The Centre for Excellence in Peer Support

The Centre for Excellence in Peer Support envisions a mental health and additions system where peer support is available at every juncture of the system.  We strengthen the practice of peer support by:

• Providing consultation and training on how to successfully implement and supervise peer staff roles
• Offering ongoing supervision, mentoring, and support to peer staff working in non-peer organizations
• Furthering evidence of the value of peer support and lived experience knowledge by engaging in research and evaluation

For more information on our services, please read our brochure or contact selfhelpgroup@cmhaww.ca

Community of Practice for Peer Support Workers

The Community of Practice is currently on hold until further notice. 

Please email Meghan Shuebrook, Manager, at mshuebrook@cmhaww.ca for more information.

Peer Support Training

Our peer support training is created and provided by an experienced peer worker. All of our training focus on both mental health and addiction issues from a lived experience perspective. You can attend the training as an individual or purchase training for your agency at your location.

Foundations of Peer Support

• Occurs online. Attendees must have internet connection, camera, and microphone to attend 8 weekly 3 hour sessions
• Topics include: history of consumer-survivor and drug user movements; peer support theory and evidence; intentional use of lived experience; boundaries; communication and conflict resolution; social determinants of health and harm reduction; perspectives on mental health and addiction issues; and scope of peer support.
• Aligns with Peer Support Canada’s Knowledge Matrix and MHCC’s Guidelines for Practice and Training of Peer Support
• This training is for people who are working/volunteering in a peer support role or wish to work as a peer supporter (must have lived experience of mental health or addiction issues to attend)
• Others available upon request include:
  • Being a Peer Support Provider in an Interdisciplinary Healthcare Team
  • Peer Support Group Facilitation
  • Supervising Mental Health and Addiction Peer Workers

Customized Training

We can customize trainings on the following topics and more:

• Implementing and supporting peer support programs and peer support roles
• Supervising peer workers
• Trauma informed peer support
• Staying grounded in peer support values while working in clinical environments
• Peer support group facilitation
• Talking about suicide in a peer support group
• History of mental health and addictions peer support

Information on Peer Support

• The Value of Peer Support
• Trauma Informed Peer Support
• Recovery Outcomes of People Accessing Peer Support Groups (PDF)
• Getting Grounded in Peer Support Nov2017
• Centre for Excellence in Peer Support newsletter Jan 2018

Information on Implementing, Supervising, and Supporting Peer Roles

• Reflexive Practice Guidelines for Peer Supporters, 2020
• Supervising Peer Workers Toolkit CMHA WW 2019 – Supervising Peer Workers: A toolkit for implementing and supporting successful peer staff roles in mainstream mental health and substance use/addiction organizations
• Supervising Peer Staff Roles: Literature Review and Focus Group Results April 2018
• Supervision Needs of Peer Workers in Non-Peer Settings – OPDI Oct 2017