Position Overview
The Canadian Mental Health Association – Alberta Northwest Region is seeking a compassionate, reliable, and engaging individual to join our Recovery College team.
The Recovery College Facilitator / Peer Support Worker will facilitate mental health, wellness, and recovery-focused courses using adult-learning and peer-support approaches. The successful candidate will help create a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment where participants can build knowledge, practical skills, confidence, and community connections.
This position is well suited to someone who can use lived or living experience thoughtfully and professionally while maintaining appropriate boundaries and respecting each participant’s individual recovery journey.
Key Responsibilities
- Facilitate and co-facilitate Recovery College courses in person, online, and through hybrid delivery.
- Prepare course materials, participant resources, and learning activities.
- Create a welcoming, inclusive, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented learning environment.
- Encourage participant engagement, connection, skill development, and personal growth.
- Use lived or living experience appropriately to support learning and reduce stigma.
- Establish and maintain professional boundaries and participant confidentiality.
- Respond appropriately to challenging group dynamics and participant concerns.
- Provide information about relevant CMHA programs and community resources.
- Assist with participant registration, attendance records, course evaluations, and program documentation.
- Support course promotion, program setup, community outreach, and special events.
- Build respectful working relationships with community organizations and program partners.
- Participate in training, team meetings, supervision, and program-planning activities.
- Follow CMHA ANWR policies, procedures, safety requirements, and professional standards.
Qualifications and Skills
- Strong understanding of mental health, substance use, recovery, wellness, and stigma.
- Lived or living experience relevant to mental health or recovery, combined with the ability to share that experience safely and professionally.
- Alignment with peer-support values, including hope, mutuality, respect, self-determination, inclusion, and personal choice.
- Strong communication, presentation, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to build rapport with people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
- Ability to manage group discussions, maintain boundaries, and respond calmly to sensitive situations.
- Strong organization, reliability, time-management, and documentation skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
- Basic computer skills and comfort using email, virtual meeting platforms, and standard office applications.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience in peer support, group facilitation, adult education, mental health, addictions, social services, or community programming.
- Peer-support, Recovery College, or trauma-informed practice training.
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Mental Health First Aid, or Non-Violent Crisis Intervention training.
- Knowledge of community resources available in Grande Prairie and the surrounding area.
- Experience delivering online or hybrid programs.
Equivalent combinations of education, training, lived experience, volunteer experience, and employment experience will be considered.
Position Requirements
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.
- Ability to complete required documentation accurately and on time.
- Willingness to complete Recovery College and other required training.
- Availability to work approximately 16 hours per week, which may include occasional evenings or community events.
- A satisfactory criminal record check and vulnerable sector check may be required.
- Access to reliable transportation may be required for community-based activities.
Recovery College training will be provided at no cost to the successful applicant.
Pay: $22.00-$24.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
