Ontario Peer Development Initiative

Great to see this initiative from Grenfell Ministries expanding! Anyone in Canada using a potentially deadly substance can now dial a toll-free number and have someone standing by to call for help if needed. A volunteer checks in periodically and calls 911 if there's no response: "People who have experience with overdose, or peers, have kind of a gut feeling or gut sense about what's happening and what's going wrong, because we've been there before." #mentalhealth #harmreduction #peersupport

With Ontario experiencing a second wave of COVID-19, and with the holiday season just around the corner, it is critical that we act now to make it easier for people to find and access mental health and addictions services, Christine Elliott. We are supporting our most vulnerable populations, while expanding community-based and virtual and online services to close gaps in care and ensure the right mental health and addictions supports are widely available."

Our motto has always been: ‘You are not alone, a promise to survivors.’ Isolation and feeling alone is always something survivors have struggled with. Over COVID, what we’re seeing is that’s magnified.

The National Eating Disorders Association reported a 70 percent increase in those reaching out to their helplines compared in 2020 compared 2019. One woman shares her experience coping with eating disorder symptoms during the pandemic.

Did you miss our Peer Support Strong event? Check out some of the webinars from our day long celebration on our website!

Don't forget to register for Peer Support Strong - our day long celebration of the power of #peersupport on December 1st! Password: PeersAreHere

New study from CAMH says one in four Canadians are binge drinking to cope with pandemic-related anxiety

Read tips from Lived Experience & Recovery Network's Kari Sterling on how you can prepare yourself and your staff for mental wellness during the winter months! #mentalhealth #peersupport

New stories produced, directed and told by indigenous people in Yellowknife about the impact of alcohol abuse in their community.

Last week, we hosted our first ever Peer Support Strong event with Lived Experience & Recovery Network and Nipissing Mental Health Housing & Support Services: Peer Support Services! The event reminded us of the power of peer support to connect and heal others as we celebrated with 200 registrants! Read some of our highlights and thoughts on peer support's future below

Great toolkit from The Centre for Innovation in Peer Support on implementing virtual group services now up on our website! Check it out! #MentalHealth #peersupport

Here's six tips for dealing with uncertainty during these fluctuating times.