Job Title

Peer Support Workers Department of Emergency Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Recruitment for eight peer support workers for a fixed-term recurring part-time position lasting approximately 28 months (with the possibility of extension). The position reports to the Principal Investigator. Position Overview Peer Support Workers deliver peer support to adult acutecare patients who arrive with substancerelated concerns in Calgary emergency departments. They use lived experience and best peersupport practices to inspire hope, provide mentorship, advocate for patients, and connect them to community resources. The role embraces a strengthsbased, traumainformed, culturally sensitive practice, and utilizes validated tools such as the Recovery Capital Tool, BARC10, the PROMAR tool, or similar instruments. Key Responsibilities Direct Patient Interaction Serve as an active member of the patients emergency medicine team while the patient is in the ED (i.e., provide warm handoff to inpatient/community support workers) Assure that all interactions and assessments build on the patients strengths and resiliencies Support the patient to identify their options and participate in decisions related to establishing and achieving recovery goals Support the patient to develop problemsolving skills so they can respond to challenges in their recovery, as appropriate Support patient through rolemodeling to establish/reestablish and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships with healthcare providers, as well as persons such as family members, significant others, friends and/or family members of choice Assist with linkage to and systems navigation to providers, programs and services that facilitate the patients process of identifying and addressing barriers to engaging in medical treatment, as well as addictions care Obtain and share clinically relevant information with the emergency medicine healthcare provider to inform admission or discharge, with patients permission (e.g., substance use, substance withdrawal, medical history missed or overlooked, housing, social supports, safety, etc.) Provide a model for staff and physicians demonstrating that recovery is possible and provide education regarding the damaging role of stigma in undermining recovery Actively promote and facilitate education and awareness of a peer support worker role, recoveryoriented and general addictions care, and rolemodel persondirected care As applicable, attend and participate in regular clinical case reviews and staff meetings As applicable and per operational leadership direction, participate in patient care planning (ED triage, rounds, case conference, etc.) Advocacy Serve as the patients individual advocate Advocate within systems to promote personcentred addictions support services Assure that the patients choices define and drive their recovery planning process, and recovery goals Support patient experience through advocating on behalf of patients to other healthcare providers (e.g., physicians, nurses, social workers, protective service officers and community providers) Mentoring, Liaison & Evaluation Engage with patients while they are in the Emergency Department experiencing concerns related to addiction/substance misuse and serve to support individuals in achieving selfdetermined goals and personal recovery plan Serve as a role model of a person in recovery (demonstrate healthy behaviours expected of a person in recovery) Establish and maintain a 'peer' relationship, rather than a hierarchical relationship Promote social learning through shared experiences, as appropriate Support patients with completing selfadministered tools specific to substance use disorder, while patient is in the Emergency Department (e.g., the Recovery Capital Tool, BARC10 and/or PROMAR) Support patients in identifying and communicating their selfidentified priorities/issues. Work collaboratively with the patient and healthcare provider team to address patientcentred goals and identify solutions Qualifications / Requirements Completion of grade 12 education or equivalent Lived experience with addiction(s) with two years of sobriety (must identify in cover letter) Must be able to identify and willing to share ones personal recovery journey experience Minimum two (2) years of experience working with diverse and marginalized populations (work, practicum or volunteer) Demonstrated familiarity with Indigenous communities, history, and culture an asset Strong affiliation with Indigenous communities across Western Canada, and extensive knowledge on Indigenous cultures Demonstrated strong verbal and written communication skills (e.g., active listening, patient communication, strengthbased approach) Demonstrated knowledge of systemic issues, such as poverty and stigma Demonstrated timemanagement skills with the ability to organize and prioritize competing demands Understand and apply information and communication technologies, such as Connect Care, Microsoft Suite including Outlook for emails and data collection tools such as RedCap Completion of a peer support training program is an asset Demonstrate selfawareness and selfreflection to support working in a respectful manner alongside other team members in a collaborative manner to make and maintain relationships Have an interest in the emergency department and the unique environment it presents as a workplace Have a strong selfcare plan and/or work to develop one as part of this role Have an interest in capturing stories, working with a research team and applying evaluationbased approaches to measure the impact of peer support work in the ED (no prior research experience required; training will be provided) Application Deadline November 1, 2025 Eligibility and Inclusion We encourage all qualified applicants to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. We are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. We offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities and to ensure a fair and equitable assessment. About the University of Calgary The University of Calgary is a leading research university located in Calgary, Alberta. It offers a vibrant, culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous peoples and encourages Indigenous community partnerships. For more information, visit . #J-18808-Ljbffr