Entrepreneurship can be tough, but no one should have to navigate it alone.
As a Peer Volunteer, you’ll provide support, encouragement, and understanding to fellow entrepreneurs facing challenges. Your experience and time could be the lifeline someone needs.
Give Back to the Entrepreneurial Community
Fill out the form below to become a Peer Volunteer. If you have any questions, please email support@singformentalhealth.com
Important Questions
What will I do?
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Peer support is a mental health service that is focused on the emotional and practical support between people who share a common experience.
Peer support is built on mutual respect and understanding, creating relationships that are free from hierarchy and power imbalances. It empowers individuals to make their own decisions about their well-being, using their personal experiences and insights, with guidance from a peer. Peer support emphasizes recovery, hope, and overall wellness through shared experiences in one-on-one settings. Unlike clinical approaches, it is values-driven and accessible, offering support that is rooted in lived experience rather than formal credentials.
Source: Peer Support Canada
What are the commitments?
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We ask for our Peer Volunteers to commit up to 10 hours a month for one year.
Additionally, Peer Volunteers will be required to complete mandatory training (provided by Sing for Mental Health) that will take a total of 12 hours to complete.
Mental Health First Aid Standard – 9 hours
MHFA Standard is the support provided to a person who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being, or a mental health or substance use crisis.
ASIST – Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training – 90 minutes
In just 90 minutes online, LivingWorks Start trains participants to recognize when someone may be thinking about suicide and how to connect them to help and support.
Psychological First Aid – Self-Care – 90 minutes
In this course you will embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. You will explore the depths of your own resilience and learn how to harness it to overcome life's challenges.
Your role includes:
Speaking with your matched Entrepreneur on an agreed upon frequency/schedule.
Completing short post-call documentation.
Having informal check-ins with S4MH as well as occasional review sessions of program success.
Who can apply?
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1. Basic Details
At least 18 years old
Living and working in Canada
Able to commit to completing training and acting as a peer mentor for at least one year.
Able to commit approximately 10 hours a month.
2. Lived Experience
Relevance: Volunteers should have lived experience as an entrepreneur, solopreneur, business founder, or precarious worker.
Perspective: Their experiences should align with the values and goals of the organization.
3. Passion for the Mission
Genuine interest in mental health advocacy, entrepreneurship, and community building.
Passionate and understanding about the mental health challenges that affect entrepreneurs.
4. Empathy and Communication Skills
Ability to actively listen without judgment.
Demonstrate a compassionate and supportive demeanor.
5. Commitment to Boundaries
Volunteers must understand the importance of maintaining professional boundaries to avoid over-involvement or burnout.
6. Reliability and Accountability
Punctuality and dependability in attending training, meetings, and sessions.
Ability to follow through on commitments.
7. Cultural Competence
Sensitivity to diverse backgrounds, including gender, ethnicity, age, and cultural norms, especially in your organization's focus on entrepreneurs.
8. Training and Willingness to Learn
Open to undergoing training on mental health, active listening, confidentiality, and self-care practices.
Eagerness to improve skills and knowledge over time.
9. Self-Awareness and Personal Mental Health
Volunteers should be in a stable place in their own mental health journey to support others effectively.
Ability to recognize their own limits and take breaks if needed.
Have the support and/or tools you need to self-regulate inside and outside of your role.
10. Teamwork and Collaboration
Ability to work well with staff, other volunteers, and Peers.
What are the benefits?
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The reported benefits of Peer Support are significant. A key benefit is often a trusting, safe, and accepting environment, where Peer Volunteers and the people they are supporting can feel a sense of community and belonging, based on shared experiences.
This atmosphere allows people to recover self-esteem, hope, meaning and purpose, empowerment, self-responsibility, and to experience personal growth.
Additionally Sing for Mental Health provides you with extensive training that is completely free. Being a Peer Volunteer also entitles you to free Sing for Mental Health membership benefits.
“It helps to be able to talk to someone who understands what you are going through and who will not judge you.”
