Meet Our Staff

    All our staff have lived experience with mental illness and/or addictions which classifies all of us as peer support workers. Because our staff have lived experience, it allows us to better connect with members in a non- clinical environment and a more realistic way.  

    PACE is proud to offer specialized Peer Support Workers

 Peer support is a system of giving and receiving help founded on key principals of respect, shared responsibilities and mutual agreement of what is helpful. Peer support is about understanding anothers situation emphatically through the shared experience of emotional and psychological pain.

 People that have a mental health issue helping other people with a mental health issue.

 Persons with like minds, experience, knowledge, problem sharing skills and tactics for mutual benefit.

 People meeting as equals to share their experiences.  Offering emotional support and practical ways of coping, this is done primarily by listening. It involves sharing experiences and information in a non judgmental way with empathy and sincerity.  People learn from each other using their lived experience as the foundation to developing a healthy relationship.

Benefits from receiving Peer support

 Empowerment, hope and a sense that others have faced the same tribulations and overcome them through a sense of common ground and understanding.

 Acceptance, someone to talk to, someone who shows by example that there is a life after being diagnosed with a mental illness.

 No wait time: being able to speak with someone when you need it.  No need to go on a waiting list!

 Speaking with someone who has more than just book training.  Speaking with a peer means speaking with someone else who’s been there!

 It’s good to know how other people have coped.

Our Education Coordinator (EC) strives to increase the quality of life for consumer/survivors. The EC holds regular workshops, presentations  to bring community awareness addressing the stigma, myths, prejudices and misconceptions associated with Mental Illness and Addictions. The EC continually researches information on mental health, mental iillness and addictions. The EC focuses on the positive experiences of being a consumer/survivor in our communities.

This is achieved through the following:

 Education/Information for both members and the public

 Internal/External Committees

 Research

 Focus groups

 Workshops

 Quarterly newsletter

 Opportunities to attend conferences

The Education Coordinator is always happy to answer any questions and give presentations at any time

The Systematic Advocacy Coordinator advocates on behalf of all consumer/survivors of mental health services, exploring alternatives to the existing services of legislation and rules in our community that effect consumer/survivors of mental health and addictions. A Committee meeting called Advocating for Change Together (ACT) in which members can voice their opinions, stories and become proactive in our community is held monthly. The Advocacy Coordinator identifies the gaps in service provided to consumer/survivors and works to improve services and remove barriers that have a negative impact on one’s quality of life.

Our Advocacy Coordinator continually achieves this by:

 Continued knowledge of the legislation that concerns consumer/survivors of mental health and addictions

 Internal/External Committee Involvement

 Focus Groups

 Workshops

 Seminars

 Systemic education concerning consumer/survivor issues

 Community partnerships and community networking

The Systemic Advocacy Coordinator will gladly answer any questions and hear your experiences.

    The Membership Development Worker acts very closely with the members throughout the daily activities and peer support committees. Together, members support each other, learn additional skills and knowledge from their peers, socialize and develop acquaintances and friendships. This is achieved in the following areas.

    The Membership Development Worker is also responsible for helping new members get signed up with P.A.C.E and help them get comfortable with our services and rules. 

Our Executive Director oversees all daily operations at P.A.C.E and makes connections with other agencies, arrange and manage our funding, oversees our Outreach offices, manages our staff as well as a multitude of other things. Our Executive Director is either onsite our out in the community for meetings. 

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