OVERVIEW

Michael Garron Hospital Emergency Department is committed to providing patient centered emergency care to the community. The department receives over 100,000 visits annually. To support us on our journey, Michael Garron Hospital is looking for Peer Support Workers, Pathway to Peers to support our transitional aged youth patients within the Emergency Department at Michael Garron Hospital. The Peer Support Workers, Pathway to Peers will report to the Peer Support Lead. Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI) will provide training and education for new staff.

EDUCATION

• Completion of harm reduction training (such as Casey House, Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto Hostels Training Centre, or Toronto Public Health) and/or recovery-oriented training such as WRAP or Pathway to Recovery considered an asset.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 2 years or more experience working/volunteering in the mental health/substance health use systems.
• Personal lived experience as a recipient of mental health and/or substance use health services.
• Willingness to work rotating day, evenings, and weekend shifts up to 24 hours per week.
• Strong understanding of the young adult psychiatric consumer/survivor, young adult substance use, harm reduction and treatment communities, as well as the Emergency Department.
• Ability to apply harm reduction, recovery principles and empowerment-oriented philosophies and practices in work with young adults.
• Experience providing one to one support to young adults from varied populationsexperiencing distress and/or crisis.
• Understanding and alignment with peer support core values and principles.
• Ability to observe boundaries, engage in appropriate emotional regulation, maintain confidentiality, and engage in reasonable self and collective-care strategies designed to reduce stress by balancing work/life responsibilities.
• Computer literacy and the willingness to learn new computer programs.
• Ability to work in a dynamic and fast paced multidisciplinary environment.
• Ability to document accurately to support team, possessing strong documentation skills.
• Demonstrated satisfactory work performance and attendance history.
• Good work and attendance record required.
• All employees of Michael Garron Hospital (MGH), a division of Toronto East Health Network (TEHN) [formerly Toronto EastGeneral Hospital (TEGH)] agree to work within the legislated practices of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario.
• All employees of MGH are responsible to contribute to a transparent culture of patient and staff safety by adhering to and abiding by patientand staff safety policies and procedures set by MGH.
• All employees are accountable for protecting the psychological health and safety of themselves and their co-workers through adherence to MGH’s policies and practices.

Peer support involves emotional and practical support between people who share a common experience, such as mental health or substance use health issues. A peer supporter has lived through a similar experience and is trained to support others. In collaboration with Sinai Health System and Peer Support Canada, Michael Garron Hospital Emergency Department is recruiting part-time Peer Support Workers, Pathway to Peers. In this role you will work as a member of an inter-professional team to facilitate and support clients aged 16-29 when presenting to the emergency department with mental health or substance use health issues. This work will be done in a collaborative approach by engaging with patients and utilizing your lived experience with mental health and/or substance use health issues to support patients. Your collaborative work with patients will involve the role of supporter, empowering young adult patients to advocate for themselves and support them in navigating community and healthcare systems. As a Peer Support Worker, Pathway to Peers you will be a shared learner with patients, connecting on an individual basis, working within your scope and not provide clinical or diagnostic assessments. You will rely on the clinical team to provide this and collaborate with the team as needed. Your focus will primarily be on bridging people back into the community and helping them to link with community resources. You will operate from a trauma-informed, harm reduction approach practicing with a culturally sensitive manner using anti-racism and anti-oppressive principles. In addition to supporting young adult patients while in the Emergency Department, you will be expected to contribute to program development, research, and educational activities as well as build and maintain networks with community agencies as appropriate. You will provide services reflecting the diverse needs of the patients. You will support a workplace that embraces diversity, encourages teamwork and complies with all applicable regulatory requirements.