Warming Centre Peer Support Worker

Location: 136 Spadina Rd Toronto, M5R 2T8
Position Type: Unionized, On call -Contract
Duration: November 01, 2025 until April 15, 2026
Shifts: 8am–4pm | 4pm–12am | 12am–8am
(The Warming Centre will operate on days that are -5°C or colder, or when the City calls for them to be open.)

Position Overview

Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre (CONC) is seeking Peer Support Workers to join our Warming Centre team. Peer Workers are individuals with lived and/or living experience of substance use, addiction, homelessness, or related health and social conditions who bring this expertise to support others in a compassionate, respectful, and empowering way.

As part of the Breaking Barriers – Substance Use and Addiction Peer Support Program, Peer Workers provide safety, support, harm reduction, and advocacy for service users during extreme weather and City-activated warming centre operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Build supportive, non-judgmental relationships with service users
• Collaborate with shelter intake staff, Breaking Barriers team, and other community partners
• Provide referrals and advocacy to help service users access health and social services
• Share harm reduction resources, including naloxone training and safe-use information
• Record distribution of supplies and referrals, and contribute to team knowledge-sharing
• Support centre operations, including set-up/tear-down, cleaning, and sharps collection
• Participate in team meetings, trainings, and professional development

What We’re Looking For

• Lived/living experience with substance use, homelessness, poverty, sex work, or mental health issues
• Knowledge of harm reduction practices and Toronto’s community resources
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage in difficult conversations respectfully
• Reliability, teamwork, and ability to manage crises calmly
• Commitment to trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practices
• Second language ability is an asset

How to Apply

Please send your resume to wc@conc.ca with the subject line:
“Warming Centre Peer Worker” by Friday, October 17, 2025 at 5pm.
Be sure to include which shift(s) you are applying for.

We value a diverse workforce and strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience, including Indigenous, LGBTQ2S+, Trans, racialized, and disabled persons.

We thank all applicants for their interest; only those selected for an interview will be contacted.