Peer Support lead

Position Type:

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Closing date:

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Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Medavie Health Services (MHS) that manages and operates ground ambulance, air medical transport and the medical communications operations in Nova Scotia through a performance-based contract with the provincial government's Emergency Health Services (EHS) Operations division and the Department of Health and Wellness. As well, EMC operates TeleHealth/811 medical communications for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island for the Department of Health.

We access all communities in Nova Scotia in a timely and efficient manner with our fleet of more than 180 ambulances and support vehicles operating out of 60+ stations. We respond to 165,000+ calls annually across the province, which are actively managed through the EHS Operations Medical Communications Centre, the hub of all emergency (911) and non-emergency (hospital transfers) medical calls. 

The EHS Operations LifeFlight program provides even greater accessibility by responding to patients on scene or through inter-facility transports by our critical care team via helicopter, fixed wing, or ground ambulance.

In addition, paramedics in Nova Scotia participate in various programs both urban and rural such as community-based paramedic programs, collaborative emergency centres, and emergency preparedness and special operations, to name a few.

There are lots of opportunities waiting for you in Nova Scotia. Apply now to learn more about our service and available positions.

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• This role functions in close collaboration with the Peer and Family Support Coordinator (external) as part of an integrated team. The role will collaborate and work with Peer Team Referral Agents, and other leadership and staff to ensure coordinated support.
• Monitor and triage support needs by assessing the level of impact and determining next steps or referral pathways
• Maintain readiness to respond to incidents on a 24/7 on-call rotating schedule.
• Respond to requests for support. This support can be immediate for employees experiencing critical incidents, occupational stress, or other challenges impacting well-being
• Provide immediate emotional support following critical incidents and offer one-on-one peer support to colleagues experiencing stress, burnout, or trauma.
• Travel to workplaces/bases, scenes or other sites to provide support where staff are working.
• Support staff where appropriate on scene during prolonged, high intensity or other impactful events. Conduct proactive outreach into work areas impacted.
• Support reintegration/return to work activities following exposure to critical incidents or psychological injury. Gather situational awareness to help guide the peer response and ensure coordinated follow-up
• Provide real-time consultation to leaders addressing staff wellness concerns during an incident
• Travel provincially to provide support or attend activations as required
• Lead and participate in structured CISM interventions (defusing, debriefings, demobilizations) as trained.
• Collaborate with Occupational Health, Safety & Wellness (OHSW) and other internal partners for referrals and escalations.
• Support program coordination activities including scheduling, documentation, and communication.
• Contribute to program development by identifying gaps, proposing improvements, and assisting with implementation.
• Prepare or contribute to the development, review, and implementation of standard operating procedures, policies, and best practices.
• Maintain accurate and timely reporting
• Help develop, maintain and analyze data tracking systems for peer support activity (while preserving confidentiality).
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and mentorship of new team members.
• Participate in regular team meetings, training and case reviews.
• Contribute to regular reporting and program evaluation efforts to monitor outcomes and areas of growth. Analyze patterns in peer support and highlight emerging wellness risks.
• Share resources and referral information to help employees access appropriate resources
• Facilitate or coordinate education and awareness programs that promote mental wellness, resilience, and psychological health literacy among employees
• Promote the Peer and Family Support program and help integrate the team further into all aspects of the organization
• Help coordinate logistics and materials for internal and external training to strengthen peer competencies.
• Develop and implement outreach strategies to engage employees and their families.
• Represent the peer team at committees and external events to strengthen program viability and credibility.
• Maintain confidentiality and trust while fostering a safe space with open dialogue
• Serve as a liaison between peer referral agents and program leadership to support smooth communication and alignment of activities.
• Provide guidance and informal leadership to peer support members to foster confidence, competence, consistency and trust.
• Foster a cohesive, compassionate, and collaborative team environment.
• Serve as a visible advocate for peer support values, trust, normalization, and resilience across the organization.
• Provide real-time consultation to leaders addressing wellness concerns as required.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to strengthen positive relationships and program integration and to ensure peer support practices are aligned organizationally.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Familiarity with CISM components (defusing, debriefing, follow-up) and ability to adhere to a structured approach.
• Understanding of crisis intervention principles, vicarious traumatization, posttraumatic and workplace stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.
• Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development related to mental health, crisis response, or first responder wellness.
• Ability to apply sound judgment, maintain professional boundaries, and uphold confidentiality.
• Strong interpersonal, listening, and communication skills with the ability to build trust and maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Demonstrated discretion, sound judgment, and cultural humility; ability to work with diverse populations.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively; strong organization and administration skills; initiative and self-direction.

Education:

•  Post secondary education, in a health, social sciences, or human services discipline (e.g., Psychology, Social Work, Mental Health & Addictions, Paramedicine, Nursing) or an equivalent  combination of education and relevant experience
• Formal training in peer support, crisis intervention, or critical incident stress management.
• Completion of ICISF training (Assisting Individuals in Crisis and Group Crisis Intervention) or equivalent.
• Training in suicide intervention (e.g., ASIST) and resilience skills.
• Post-secondary education in a relevant field (e.g., BScN, BSW, BN, BHSc, BA/MA Psychology) an asset.
• Clinical certification (e.g., RN, Paramedic, Social Worker) is not required but considered an asset if previously held or currently active.
• Critical Incident Stress Management Training ie e.g. Assisting individuals and Groups in crisis
• Valid driver's license.

Experience:

• Experience in first responder, healthcare, emergency services, mobile crisis response, or mental health support environments.
• Experience providing peer support or working with individuals experiencing psychological stress, trauma exposure, or mental health concerns.
• Experience working through emotionally complex situations and providing supportive communication during and after high-stress events.
• Experience leading or coordinating critical incident interventions (defusing, debriefing, demobilizations).
• Experience in crisis intervention (e.g., mobile crisis response, Psychiatric Emergency Services).
• Experience supporting reintegration/return-to-work following psychological injury or critical incident exposure.
• Experience developing and delivering training and education on mental wellness or peer support.
• Experience collaborating with unions and working in diverse and culturally varied environments.

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Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative of the citizens we serve. We are committed to building an inclusive team that represents a variety of backgrounds, cultures, races, perspectives and skills. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates including women, persons of any sexual orientations and gender identities and/or expressions, Indigenous persons, African Canadians, other racialized groups, persons with disabilities. Candidates who identify as being from any of these groups are encouraged to voluntarily self-identify.