Peer Support Manager

Posted Date : 5 / 1 / 2024

Closing Date : 5 / 29 / 2024

Department : Schwartz / Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI)

Position : Peer Support Manager

POSITION TITLE Peer Support Manager DEPARTMENT Schwartz / Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI) EMPLOYMENT TYPE Temporary, Full-Time HOURS OF WORK 37.

5 hours per week EMPLOYEE GROUP Non-Union REPORTS TO Research Director, SREMI

Department Description

The Schwartz / Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI), a partnership of Mount Sinai Hospital and North York General Hospital, as well as the Schwartz / Reisman Emergency Centre (SRMC) is searching for a Project Manager for the RBC Pathway to Peers (RBC P2P) Program, which provides real time in-person support for young adults with mental health and addiction related issues in the Emergency Department (ED).

This peer support program is staffed by 4 part time peer supporters and in the coming years, the project will be expanded to other EDs.

SREMI will provide training and education for new staff at each successive site.

The successful candidate is expected to exercise sound judgment while overseeing the administrative aspects of RBC P2P. The peer support program manager will possess an excellent understanding of peer support and the issues facing a large, diverse, and complex medical department in an academic teaching hospital.

They will work under the supervision of the Research Director of SREMI.

This role includes the following responsibilities :

Overseeing the continued development, implementation, refinement and expansion of the ED Peer Support Worker role, both at Sinai Health and other EDs.

The peer support program project manager will be the interface between the RBC P2P project and ED operational leadership team and will be expected to function as a spokesperson for the peer support program.

The peer support program manager will develop relationships with community partners to ensure the wellbeing of patients and improve health outcomes.

The peer support program manager will produce and maintain RBC P2P education and training materials and will report peer support program progress updates to the hospital and donors.

The peer support program manager is responsible for the mentorship of peer support staff. The role works in collaboration with ED operational leads to maintain practice in line with Peer Support Canada values, including awareness of the boundaries of peer scope and responses (e.

g., suicide risk, child welfare). The peer support program manager provides debriefing with peer support staff including weekly team meetings, and offers immediate debriefing as needed.

The peer support program manager is responsible for recruitment, onboarding, and training support for the peers at the Mount Sinai Hospital ED, as well as training and education for peers and peer support program managers hired at other EDs.

RBC P2P is a research project aimed at understanding the impact of peer support on our patients and identifying opportunities for improvement.

This role includes promotional and conference presentations with the peers. Outreach will be done to various community agencies and post-secondary schools reflective of patients seen in ED, as well as attending and presenting at national and international conferences from a peer support perspective.

The peer support program manager will have a thorough understanding of trauma informed care, harm reduction strategies, cultural safety, and the importance of social determinants of health on patient outcomes.

Working from a trauma informed perspective, the successful candidate will have an awareness of the complexities of staff with lived experience in a non-clinical role within a clinical, often triggering, environment.

This role requires excellent communication skills fostering trust and providing meaningful rapport for peer workers, as well as awareness of community supports and problem solving.

The successful candidate will be provided the following training :

• Supervising Peer Workers : A Toolkit for Implementing and supporting successful peer staff roles in mainstream mental health and substance use / addiction organizations (Centre for Excellence in Peer Support & Centre for Innovation in Peer Support);
• Organizational Health In Trauma Exposed Environments; Understanding the Critical Role of Leadership (TEND Academy); Safeguards, Trauma Informed Supervision;

Critical Incident Group Debriefing (Crisis and Trauma Resource Institute).

Job Requirements

• Successful completion of a university degree in a relevant healthcare field from an accredited educational institution;
• Minimum of five (5) years of recent and related experience;
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook;
• Strong work ethic; positive, client focused attitude; superior professionalism; dependability and reliability; demonstrated commitment to providing outstanding customer service;
• Superior written / oral communication and presentation skills; excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills;
• ability to effectively convey factual information and detailed explanations;
• Thorough understanding of privacy legislation related to healthcare;
• Excellent time management, organizational and self-planning skills displaying flexibility by adjusting work schedules according to changing priorities, meeting demanding deadlines and producing high quality work;
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, work independently, make decisions, exercise good judgment in the supervision of others;
• Strong understanding of the importance of lived experience with mental health and addictions related to health outcomes;
• Understanding and alignment with Peer Support Canada core values and principles;
• Ability to work in a dynamic and fast paced multidisciplinary environment;
• Demonstrated satisfactory work performance and attendance history;
• Experience providing one to one support to young adults from varied populations experiencing distress and / or crisis considered an asset.

To be considered, applications must be accompanied by a cover letter responding to the following questions :

• Why are you interested in the position?
• What is your understanding of peer support?
• What knowledge, skills, and experience will you bring to this role, and how will these assist you to support peer support workers in the ED?

In accordance with Institute’s policy and legislated health and safety requirements, employment is conditional upon the verification of credentials, completion of a health review, and demonstrating proof of immunity and vaccination status of vaccine-preventable diseases.

All employees and affiliates will follow safe work practices and comply with health and safety policies, procedures, and training.

Successful candidates will be required to provide two (2) written reference letters from their former employer(s) / supervisor(s).

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our people and patients, Sinai Health has made it a priority to support everyone in getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

Consistent with this, our Staff Immunization & Surveillance Policy was recently updated to include the requirement for full vaccination currently defined as receiving two doses and serving a 14-day waiting period following the second dose in order to be able to work at Sinai Health.

To be compliant with our updated Policy, you must provide proof of dual COVID-19 vaccination, as indicated on the Prospective Immunization and Surveillance Policy Information Sheet, in order to be eligible for employment at Sinai Health.

If you believe you are one of the very few people who may require an exemption from vaccination, supporting medical information must be submitted to our Occupational Health department, who will review and assess.

We are a fully committed to fairness and equity in employment and our recruitment and selection practices. We encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, members of sexual minority groups, members of racialized groups, women and any others who may contribute to the further diversification of our Sinai Health community.

Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required under our Access for People with Disabilities policy.

Applicants need to make their requirements known in advance.

The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute is a scent sensitive environment, and all members of the community are expected to refrain from wearing or using scented products while visiting or working at the Institute.

We also support a barrier-free workplace supported by the Institute’s accessibility plan, accommodation and disability management policies and procedures.