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PeerWorks Secures Two Prestigious Federal Grants to Enhance Peer Support in Canada

February 21, 2025

Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario — A research team led by Dr. Lee de Bie in collaboration with PeerWorks and Peer Support Canada received two Government of Canada grants totalling more than $62,000. The funding will support the development of a national Code of Ethics for Peer Support as well as associated outreach and knowledge mobilization.

“We are extremely grateful for the support from the federal government and their recognition of the importance of Peer Support,” said Allyson Theodorou, Executive Director of PeerWorks. “By developing a national Code of Ethics and facilitating key discussions around Peer Support’s unique scope and role, we hope to empower Peer Supporters, enhance their practices, and ensure that their work is recognized and respected.”

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has awarded a $24,340 Connections Grant, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has awarded a $37,675 Research Planning Grant. These grants will fund innovative projects aimed at developing ethics education and guidelines to help address peer support drift, a pressing ethical issue that causes burnout and moral injury and impedes efforts to destigmatize mental health and addictions and include people with lived experience in the workforce.

Peer support drift occurs when peer supporters are expected to take on roles and tasks that conflict with the core values of the discipline, notably self-determination, authenticity, trust, hope, and equal relationships. Often driven by misunderstanding, devaluing of lived expertise in clinical work environments, and reporting demands imposed on peer initiatives without proper consultation, peer support drift undermines the unique contribution that Peer Support offers the health system.

“Peer Supporters deserve professional development opportunities to learn from each other about the unique aspects of Peer Support Ethics; equitable access to relevant ethical guidelines, tools, and resources specific to their role; and public trust in their professional standards,” said Dr. Lee de Bie, Ethics Program Lead and Clinical Ethicist with the St. Joseph’s Health System, Affiliate with The Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton, and Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Social Work at McMaster University. “I am excited to collaborate with a stellar team to address the disparities that the discipline of Peer Support has faced in these areas.” Dr. de Bie collaborates with one of the largest and most robust peer support programs located at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, a member of the St. Joseph’s Health System.

SSHRC Connections Grant

The SSHRC Connections Grant will focus on advancing Peer Support Ethics, particularly in the context of building trusting relationships, navigating boundaries, honouring self-determination, accompanying people with desires to die and receive Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), easing social suffering and isolation, and negotiating experiences of loss and grief. This groundbreaking outreach and knowledge mobilization project is aimed at fostering meaningful dialogue between peer supporters, researchers, and ethicists. PeerWorks and Peer Support Canada will host a series of virtual, facilitated small-group discussions bringing together diverse voices from across Canada to explore how Peer Supporters can navigate ethical challenges with integrity, in alignment with their core values.

CIHR Research Planning Grant

The CIHR-funded project will support the preliminary stages of developing a national Code of Ethics for Peer Support. It will do so by identifying, gathering, and building relationships with peer support leaders across the country, clarifying the potential scope and purpose of a national Peer Support Code of Ethics, and determining the best approaches for building consensus and developing the ethical guidelines in an inclusive way. To support these goals, PeerWorks and Peer Support Canada will be hosting several collaborative workshops with invited participants throughout 2025.

Looking Ahead

These grants from SSHRC and CIHR represent a significant milestone in PeerWorks’ ongoing efforts to strengthen the Peer Support sector in Ontario. These projects will contribute to a broader national conversation about the ethical practice of Peer Support.

“These grants reflect the growing recognition of Peer Support as a vital part of our healthcare and social systems,” said Allison Dunning, Executive Director of Peer Support Canada. “By fostering collaboration across and beyond the Peer Support community we aim to build a shared understanding, develop sustainable practices, and create lasting impact by ensuring that Peer Supporters are supported to stay true to their mission.”

About PeerWorks

PeerWorks is a not-for-profit membership-based organization committed to supporting and advocating for Peer Support Organizations and Consumer/Survivor Initiatives across Ontario. At PeerWorks, we believe in recovery, hope, empowerment, and self-determination. We respect and value all individuals, embracing the diverse lived experiences that inform our work.

PeerWorks strengthens the impact of Peer Support in the province through a wide range of initiatives and opportunities, including:

About Peer Support Canada

Peer Support Canada (PSC) serves as the national voice for peer support in Canada, providing leadership to peer support workers and organizations delivering peer support services across the country.

PSC exists to facilitate a vision wherein peer support is an integral component of mental health and substance use health systems, accessible to all who live in Canada who are affected by mental health and substance use health challenges and mental illness.

To support PSC’s mission of increasing the recognition, growth, and accessibility of peer support within the mental health and substance use health spaces in Canada, the following priorities for the organization have been established as part of our 2022–2027 Strategic Plan:

For more information about Peer Support Canada, see https://peersupportcanada.ca/.

About St. Joseph’s Health System
St. Joseph’s Health System is one of Canada’s largest healthcare corporations serving more than two million Canadians, and Ontario’s only health system delivering mission-based care across the lifespan. Our six member organizations bring unique strengths and services, from acute care, long-term care, home and community care, to rehabilitation, hospice and community support services. We are home to a number of regional and provincial programs, including mental health and addictions, cardiac care and renal care, and are one of the largest providers of not-for-profit long-term care in Ontario with close to 1,000 long-term care beds.

Rooted in the 172-year legacy of the Sisters of St. Joseph, we believe in the transformative power of mission-based healthcare. Through a system-wide commitment to caring for body, mind and spirit, we are advancing our shared mission of compassionate care, faith, and discovery. Together, our 10,000 healthcare workers are leading the future of integrated care to Advance Care Beyond Boundaries, Amplify our Impact, and Invest in the Teams of Today and Tomorrow.

Learn more about St. Joseph’s Health System at https://sjhs.ca/.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Allyson Theodorou, Executive Director, PeerWorks | allyson@peerworks.ca | 416-484-8785 ext. 2

Allison Dunning, Executive Director, Peer Support Canada adunning@peersupportcanada.ca| (437) 836-0539