Covenant House Toronto is seeking a Peer Support Worker to engage with youth in Residential Services programs, build trusting relationships, and support life skills development. You will work from a harm-reduction, trauma-informed framework and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to advocate for youth access to services.

The role requires lived experience and strong communication, with responsibilities spanning mentoring, resource navigation, and meticulous documentation.

Qualifications

• Lived expertise related to homelessness, housing instability, mental health challenges, or substance use.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work from an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, harm reduction, and trauma-informed framework.
• Vulnerable Sector Check required.
• Maintains strict confidentiality in all interactions.

Responsibilities

• Youth Engagement: engage with youth across Residential Services programs; build trusting relationships; identify resources; advocate for access to services.
• Life Skills & Activities: organize and supervise life skills workshops; help youth identify strengths and goals; encourage participation.
• Peer Support: provide one-to-one mentorship and resource navigation; maintain professional boundaries.
• Documentation & Administration: document youth interactions in ETO; complete reports; participate in trainings and team meetings.

Skills

Lived expertise

Verbal & written communication

Anti-racist framework

Confidentiality

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

ETO

SMIS

MS Word & Excel

Job description

Peer Support Worker

Residents Department

Full-Time, Permanent

Level 4

Requisition Number: RES-2026-022

Covenant House helps youth ignite their potential and reclaim their lives. As Canada’s largest agency serving youth who are homeless, trafficked or at risk, we offer the widest range of services to hundreds of young people every day.

More than a place to stay, we provide life-changing care with unconditional love and respect. We meet youth’s immediate needs and then we work together to achieve their future goals. We offer 24/7 crisis shelter transitional housing options on-site and, in the community, health and well-being support, training and skill development, and ongoing care once youth move into the community.

For over 40 years, Covenant House has been dedicated to its mission of serving youth on the street and to protect and safeguard all youth with absolute respect and unconditional love. Since 1982, Covenant House has supported more than 100,000 young people

Purpose

The Peer Support Workers draw upon their lived expertise to engage and support youth accessing ResidentialServices Programs at Covenant House Toronto. Through relationship-building, mentorship, life skills development, resource navigation, and the sharing of lived expertise, the Peer Support Worker helps youth build connections and work towards their goals.

Working from a harm reduction, trauma informed, anti-oppressive, and youth- centered framework, the Peer Support Worker contributes to a safe and inclusive environment while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team. The role also supports organizational learning by bringing the perspective of lived expertise into service delivery, program development, and quality improvement initiatives

Responsibilities

Youth Engagement

• Engage with youth across all ResidentialServices programs, including Winter Respite, Shelter, Thrive, Madison House,and Rights of Passage.
• Buildtrusting relationships with youth through intentional and appropriate use oflived expertise.
• Identify relevant community resources andsupport youth in accessing services.
• Advocate alongside youth to help them navigatesystems and access services.

Life Skills and Activities

• Utilize lived expertise to support youth inidentifying strengths, exploring opportunities, and working toward their goals.
• Organize, facilitate, and supervise like skillsworkshops and activities.
• Encourage youth participation in life skillsprogramming.
• Maintain accurate records of like skillsprogramming, participation, and attendance.
• Support youth in navigating community supportsand resources.

Peer Support

• Provide one-to-one peer support throughmentorship, goal setting, and resource navigation.
• Maintain professional boundaries while fosteringauthentic and supportive relationships with youth

Documentation and Administration

• Document youth interactions in ETO.
• Complete all required documentation, reports,and case notes.
• Participate in trainings, team meetings, andprofessional development.
• Collaborate with program teams and communitypartners.
• Participate in program development and qualityimprovement initiatives

Qualifications

• High school Diploma and/or equivalent
• Completion of Peer Supporttraining is an asset
• Lived expertise related tohomeless, housing instability, mental health challenges, substance use orother relevant experiences
• Demonstrated ability touse lived expertise professionally.
• Knowledge of communityresources, housing supports, mental health services, and substance useservices.
• Excellent verbal andwritten communication skills.
• Ability to work from ananti-racist, anti-oppressive, harm reduction, and trauma-informedframework.
• First Aid, CPR, UMAB andbasic computer skills (ETO, SMIS, Word, Excel, etc.) an asset
• Maintains strictconfidentiality, except where disclosure is required due to concerns ofchild abuse, neglect, or risk of harm to self or others.
• Ability to work eveningsand weekends.
• Vulnerable Sector Check required

Don’t meet every requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet all qualifications. If you are excited about the role but your resume doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the description, apply anyway. You may still be the right candidate for this or other roles.

What we Offer

• Meaningful work.
• Competitive compensation.
• Benefits such as Health, Dental, Vision, Personal Days, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement and more.
• Employee perks which include discounts on gym membership, city bike rentals, auto & home insurance and more.

Use of AI and Technology in the Hiring Process

Covenant House Toronto does not use artificial intelligence (AI) to make or inform hiring decisions. However, we do use an external applicant tracking system (ATS) to help manage applications efficiently.

While our ATS may apply automated filters or sorting functions, all applications are reviewed and evaluated by human recruiters. No hiring decisions are made by AI.

Commitment to Equitable Recruitment

At Covenant House Toronto we believe in a workplace culture of inclusion that is welcoming, respectful and safe for all staff. It is critical to Covenant House Toronto success to eliminate barriers and promote the inclusion of equity groups. Equity groups have been, and continue to be, underrepresented and marginalized in the workforce, leadership roles, and in some specific occupations. Equity groups include but may not be limited to Indigenous persons, racialized people, gender diverse people, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and people with disabilities.

In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Covenant House Policy on Accommodation, a request for accommodation will be accepted as part of the Covenant House recruitment process.