Overview:
A Peer Supporter with Badge of Life Canada plays a crucial role in providing emotional and psychological support to Public Safety Personnel (police officers, firefighters, paramedics, correctional officers, nurses, military personnel) and their families who are experiencing operational stress injuries (OSI) such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Peer Supporters create a safe, confidential, and empathetic space for individuals to share their experiences, challenges, and feelings without judgment. Through lived experience and understanding, they help others navigate mental health challenges, build resilience, and find a path to recovery.
Key Responsibilities:
- Offer Emotional Support: Provide a non-judgmental and compassionate environment for individuals to express their feelings and challenges.
- Active Listening: Use active listening skills to understand the concerns of participants, ensuring they feel heard and validated.
- Share Lived Experience: Draw upon personal experiences in the public safety or military field (or from supporting a loved one in this field) to connect with participants, offering hope and encouragement.
- Promote Mental Wellness Resources: Help participants access additional mental health resources and services as needed, including therapy, counseling, and Badge of Life Canada’s educational programs.
- Confidentiality: Maintain the confidentiality of all discussions and interactions in accordance with Badge of Life Canada's policies.
- Collaborate with Professionals: Work closely with mental health professionals, facilitators, and the Badge of Life Canada team to ensure participants receive the best possible support.
- Provide Crisis Intervention: Recognize signs of crisis in participants and, if necessary, escalate the situation to appropriate professionals for further intervention.
Training and Support:
Badge of Life Canada provides comprehensive training to all Peer Supporters. Our training program equips you with the tools and skills needed to effectively support individuals dealing with operational stress injuries. This includes training in:
- Active listening techniques
- Crisis intervention and de-escalation
- Recognizing signs of OSI and PTSD
- Confidentiality and ethical boundaries
- Best practices for peer support in a public safety context
Ongoing support and supervision will be provided to ensure Peer Supporters have access to guidance and resources while serving in their roles.
Qualifications:
- Lived experience as a Public Safety Personnel, military member, or as a family member of someone in these roles.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to actively listen.
- Empathy, patience, and a non-judgmental attitude.
- Commitment to confidentiality and ethical standards.
- Willingness to participate in all required training sessions.
Commitment:
Peer Supporters are asked to dedicate time to facilitate or participate in peer support meetings, either virtually or in person, on a regular basis (typically weekly or bi-weekly). Flexibility in schedule is important, as meetings may vary depending on participant needs.
Impact:
As a Peer Supporter with Badge of Life Canada, you will play a vital role in helping individuals and families cope with the challenges of operational stress injuries. Your support can make a meaningful difference in their mental health journey, providing them with hope, strength, and a path toward healing.
This is a remote volunteer position supporting the Guelph-Wellington Community. All shifts and training are completed remotely, therefore, residence in Guelph-Wellington is not a requirement for this position.
Responsibilities:
- Complete inbound and outbound calls with service users residing in the county
- Complete safety/wellness checks, provide medication reminders, and engage in social conversations with vulnerable populations
- Assist with crisis intervention, when presented
- Utilize a strengths-based, solution-focused approach
- Provide external resources and referrals to service users
- Complete case documentation of all interactions with service users
Community volunteers are trained to work as part of a team to assist victims of crime or tragedy by providing emotional support, practical assistance and community referrals. Support can be on-site or by phone. Referrals are from police and community agencies.
As a crisis responder you may be asked to assist the OPP or other first responders to help victims and/or families.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network provides bereavement support at no cost to families who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy at any stage, or the death of their baby, up to 12 months of age. We currently have volunteer opportunities for people who are approximately two years past their bereavement date and are looking for meaningful ways to offer their support to others. We are actively training peer supporters for private online bereavement support groups and one-to-one phone support.
Kids Help Phone’s texting service is the only free, 24/7 bilingual text line for people in Canada. The service is delivered by trained, volunteer crisis responders who work remotely.
We are recruiting overnight and or bilingual crisis responders who will answer texts from young people looking for support in both English AND French.
