AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area - Peer Engagement Program

ACNBA is an AIDS Service organization with HIV, Hep C and Harm Reduction Programming. We are involved in support, treatment, prevention and education work across all areas. Our mission is to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and Hep C through treatment, support, prevention and education. Our Harm Reduction Workers include all but one of 5 with lived or living experience in HIV, HepC and substance use. Our Peer Program, Strengthening Peer Engagement in the North, is a shared alliance funded by PHAC and occurring in conjunction with Elevate NWO, Reseau ACCESS in Sudbury, the Gilbert Centre in Simcoe County and Oahas across 4 sites in Northern Ontario. Our Peer program is led by someone with lived experience, training people with lived experience, and supporting people with lived experience with addictions.

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Canadian Mental Health Associate North Bay and District Peer Support Services

Peer Support Services works to ensure that our members' voices are heard by those who influence change, and to provide participants with information about the range of available community services and how to access these. Our services include: peer support, life skills, education, awareness, and social and recreational programs. Some highlights of these programs are: Empowering Yourself, Journaling, Coping Skills, Anxiety & Depression Support Group, Computer Fundamentals, Peer-led Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Peer Support Group, Arts and Craft, Painting and Colouring group, Therapy Dog, exercise equipment and fitness classes. Series of virtual programs are being offered every day via zoom.

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Council of Consumer/Survivor and Family Initiatives Program (C.O.I.)

The Council of Consumer/Survivor and Family Initiatives Program (C.O.I.) is a peer support program serving the MuskokaParry Sound District. C.O.I. is designed to empower individuals with lived experience of mental health or addictions, as well as their families and caregivers, by providing supportive, inclusive, and recovery-focused initiatives.

Our program emphasizes personal wellness, life skills development, reintegration into the community, social connection, hope, recovery-based programming, and education. Currently, C.O.I. operates five peer initiatives, offers peer support programming in two CHO homes, provides one-to-one support, and facilitates four Family/Caregiver Support Groups.

Peer support at C.O.I. is a collaborative approach where individuals with lived experience provide guidance, mentorship, and support to others facing similar challenges. Through shared understanding, validation, and encouragement, peer support promotes empowerment, self-determination, and skill-building.

C.O.I. supports participants by offering advocacy, hope, navigation of services, goal-setting, life skills development, social support, and community connection, helping individuals and families build resilience, confidence, and meaningful engagement in their communities

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Lived Experience & Recovery Network (LERN)

LERN is a networking body that links, supports and educates all consumer & family peer run initiatives in the North East of Ontario. Our mission is to empower peer communities towards wellness and recovery.

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NISA/Northern Initiative for Social Action

NISA/Northern Initiative for Social Action is an organization run by and for consumers of mental health services. We develop occupational skills, nurture self-confidence and provide resources for recovery by creating opportunities for participants to contribute to their own well-being and that of their community. All staff, volunteers and members are people with lived experience of mental health challenges/illness. We are a member-driven initiative, offering meaningful and useful programs, providing a setting for active social recovery rather than passive dependence on community services. Our involvement at NISA allows us to liberate ourselves from the stigma and discrimination we often face as a result of our mental health diagnoses.

Being, belonging, becoming, for all mental health consumers.

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Outloud North Bay

OUTLoud North Bay supports the health and wellbeing of the 2SLGBTQA+ youth and allies of North Bay and surrounding communities, through workshops, professional services, collaborations, and a safe space.

CMHA Fort Frances Branch, District Peer Support Program

Drop in Centres
Individual Outreach
Family Support
Forensic Peer Support
Groups
Education / Workshops
Activities in the community
Advocacy, systemic and individual
Daily support on the Schedule 1
Weekly support at the recovery homes
Access to a safe & accessible shower, laundry facilities, computer, internet, kitchen (all at no cost)
Meal Programs

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People Advocating for Change Through Empowerment Inc.

