We believe in the transformative power of peer support.
Peer Support Canada is a national organization dedicated to embedding peer support as a vital component of mental health and substance use health systems across Canada. Since its founding in 2013, PSC has established national standards and frameworks to guide peer support programs nationwide. Guided by the core values of peer support, our team, comprising skilled professionals, committed volunteers, and leaders with lived experience, is devoted to strengthening and expanding the reach of peer support, fostering hope, connection, and empowerment across the country.
Vision
Peer support is an integrated and integral component of mental health and substance use health systems, accessible to all individuals, family members and supporters affected by mental health and substance use health challenges and mental illnesses.
Mission
Increase the recognition, growth, and accessibility of peer support within the mental health and substance use health spaces.
Peer Support Canada Strategic Plan
We are excited to share with you Peer Support Canada’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Plan. The year-long process of creating this document involved a thorough consultation and collaboration process with peer supporters, organization leads and those working alongside peer support from across Canada. We are grateful for the contributions from the peer support community, and so proud to be able to share this plan with you.
2022 - 2025 Progress Report
We’re excited to share Peer Support Canada’s 2022 – 2027 Progress Report. This report provides an overview of Peer Support Canada’s key accomplishments in advancing our strategic plan as an entity of CMHA National.
It offers a snapshot of the momentum, learning, and collaboration that have shaped the last three years of our work. This resource highlights how the peer support community is strengthening ethical practice, expanding training opportunities, growing certification, deepening partnerships, and showing up as leaders across the mental health and substance use health landscape.
Whether you’re curious about national initiatives, interested in where Peer Support Canada is heading next, or simply want to celebrate the progress made by peers across the country, this report offers an inspiring look at how far we’ve come and where we’re going.
Peer Support Canada Staff Team
Allison Dunning (she/her), Executive Director
Allison been dedicated to peer support services since 2016, beginning her journey as a peer support volunteer and advancing through roles as coordinator and manager to her current position as Executive Director. She brings her lived and living experiences with mental health challenges to every aspect of her work. As a white cis-gendered female settler, Allison is committed to using her privilege to amplify the voices of those around her. Her leadership is grounded in empathy, authenticity, and a passion for creating inclusive and supportive communities. Allison also loves camping, canoeing and her dog, Bella.
Brookelyn Fortier (she/her), National Programs Coordinator
Brookelyn has a background in psychology and a passion for supporting others. Since starting her career in mental health in 2022, she has approached her work with empathy, curiosity, and a commitment to using her lived experience to build meaningful connections. Acknowledging her privilege as a settler, she is dedicated to uplifting and empowering those around her. As Program Coordinator at Peer Support Canada, Brookelyn ensures that candidates feel heard and supported throughout the certification process. Outside of work, she is an avid foodie, enthusiastic traveler, and enjoys the company of her dog, Pepper.
Peer Support Canada Advisory Committee
Peer Support Canada, currently an independent organization of CMHA National, does not have an independent Board of Directors. The Peer Support Canada Advisory Committee, established in February 2024, provides national representation, guidance, and recommendations. The committee ensures Peer Support Canada remains responsive to the peer support landscape, operates through an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens, increases program accessibility, and supports the certification program by handling candidate appeals.
Jessica has lived with bipolar disorder since she was a teenager, but by far the most difficult part of her journey has been the stigma that accompanies life with mental illness. Now known as the StigmaCrusher, Jessica uses her knowledge as a PhD in experimental psychology, her experience as a person with living experience of mental illness and as a long time peer supporter (and supportee!) to inform the committee. Jessica enjoys spending time with her wife and son and trolling through thrift stores looking for treasures.
Susan is a fierce advocate for the value of peer support. After spending many years working in Human Resources, she transitioned into providing mental health support within Public Health as a Recovery (Peer) Specialist. Now retired, Susan spends time volunteering within her community and relaxing by her backyard koi pond with a good book in hand.
Kim has been involved in the Canadian peer support community since 2010, initially as author of the MHCC Peer Support Guidelines and soon after as the inaugural Executive Director of Peer Support Accreditation and Certification (Canada). Recently in 2023, she became a Certified Peer Supporter to demonstrate her belief in the value of a CPS certification. Her favourite work activity is to facilitate a peer support workshop because it offers her the opportunity to grow and learn with others as we all reflect on our lived / living experience and the principles of peer support.
My name is Arif Majeed. I am Program Manager-Peer Support Services, at Canadian Mental Health Association, North Bay and District. Education and the ongoing learning process are my dreams and part of my recovery. I have received PeerWorks Core Essential Skills Training and become Train the Trainer. I am a certified Peer Support Core Competencies Trainer through the Centre for Innovation in Peer Support. I am proud to be a Certified Peer Supporter through Peer Support of Canada.
Ophelia is queer immigrant, and an uninvited settler on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Over the past 10 years, Ophelia has been working with community through a combination of front-line and advocacy roles, de-institutionalized education initiatives, and low-barrier employment services. In their work, Ophelia strongly gravitates towards peer and person-centered, anti-racist, movement-building initiatives that take into account and integrate the positionality, wisdom, and agency of people.