The volunteer position will be remote, meaning that you can participate from anywhere in Canada as long you have a strong, reliable internet connection!
Our volunteers need to be enthusiastic about helping people!
You can be a professional, student, teacher, retiree, or anybody else with a willingness to learn how to support people over text.
The role of a crisis responder is to bring texters from a “hot” moment to a cool calm one, and to help them come up with a plan to stay healthy and safe.
Crisis responders are trained to do this using active listening and collaborative problem-solving.
- Empathetic listeners who are able to provide inclusive, non-judgmental support to callers representing a variety of ages, identities, and concerns
- Call centre operates 24/7, and we actively recruit both day and night shifts
- Day shifts are 4 hours
- Overnight shifts are 8 hours
- Help to facilitate 8 week, Grief Support Groups (2.5 hours/week)
- Provide a listening ear and a safe space for individuals to work through their grief.
- Maintain close contact with the Bereavement Services Coordinator
Volunteers are matched to clients who are living with a life-limiting illness. They support and comfort their client and the client's circle of support. Be it family or friends. The goal is to be flexible and assist someone on this journey with whatever they might require. It could be physical, but usually, it is emotional support and advocacy. Once the match has been made, the client and the volunteer set a time schedule that is good for both. Visiting volunteers provide support to our clients in the comfort of the clients home, where ever that may be; their house, long-term care facility, hospital or the vulnerably housed.
- Facilitate the English Conversation Circle once a week
- Teach English to a group of Newcomers
- Help clients integrate to the community
Provide emotional support to anyone grieving the loss of a loved one to death or palliative diagnosis.
1:1 and group support available.
Volunteers work with Alzheimer Society Family Support Coordinators in 1) a morning Support Group, 2) an afternoon Support Group or 3) an evening Support Group, depending upon the community.
Share your love of reading and comfort with Zoom meetings, by facilitating a small online book club for people with development disabilities. This role promotes literacy, community interaction and building relationships.
As a Book Club Facilitator you will manage the weekly Zoom meetings (admitting members, sharing screens, assigning cohosts etc.) as well as assign Individual readers, plan sessions and read some of the chosen text to/with the group.
This group usually focusses on one book per season and works slowly through chapters, reading together and discussing.
This group meets virtually every Tuesday from 6-7 pm, therefore the Facilitator would need to commit about 1.5 hours each Tuesday and perhaps an additional 30 - 60 minutes weekly for planning.
About Bridget’s Bunnies
Bridget's Bunnies is a registered charity that supports individuals and families who have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss. Bridget’s Bunnies works to ensure no one endures pregnancy or infant loss alone. Bridget’s Bunnies relies on volunteers, individual donations, Bridget’s Run and grants to sustain its programs and services including Comfort Kits and Little Loss Library.
Title: Bunny Makers
If you’re a crafter or knitter, join our community of Bunny Makers for a good cause! Bunny Makers meet monthly to chat and crochet together from 4:00-6:00 pm at Bridget’s Bunnies office (65 Cedar Pointe Dr. unit 811A, Barrie). This is also a time to refresh knitting/crocheting supplies and continue crocheting in the comfort of your own home. Bunny Maker volunteers make Pocket Pals, crocheted or knitted bunnies for our Comfort Kit program. All materials are provided for free of charge and we ask that finished bunnies and unused materials be donated back to Bridget’s Bunnies.
Hours: 2-10 hours a month (flexible)
Location: In-person/remote
Roles and Responsibilities:
• Crochet or knit a bunny/pocket pal according to Bridget’s Bunnies patterns and instructions
• Only take what you need and ensure to return any unused supplies
• Return completed bunnies within a month of completion as these bunnies are needed for the Comfort Kit program
• Opportunity to join the online community to share tips, tricks and make fellow crafter friends
• Opportunity to gather monthly for an in-person tea, chat and crocheting event at Bridget’s Bunnies office.
Volunteers would be required to provide support to individuals on a helpline or chat service who have experienced sexual trauma, violence and or assault. A 30 hour training course and interview is to be completed before starting on the helpline and chat service.