We are a Consumer Survivor Initiative AKA “CSI” , meaning we are different from traditional Mental Health and Addiction Services. PACE is run by and for people with lived experience of a mental health issue or addiction issues; in a non clinical, drop-in, social environment. We provide a wide range of services and activities in the community.
Our organization works closely with local mental health system tables to bring the consumer voice to service planning, evaluation, and coordination, and provide direct informal or formal peer support and self-advocacy support to individuals. Our services are centered on Education, Advocacy, Peer Support, Social Inclusion, Personal Empowerment and connecting people with other services in the community.
Use of computers, TV, Stereo, DVD and videos, members’ phone and free use of PACE washer/dryer, and showers
 Quarterly Newsletter Regularly Updated job postings and rental listings

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St Joseph's Care Group Peer Support Services

PROGRAM GOAL
To offer emotional, social, and informational support to people who share similar experiences and challenges with Mental Health, Chronic Pain, Addictions or Concurrent Disorders. Assisting individuals to find a healthy balance in their recovery and to create meaningful connections.

With a PSR focus and best practices in peer support we offer a wide variety of supports from socialization to structured information sessions for our members. Providing one on one as well as group peer support to our members across the city and the region.

We work in collaboration with our community partners to connect our members to the resources best suited to their needs with dignity of risk and self directed decision making being the basis for all services and resources provided.

CMHA Grey Bruce Peer Support

we offer individual and group peer support including WRAP Psych-Social and educational presentations and resources
Peer support
Family Support
MAPS
Recovery College
Resource Library
Hospital based Peer Support

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CMHA Huron Perth Addictions and Mental Health Services - Peer Support Programs

Peer Outreach
Our Peer Outreach Workers use their own lived experience with mental health and addiction to walk alongside individuals in their own journey of recovery and wellness. They offer not only supportive listening but also help with navigating the mental health, addiction, and health care systems. This service includes supporting people admitted to hospital for mental health or addiction-related concerns, as well as meeting with people in the community. Peer Outreach workers provide support connecting to services, as well as any number of other tasks that support identified goals as part of the recovery journey.

Phoenix Peer Support Centre
In Stratford, community members are invited to attend the Phoenix Peer Support Centre, which offers a variety of groups and drop-in peer support services for both youth and adults. Staff and volunteers within this program have their own lived experiences with mental health and addiction recovery and offer supportive listening and facilitation in connecting to other resources as needed. The Centre is a welcoming space that offers not only a space for individual and group support but also fun activities for connection, such as movie nights, games and crafts!

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Community Addiction and Mental Health Services of Haldimand and Norfolk (CAMHS)

CAMHS is an ambulatory mental health and addiction (MHA) service and part of the regional psychiatric service. CAMHS offers clinical assessment and treatment of mental health issues for adults 16 years and over, addiction assessment and treatment for all ages, MHA crisis services including a 24/7 crisis line and emergency department psychiatric assessment in three non-Schedule 1 hospitals, and the MHA Peer Support Program. We have peer employees in the Peer Support Program and in our Addiction Mobile Outreach Team (AMOT), as well as an employee embedded in a partner agency serving individuals occupying the crisis stabilization beds. CAMHS has opportunities for our peer support worker staff to co-lead groups with our MHA clinicians/counselors. The Peer Support Program is responsible for running psychoeducational groups in our peer support day program and in communities across the two counties.

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Consumer/Survivor Initiative of Niagara

The Consumer/Survivor Initiative of Niagara (CSI) is a consumer/survivor-driven organization motivated by the belief that self-help groups can improve people's potential, increase their self-esteem, and inspire them to self-advocacy. We are an alternative community support organization available throughout the Niagara Region that focuses on the empowerment of its membership. Our self-help groups believe strongly in the value of the sharing of personal experiences with other group members. The model of service is peer support.

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Grenfell Ministries

Grenfell Ministries is a peer run, peer led organization that has programs for housing, support and advocacy for people who use drugs, people with lived experience and those who are experiencing mental health strain.

