CFC Peer Specialist

The Coming Full Circle Project Peer Specialist will provide emotional, social, and practical support for people in Haliburton County who experience challenges related to their substance use and/or mental health. The Coming Full Circle (CFC) project aims to foster a culture of hope, acceptance, belonging and ultimately improve connections to opportunities for support with a focus on harm reduction.

The Peer Specialists are people who have their own lived experience related to mental health and/or substance use. They will work to create opportunities in Haliburton County for people struggling with mental health or substance use to connect and feel welcome regardless of their present or past circumstance. Programming will include drop-in spaces, education or art events and warm links to health and community services.

The CFC project aims to build a network of People With Lived and Living Expertise (PWLLE) of substance use and mental health who are trained, equipped and supported to build their own leadership skills to contribute to health and social system improvements across Haliburton County.

The CFC project is a collaboration between Point in Time Centre for Children, Youth and Parents, the Haliburton area Connections Committee, The HKLN Drug Strategy, CMHA HKPR and many other local partners.

Coming Full Circle Peer Specialist 

Location : Minden & Haliburton County
Status: Full-time Temporary (up to 75 hours biweekly until March 2027)

Posting# CFC-PS-FTT-09-26

Wage: $30.27 to $31.66 per hour
Application Deadline : 12:00 noon on September 16, 2026

For those who do not have internet access:

Resumes can also be dropped off in-person to:

83 Maple Avenue, Unit 7A

Haliburton  Ontario, K0M 1S0

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. Client Supports

• Prioritize own health well-being.


• Participate in developing new ideas for supporting others and engaging the community to participate in activities.


• Provide individual and group support to people participating in CFC. 


• Assist clients in accessing community supports such as mental health, housing, food, education and employment upgrading and skills development. 


• Participate in the co-hosting support groups and educational events for clients and the general public.


• Participate in educating and encouraging other community agencies and organizations to include people with lived and living experience in the delivery and design of their services and programs.


• Assist clients to navigate their own recovery process, through self-directed support plans and choices.


• Assist clients in their efforts to develop personal practices in the areas of socialization, recreation, education and vocation.


• Assist clients in their efforts to understand their mental health and the process of recovery and through a harm reduction approach.


• Assist clients in their efforts to have positive relationships with friends, family and/or colleagues


• Assist clients in their efforts to prevent relapse or crisis.


• Participate in building collaborative support opportunities for clients and other health and community services.

 
2. Partnership and Alliances

• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with a variety of other service providers in the community.


• Participate in collaborative projects with working groups in the region to monitor, evaluate and develop the Coming Full Circle project and services.

3. Continuing Competency

• Stay current with relevant legislation, CFC program guidelines, and all C.M.H.A. H.K.P.R. policies and procedures.


• Stay current with program specific and leading practices for health, recovery and support services (e.g. attending training and/or conferences, reading current literature, peer supervision, etc.)

4. Documentation

• Ensure that all forms and reports are accurate and submitted within established timelines, consistent with organization policies and procedures.


• Support C.R.M.S. documentation.

5. Performance Management and Professional Development

• Participate in CFC Community Meetings and C.M.H.A. H.K.P.R. meetings as required.


• Participate and collaborate in the agency performance management process/system.


• Participate in ongoing professional development and mandatory training.


• Actively engage and participate in meetings with supervisor.

6. Health and Safety – Worker Responsibilities

• Work in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, applicable regulations and all organizational health and safety requirements and procedures to ensure the health and safety of clients, staff/colleagues, volunteers and students.

7. Client Safety

• Adhere to C.M.H.A. H.K.P.R. client safety programs including program policies as well as infection control and prevention procedures. In partnership with clients, family members, and fellow staff, maintain open lines of communication to assist the organization in identifying and achieving quality outcomes for client safety. Report client safety incidents and suggested improvements to manager or delegate.

8. Other Duties as Assigned

• Attend, participate in team/staff meetings, and all-staff meetings as required.


• Participate in agency quality improvement activities, e.g. accreditation projects, committee work, special events, etc.


• Participate in quality improvement activities at the team/program level.


• Participate in external committees as required.


• Duties may change from time to time.

A. REQUIREMENTS OF THE POSITION

Education and Training

• Successful completion of High School or equivalent and/or additional human service work experience or relevant lived experience.

The following training certifications are an asset:

(All new employees will be required to complete or update all applicable training as part of their employment to continue in this position)

• Health and Safety Training (including but not limited to the following)


• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (W.H.M.I.S.) 


• Infection, Prevention & Control


• Workplace Violence


• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act


• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (A.S.I.S.T.)


• First Aid/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (C.P.R.)


• Naloxone Training


• Verbal Intervention Training 


• Client Record Management System (C.R.M.S.)


• Safe Food Handlers

  Assets with regard to this position

• Experience in a crisis or community based mental health setting.


• Experience in providing suicide prevention services.


• Experience in trauma-informed care

B. RELATED AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Mandatory experience

• Direct-personal, lived or living experience with addictions, substance use and/or mental health issues. The CFC Peer Specialist position is meant for people who have or have had their own personal experience with substance and/or mental health issues. 


• Willingness to work on personal recovery and to assist others in navigating their own recovery.


• Willingness and ability to participate in learning and helping others


• Positive energy and enthusiasm for engaging, supporting and motivating others

  Preferred experience

• Experience/knowledge risk management related to mental health & substance use crisis.


• Experience working/living in a rural setting is an asset.

C. OTHER ASSETS (helpful but not always required)

• Valid driver’s license


• Automobile in good repair and insurance coverage as required by agency policy 


• Satisfactory police records search - note the presence of charges may not necessarily disqualify applicants from being considered


• Satisfactory references


• Intermediate to advanced minus proficiency in French is an asset


• Proof of receipt of full COVID-19 vaccine


• Ability to work remotely, for example from home, if required.


• Remote work requires reliable home internet service and the technology to complete work from a remote location, for example computer/laptop, telephone, etc.

  D. WORKING CONDITIONS

• The Coming Full Circle Peer Specialist Position and Project activities are physically located in Haliburton County and based out of the CMHA-HKPR satellite offices in Minden and Haliburton, ON


• Work in an office setting (C.M.H.A. administrative offices) with some work in the community, in the community and in clients’ homes.
  


• Work directly with individuals with a serious mental illness and/or dual diagnosis and/or addictions:
  
  
  
  • who are experiencing emotional distress and/or mental health issues 
  
  
  • who have current or past substance use experience
  
  
  • may be experiencing crisis instability and various levels of functioning
  
  
  • may be experiencing poverty, precarious housing and homelessness
  
  
  • may be in conflict or are at risk of coming in conflict with the criminal justice system
  
  
  • may be actively suicidal
  
  


• Primary business hours with flexible hours depending on client or programming needs


• Transport clients in personal vehicle, as required


• Work in a remote environment, such as a personal home, as required 

As part of our recruitment process, we may use artificial intelligence tools to support or assist the review of applications. These tools may help us identify candidates whose qualifications best match job requirements.