The Personal Disaster Assistance (PDA) Team is activated to respond and provide assistance for up to the first 72 hours following a disaster.
Responsibility 1. Disaster Response
Activities:
• Conduct client needs assessments to determine immediate, short and long-term needs of clients;
• Provide appropriate services based on the Technical Standards and the National Disaster Assistance Guidelines;
• Provide referrals to partner agencies and other community based groups;
• Communicate and report on progress, as appropriate, to the PDA Supervisor;
• Provide comfort to clients;
• Complete necessary paperwork (i.e. Goods and Services Vouchers, Client Needs Assessments and others as appropriate);
• Communicate complex cases to PDA Supervisor for provision of appropriate case management services;
• Participate in operational debriefings and provide suggestions for improvement.
Responsibility 2. Preparedness Activities
Activities:
• Actively engage in team preparedness activities including emergency planning and kit preparedness;
• Attend meetings as required;
• Support PDA Supervisor in materials/inventory management;
• Support with supplier agreements, as appropriate;
• Support the PDA Supervisor in planning and organizing services.
Responsibilities/Activities:
Responsibility 1. Disaster Response
Activities:
• Assess and determine the scope of impact and the necessary resources needed to address the needs (i.e. one time assistance or complex support) and report back to the designated point of contact;
• Conduct client needs assessment to determine immediate, short and long-term needs of clients;
• Provide referrals to partner agencies and other community based groups;
• Liaise with the fire protection services or other local authorities, as appropriate;
• Ensure compliance and provide ongoing feedback to PDA Responders during a response based on the Technical Standards and the National Disaster Assistance Guidelines;
• Facilitate operational briefings and debriefings during a response;
• Communicate, report on progress and evaluate the provision of the services, as appropriate to the designated point of contact;
• Provide timely formal and informal performance feedback to volunteers that report directly to the PDA Supervisor;
• Complete necessary paperwork (i.e. Goods and Services Vouchers, Client Needs Assessment forms and Response Reports)
Responsibility 2. Preparedness Activities
Activities:
• Participate in the recruitment of PDA team members
• Participate in PDA team member orientation & scheduling of training
• Coordinate team member availability and the team’s on-call schedule
• Ensure that supplier agreements are completed and updated annually
• Ensure response supplies are properly stocked and available
• Prepare and facilitate regular team meetings;
• Develop and update the response plan;
• Promote and ensure compliance with Red Cross directives and Technical Standards;
• Ensure availability of team members for responding 24 hours a day;
• Manage response equipment. Candidates under consideration will be contacted.
Volunteers will be responsable for meeting with a clients weekly or bi-weekly to add enrichment to peoples lives. Clients are blind or have vision loss to some degree, which often requires adpaments to life. Volunteers are required to socialse with them and add normal contact back in their lives after the effects of the pandemic. They can go for walks, visit community gardens, really anything the pair would enjoy. The requirement are up to the two people who are paired.
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Initial Session: Conduct an opening session with the child and parents to develop a personalized tutoring plan.
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Planning and Scheduling: Schedule and organize all tutoring sessions in coordination with the participant and program coordinator.
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Session Management: Direct sessions to build on skills the child is learning in school and provide one-on-one tutoring.
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Communication: Maintain regular communication with administrative staff to ensure satisfaction of both parents and the child.
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Student Engagement: Communicate with students to understand their learning needs and create engaging, interactive learning experiences.
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Academic Support: Educate students on various subjects, assist with homework assignments and test preparation, and support understanding of numeracy and/or literacy concepts using the Ontario curriculum.
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Strategy Development: Develop and implement strategies tailored to students with learning disabilities and ADHD, focusing on enhancing academic skills and self-confidence.
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Progress Monitoring: Track and document student progress, providing feedback and adjusting methods as needed.
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Training and Development: Attend virtual training sessions and meetings as required to stay updated on best practices and program guidelines.
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Confidentiality: Ensure all student information and records are kept confidential and handled with care.