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H.O.P.E. ( Helping Ourselves through Peer Support & Employment)

After- hours Drop in program
Mood Walks
Lunch & Learn Sessions
We Care program
Recovery Breakfast
Fundraising Events

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Mental Health Network of Chatham-Kent

The Mental Health Network of Chatham-Kent (formally Chatham-Kent Consumer and Family Network) began in 1996 as a group of family members who loved someone living with schizophrenia. Our goal was to provide support and education to families facing similar experiences. In 2006, we became an incorporated, non-profit charitable organization.
The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care then asked us to take on a consumer component offering therapeutic recreation, support groups, public education, peer support, systemic advocacy, referrals and educational classes. We now also offer daily health and wellness groups. Most of our funding comes from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. We augment our funding with fundraisers, grants and donations.
Recreational and Leisure opportunities are offered daily at the Mental Health Network to help improve physical and mental health. We offer a variety of Recreational and Leisure opportunities, individually and in group settings, in both indoor and outdoor environments.
We offer peer support, which is a coping tool based on sharing a mutually supportive relationship with someone who understands what you are going through and how you are feeling. Mental Health Network offers peer support formally (sharing one-to-one) and informally in group settings with the opportunity to socialize with people who share similar experiences and live with a mental illness.
Mental Health Network provides advocacy to individuals who live with a mental illness and their families. We support people in accessing services within their community.
We advocate at the systems level, ensuring that all persons who are affected by mental illness have a voice within our municipality and across the province.
We offer support to all family members who have a loved one that lives with a mental illness. We provide one to one support, education and advocacy. Providing an understanding of ones diagnosis and mental illness in general is an essential component of recovery.

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Mental Health Rights Coalition

The Mental Health Rights Coalition of Hamilton is a non-profit organization funded by Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long Term Care as a Consumer/Survivor Initiative.

In this context, a consumer is a person who has a mental health issue.
A Consumer Survivor is a person who has been afflicted with a mental health issue and has learned to cope with that issue.
Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs) are consumer-driven agencies, which allow survivors to use their coping skills to help other consumers become survivors. Learn more about CSIs with the "CSI Builder Report" or Consumer Survivor Initiatives in Ontario: Building for an Equitable Future

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Middlesex Peer Support Program

-Transitional Discharge Model at London Health Sciences and Parkwood Institute (operating remotely during the pandemic)
-Crisis Services
-Justice
-Youth/Young Adult

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Oak Centre

We are a community mental health program following the Clubhouse model. We offer comprehensive supports to people with serious mental health issues. These supports include employment, education, housing, entitlements, crisis intervention/prevention, social/recreational events and much more.

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Oxford Peer Support Program

-Transitional Discharge Model at Woodstock General Hospital
-Outreach Peer Support to peers homeless or at risk of homelessness in communities of Woodstock, Tillsonburg, and Ingersoll
-Drop-in peer support opportunities for peer to peer connections in Woodstock

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Patient and Family Collaborative Support Services

PFCSS is 100% peer run and managed. We provide 1-1 and group peer support, 1-1 and group family peer support and operate 2 resource centres for individual service users, and families respectively.
We offer peer support to the Mental Health and Addition Program inpatient services (15 units), outpatient services that do not have dedicated peer support providers, and individuals from the community not connected to other services, including peer support.

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Peer Support Program/ Achieve Wellness and Recovery Centre

please see Associate Member submission

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Self Help & Peer Support, CMHA Waterloo Wellington

Self Help & Peer Support offers a variety of drop-in and registered peer support and recovery learning groups to adults living in Waterloo Wellington regions who identify as living with a mental health and/or substance use challenge. There is no intake and no wait list to join our drop in groups (some recovery learning groups have a wait). All groups are run by trained peer supporters with lived/living experience of the group topic. We offer daytime and evening groups, online and in-person at our three Recovery Learning Centres. See a schedule of our current group programs at https://cmhaww.ca/services/self-help-peer-support/

Self Help & Peer Support also offers:
- Spark of Brilliance workshops where participants explore recovery through expressive arts activities
- Entrepreneurship support to people living with mental health/ substance use challenges who wish to start or grow their own business
- Short-term individual peer support
- A volunteer program that provides individuals with opportunities to build leadership skills.

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Thresholds Homes and Supports

Thresholds Homes and Supports is a recovery-oriented, community-integrated agency that focuses on improved quality of life and enhanced independence for people experiencing mental health issues by providing access to affordable housing and flexible, individualized support.

