The Future of Ontario Peer Support

This is an opinion piece from an urban Peer housing environment lens with actionable vision toward the future through our ongoing Peer sector collaboration within the social services.

The piece results from a missed opportunity to forge the future of behavioral health as Peer Supporters at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.  We have not been onboarded during staffing shortages; during spike in addictions, overdoses, and mental health issues at a time when we are needed in outreach, in the Recovery Isolation Site Hotels, in senior homes, in all hospital units, and in prisons and jails in an era with existing technology and funding.

Peer Support is the future of behavioral health (SAMSHA, May 2020), and it can change the face of homelessness for our vulnerable to be successful.  Increasing our empowerment and numbers through coalition, collaboration and leadership together as a multi-sector community of Peer Supporters will drive the recovery work of our professional role.  This along with role specialization development from Peer research to Peer governance in housing organizations is needed to create ‘homelessness’ change.

Growing awareness and employment campaign efforts through our collective numbers can impact prevention of costly falls into complex homelessness, with greater Peer Support access.  Our foundational Peer Support training, now educated in universities and corporations, can be the driver of strategic change if widely accessible for all in social services.

New Peer Models and regulation evidenced internationally can impact our Peer employment sector growth for the homeless.  Together we can unburden Front Line with our engagement through to coordinated care outreach, and facilitate developmental/employment Transition House environments for lived experience homeless to overcome oppression and poverty, and begin our Peer Houses in Canada. 

The Ontario Peer Development Initiative marks their 40th Anniversary with the compilation of a book anthology to celebrate peer initiatives in Ontario.  The collection will reflect on 30+ years of peer work and advocacy, and imagine the future of peer movements in Ontario.  Above is submitted by Mentor/Mentee Canada.