The role of a Peer Support Worker is unique in its ability to promote and support the recovery process. Peer Support Workers in the course of their work openly acknowledge that they currently live, or have previously lived, with a mental illness or an addiction. The purpose of sharing their recovery journey is to inspire hope, serve as a role model and a source of motivation, and support and educate those living in situations like the ones being shared.  

Many Peer Support Workers have managed to overcome the obstacles associated with stigma and poverty. They found their way and found dignity in living their lives. Thanks to the wealth of their experience, Peer Support Workers can share their hope and knowledge. They can offer peers an authentic connection and a bond of trust, and sometimes their mere presence can inspire hope, and hope is the catalyst to recovery. 

Peer interventions come from an entirely different culture than the one promoted by the mental healthcare network. The guiding principles of peer support are respect, shared responsibility, and mutual understanding. Peer interventions promote respectful, empathetic, trusting, and kind-hearted dynamics. They help peers reclaim their power towards achieving the changes they want to make and take charge in the pursuit of their goals.  

Certified Peer Support Training  

CTransform lived experience into professional recovery practice.

The Certified Peer Support Training Program prepares individuals with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use challenges to serve as professional Peer Support Workers within recovery-oriented systems of care across New Brunswick.

Peer Support is not simply about sharing your story. It is the intentional, ethical, and competency-based use of lived experience to foster hope, promote self-determination, and support others’ recovery.

This program equips participants to integrate experiential knowledge into structured service environments while maintaining professional standards, boundaries, and accountability.

Recovery-Oriented Foundations

The curriculum reflects provincial expectations for Peer Support practice and is grounded in:

• Recovery principles and strengths-based approaches
• Trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice
• Ethical self-disclosure and professional boundaries
• Role clarity within interdisciplinary teams
• Self-awareness and sustaining one’s own recovery

Participants explore how lived experience becomes a professional tool, not the focus, within mental health and addiction services.

Competency Development

Through interactive learning, reflective exercises, and applied scenarios, participants develop the ability to:

• Facilitate recovery-oriented conversations
• Support empowerment without directing outcomes
• Navigate healthcare systems while maintaining role integrity
• Collaborate effectively within service teams
• Apply ethical decision-making in complex situations

Graduates are prepared to work within community organizations and provincial health services, including Vitalité Health Network and Horizon Health Network.

Program Structure

• Three weeks of in-person intensive training
• Two-week supervised internship
• Written and oral evaluations
• Competency-based internship assessment

Successful participants receive certification recognized provincially.

Recognition & Accreditation

• Recognized by the New Brunswick Department of Health
• Accredited through Continuing Education at Université de Moncton

Investment

$1,500 + applicable taxes

CMHANB remains committed to supporting accessibility by including accommodation and meals during the training period.

The Program Fee Includes:

• Three weeks of in-person training
• Two-week supervised internship
• All training materials and manuals
• Written and oral evaluations
• Certificate upon successful completion
• Weekday accommodation during the three-week training period (Sunday evening to Friday)
• Meals provided during training days

Please note:

• Weekend accommodation (Friday and Saturday nights) is not included.
• Transportation to and from the training location is not included.

A Pathway to Purpose

Many individuals in recovery reach a point where they begin to ask, “How can what I have lived serve others?”

The Certified Peer Support Training Program provides a structured and professional pathway to answer that question. Through preparation, reflection, and competency development, lived experience becomes more than a personal journey; it becomes a disciplined practice grounded in ethics, dignity, and hope.

For those who feel called to give back in a meaningful and responsible way, this training offers the foundation to do so with integrity and impact.

How to Apply

Individuals interested in the Certified Peer Support Training must complete the online application form.

Once the application form has been submitted, a member of the CMHANB team will contact eligible applicants to schedule a virtual interview.

Upon completion of both the written application and the virtual interview, the candidate’s information will be reviewed by a selection committee.

Admission to the program is competitive. Completion of the application form and participation in the interview process do not guarantee acceptance into the training.

Only selected candidates will be contacted with confirmation of admission.

Apply Here

Community Peer Support Workshop

This workshop is designed for community organizations and community members looking to learn fundamental concepts in peer support or offer peer support in their community voluntarily or in association with a community organization.

This 4-day workshop starts with 2-days for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), followed by 2-days of peer support fundamentals including recovery, communication skills, self disclosure, group facilitation basics and self-care.

This program is offered in English, in-person only, participants must be 18+ years old, and fees apply. For more information, please contact us by phone 1-888-357-8442 or email [email protected] .