Centre for Innovation in Peer Support @ Support House

Support Houses Centre for Innovation in Peer Support provides wellness-based, peer-led self-help and social recreation programming to community members; and support to organizations who have peer staff, through training in peer-support program implementation, capacity building, evaluation, research, knowledge brokerage, and quality improvement

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CMHA Peel Dufferin

CMHA Peel Dufferin is a community based mental health and addiction agency offering a full range of services, from 24/7 Crisis Support and Street Helpline, case management programs, to groups and peer services. Peer workers are present throughout CMHA PD's programs and at different levels of the organization. Recovery West drop in program is entirely peer run and offers opportunities for peers to get involved in supporting others through groups and other program opportunities.

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CMHA-HKPR

CMHA HKPR (Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Pine Ridge) provides mental health and addictions services to the residents of Peterborough (City and County), Northumberland and Haliburton Counties and the City of Kawartha Lakes (Lindsay, ON area). CMHA HKPR offers a variety of mental health and addictions services and supports including housing, counselling, crisis services, trustee program, Dual Diagnosis, family support ...etc. in the Central East area.
People with lived and living experience are a valued and integral part of our agency's staff teams and mental health delivery model. Peer specialists are employed in several CMHA HKPR programs and services including our HOPE Recovery programs, Early Psychosis Intervention program and Trans Peer Outreach program. As well as our Coming Full Circle (CFC) program which employs a group of 6 peer specialists with substance use and mental health experience in Haliburton County.

CMHA HKPR is also developing an agency wide model to include people with lived and living experience in all of our agency's programs.

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Community Connections - Canadian Mental Health Association York Region South Simcoe

Peer Support Workers play a crucial role across many programs in our organization. From leading drop-ins, to offering recovery oriented groups, to supporting more acute clients on 1-to-1 basis, our Peers are invaluable to the work we do. We are hopeful through membership with Peer Works that we can continue to support the growth, development, and success of our Peer Support Workers and Peer Support Specialists. We would like to have more involvement of Peers in delivering relevant programming, integrating Peer Workers across more of our programs, and supporting in the further training of our Peers.

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Durham Mental Health Services - Lakeridge Health Corporation

The Peer Program at DMHS offers a wide range of supports. Peers are imbedded in ACT Teams, the Hospital to Home Program at Lakeridge Health, the Distress Centre of Durham and the DMHS Crisis Program. We also support community members with Day Programs in both Whitby and Ajax, offer daily groups on a wide range of wellness topics, WRAP and Mental Health First Aid. We also provide members with one on one support and advocacy. The Durham Mental Health Services Peer Program also has partnerships with a number of community agencies to provide programing to the wider community. V.A.S.E. (Voices Against Stigma Everywhere) is a group of speakers who have been supported to develop their public speaking skills, who are sought out by other community agencies and organizations to speak about their experience with mental health, substance use or supporting loved one who has struggled.

The staff working on the Peer Team are highly skilled, highly specialized individuals who are able to use their lived experience to inform their work in such a way as to inspire hope and confidence for individuals that things can be better than they are today. Wellness is possible and that each person has within themselves what they need to ensure that they can move forward toward their goals.

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Friends &Advocates Peel

Friends & Advocates Peel (F&A) is an adult mental health organization focused on social rehabilitation for individuals experiencing isolation related to mental health challenges or illness. F&A provides social recreational opportunities, peer support groups, and one-on-one peer support through multiple modalities to help clients build connection and community. The organization also offers skill-building opportunities, such as Co-Facilitator Training and Presentation Training, which support members in developing leadership skills and participating in community outreach alongside staff.

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Krasman Centre

Incorporated in 1998, Krasman Centre is a Consumer/Survivor Initiative. We are led and run by People with Lived Experience of mental health and/or addictions, as well by family members. Our mission is, "to improve lives of people affected by mental health and/or addiction challenges through the provision of peer support programs". Our wide range of Peer Support programs include: 24/7 Warm Line and Peer Crisis Support Services, Safer Use Peer Support Line, Peer Support Drop-in Centres (physical Peer Support hubs), Family Support, Peer Support Outreach, Addictions-specialized Peer Support, Virtual groups, Application Support (ODSP/CPP Disability), Welcome Basket and Transitional Support Program, Peer Navigtor Program (hospital emergency departments), Peer Support training, Recovery Education (Eg. WRAP), Peer Support Community of Practice, Peer Support networking opportunities (eg. Lived Experience Advocates for Mental Health and Addictions).

