Peer Worker (RAAM)

House of Friendship of Kitchener; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 32,000 - 41,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

3 weeks vacation

3 personal days

Employee Assistance Program

Matched pension plan

Group RRSP / TFSA

Job summary

House of Friendship of Kitchener is hiring a Peer Worker for the RAAM Clinic, a walk-in service that connects individuals with addiction medicine, counselling and peer support. The role emphasizes sharing lived experience with recovery to build trust and provide guidance in a supportive environment.

The position is permanent, part-time with paid personal days and vacation. Schedule includes every other weekend (Sat-Sun, 10:00 am–3:00 pm), with potential additional shifts.

Qualifications

• Minimum College Diploma or University Degree in related field (social services, addictions, mental health, etc.).
• Peer Support Certification would be considered an asset.
• Has lived experience with substance use and recovery.
• Commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed approaches.

Responsibilities

• Greet participants, build rapport, and maintain a judgement-free atmosphere while upholding professional boundaries.
• Frontline de-escalation and conflict resolution.
• Share personal journey with addiction and recovery in a respectful, non-judgmental way.
• Manage caseload (average 6–10 participants) and assist with system navigation and program entry.
• Engage in an interdisciplinary team and connect participants with community resources.

Skills

Lived experience

De-escalation

Interpersonal skills

Documentation

Teamwork

Communication

Crisis support

Education

College/University degree

Peer Support Certification

Job description

At House of Friendship, we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is!

We are hiring for an individual to join our Addiction Services, Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) Clinic program team as a Peer Worker. The Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) Clinic is a walk-in clinic for those concerned with their substance use and seeking support. We provide low-barrier, quick access to addiction medicine providers, addiction counsellors and peer workers for individuals looking to explore or make changes to their substance use. Peer Workers are the first point of contact for individuals accessing RAAM and share their own, personal, lived experience with substance use and recovery as a means of providing support and connecting with others experiencing similar challenges.

This is a permanent, part-time position with paid personal days and vacation pay. Schedule is every other weekend, Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Option to pick up additional shifts throughout the week as needed and as available. Successful completion of a Police Records Check (Vulnerable Sector) required pre‑employment.

Key Responsibilities

• Greet and welcome participants, build rapport, and create a comfortable and judgement‑free atmospherewhilemaintainingappropriate professionalboundaries
• Frontline de‑escalation and conflict resolutionto supportindividuals experiencingchallenges related to mental health and addiction
• Willingness to sharepersonal journey with addictionandrecoveryinacommon areaon an ongoing basis
• Manageindividualcaseload(average 6-10 participants), providing individual and system‑navigation support; this may involve actively supporting participants with enteringother programs
• Act as a role model forself careand self‑awareness
• Usea person‑centered approach to provide participants withappropriate informationon resources in the community
• Work with/have access to confidential material andmaintaincompliance with Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)
• Facilitate completion of urinary drug screening
• Work as partofan interdisciplinaryteam, supportingthe participant process, advocating for participants needs,etc.
• Participationand involvement in other programs, AddictionServicesand broader agency activities. Building andmaintainingrelationships with other programs and organizations within the community

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills

• Sensitivity to and knowledge of issues relating to andimpactingon all genders and marginalized populations
• Strong understanding of interpersonal skills and the ability to engage in meaningful conversationsto develop rapport with individuals who usesubstancesusing a strength‑based approach
• Demonstrated capacity foraccurateand efficient documentation and computer data entry
• Demonstrated ability to calmly problem‑solve in a fast‑paced, sometimes stressful environment
• Strongcommunicationandlistening skills
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team
• Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship is expected.
• Commitment to and understanding of the Core Values of Peer Support and the Peer Support Code of Conduct
• Ability to accept and apply feedback and take initiative
• Extensive knowledge of community resources, service and support programs/groups, and barriers participants face in accessing them
• Commitmentto ongoing professional development and training

Education/Experience

• Minimum College Diploma or University Degree in related field of studyrequired(i.e. social services, social work, addictions, mental health, community development etc.)
• Peer Support Certification would be considered an asset
• Has had lived experience with substance useand addiction
• Knowledge and understanding of the complexities of substances, problematic substanceuseandrecovery orientedinterventionsrequired
• Experiencewithor strong interest in working with diverse populations including people from various cultural backgrounds, income levels, and sensitivity to their needs
• Experience with and commitment to using an anti‑racism, anti‑oppressive and trauma informedapproach to consultation, program design, evaluations of processes and service delivery

Critical Skills

• Comfort sharingpersonal experienceswith others to inspire hope
• Ability to manage difficult emotions/triggersprompted bylistening toparticipant’s experiences
• Ability to work effectively in a wide range of settings including interdisciplinary teams, outreach, RAAM Clinics, hospitals, and other community agencies
• Willingness to learn and be adaptable as programs grow and evolve
• Opportunity toparticipatein program development on an as‑needed basis
• Exemplary emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflictmanagementandproblem‑solvingskillsrequired
• Possess the skill and confidence to navigate and support persons in crisis situations
• Demonstrated ability to make good decisions and problem solve complex situations
• Ability toestablishrapport and buildappropriate professionalrelationships
• Professional,approachableand welcoming demeanor
• Must be dependable, professional, flexible, a team player, and have a positive attitude
• Respectful,supportiveand engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, addictions, mentalillnessand other life challenges
• Excellent project, timeline and deadline management skills including skills inlogistics, planningand detailed record keeping

Compensation

At House of Friendship, we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the community. In support of our mission and in alignment with our values, House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair, market competitive, and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive, succeed, and have a positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid, have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not‑for‑profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits:

• Time off includes 3 weeks’ vacation and 3* personal days per year (2 for remainder of 2026)
• We believe strongly in supporting the mental health of our team members, including providing access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program
• We help you save for the future by providing a retirement plan that includes a matched Group Pension Plan as well as a Group RRSP and a Group Tax Free Savings Account

Rate of Pay

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of “grades” and we base our payment structure on internal equity. When determining rate of pay, a candidate’s past related experience will be taken into consideration.

Grade: 4

Min: $23.43

Mid: $26.72

Max: $29.48

Working Conditions

• Successful candidate will be required to have their own lived experience with substance use and recovery
• Comfort sharing your own experiences with others
• Required to work intensively with program participants in emotionally charged situations
• Required to assess situations and make decisions under pressure with minimal supervision or while working alone
• Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected

This role is being posted to fill a current vacancy.

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

House of Friendship supports justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and we are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive, work environment. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti‑racist and anti‑oppressive so that our team, and therefore our community, can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including, but not limited to Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process, including applying for this position, please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options. Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community, let’s talk.

By end of day November 2, 2026.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not being used in the screening of applications.