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Patient/Client & Family Council

We are a peer-led organization committed to using our personal experiences to improve Mental Health & Addiction services for individuals, and their families, through support, education and advocacy. We facilitate a variety of peer-led support and self-help groups and services, provide 1:1 Peer Support and transition services, and assist with system navigation and offer resources to assist those seeking support

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Simcoe Peer Support for Mental Health and Addictions

Peer support for mental health and addictions

Mental Health Support Project

Mental Health Support Project (MHSP) is a mental health peer support and wellness drop in centre. We provide a welcoming and inclusive environment serving adults 18+ in finding resources, offering activities and providing social opportunities for people with mental health challenges. Our values are recovery based and member involvement is supported and valued.

By promoting and modeling a recovery based approach to living we offer hope, encouragement & the shared experience that everyone can build capacities to improve their quality of life.

You don't have to be alone! No referral is needed.

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Peer Support South East Ontario

We have three streams of service, Peer Support Centers, Community Peer Support and the Transitional Discharge Model, provided by individuals with lived experience. Our Staff are paid and unionized with SEIU.

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Psychiatric Survivors of Ottawa

Peer-run community and hospital-based peer support. Peer support training, recovery education and social opportunities.

A-Way Express

A-Way express is a social enterprise courier company that provides supported employment for people with mental health or substance use challenges. Our organization is lead by peers - our couriers, drivers, dispatchers and customer service reps are peers, in addition to the majority of other office/management staff. Two peers have a seat on the Board of Directors and peers are responsible for new employee orientation and training.

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Houselink

We offer mental health and addiction programs and offer many community programs to reduce social isolation and build a community of peers. We have housed more than 2,500 people and served over 80,000 meals. We train participants in basic and transferable work skills and we employ them in part time casual jobs. We offer a comprehensive basket of services. After 40 years, we cover the entire GTA. We advocate and educate to address homelessness. We currently house 500 individuals, including 60 families. Our goal is to ensure that those most at risk of homelessness, never again face life on the streets. Each of our teams has a Mental Health Recovery worker and we also offer a daily drop in at our 805 Bloor Street location.

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North York General Participants Council

NYG Participants Council is a peer council of current and past patients of the North York General hospital mental health program. We are run by peers and all participants have lived experience with mental heath and or addiction issues. The program provides advocacy for peers both in the hospital and with systemic issues. We provide recovery education programs planned and facilitated by peers. We also co run an annual art show in collaboration with the nygh mh department.

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PAIL Network

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network (PAIL Network) is dedicated to improving bereavement care and providing support to families who have suffered the loss of a pregnancy or the death of their baby/babies. We are a provincial program that operates as a part of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centres DAN Women and Babies program.

Our support services have been tailored to meet the specific needs of grieving families, and are available at no cost to all families in the province of Ontario. We are uniquely sensitive to the experiences surrounding pregnancy and infant loss because many of us have been there, too.

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PARC (The Parkdale Activity - Recreation Centre Toronto)

Our peer involvement starts at the board - half of the 14 Directors are participant directors = people with lived experience who utilize our services and supports.
Peer workers are reflected throughout our organization: Supportive Housing, Community Access Program, Peer Shelter Outreach Program, Drop-in Centre, Case management, employment.

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South Riverdale Community Health Centre

Community Health Centre employing lived and living experience folks in mental health and addictions.

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Working for Change

Working for Change is a grassroots Social Justice organization, built by community members to create our own solutions to poverty, stigma and various forms of marginalization. Rooted in the psychiatric survivor and mad pride movement, Working for Change believes strongly in the wisdom, value and skills of people with lived experience of mental health, addiction, homelessness, trauma, new comer/refugee challenges, and many other barriers. We are a survivor based organization that has a hiring mandate to only employ people with lived experience at every level of the organization - from the board to the front line. We run several training programs that support peers in accessing employment in various sectors. We also operate several social enterprises that offer stable, supportive work for people with lived experience. We have been a leader in Toronto based peer work for over 2 decades.