Imagining the Future of Peer Support in Edmonton
On a rainy afternoon in June, peer support workers from across Edmonton were invited to come together to connect and discuss the important work that they are doing.
The Strategy for Community Mental Health team hosted a blueprinting session on June 14, 2025, focused entirely on peer support. It brought together people who work in a wide range of roles, from grassroots community members to clinical frontline workers. Some had been working in peer support for years, others were newer to the field, and each person came with their own story, shaped by lived experience, and a deep commitment to supporting others.
Throughout the day, people shared what it really feels like to work in peer support in Edmonton. They talked about what is working well and the things they love about this work, and also the things that make it challenging sometimes. Most of all, they showed up with care for one another and a shared desire to make things better for the sector as a whole.
The goal of this session was not to check boxes or gather surface-level feedback, it was to create space for people to speak honestly about their experiences and help shape what peer support could look like in the future. The insights collected during this session will help guide local planning, advocacy, and decision-making as the Strategy continues to evolve.
One of the attendees, Laura Quinlan, wrote a reflection after the session. She generously allowed us to share it here:
Reflection on Future of Peer Support Workshop by Laura Quinlan
“I attended the workshop on June 14, 2025. I have spent the last two months reading the peer support literature, and the experiences and future directions shared by the attendees reflected what I had read. I learned a bunch from the afternoon workshop group about the reality of peer support work in the real world. Participants showed a passion for peer support and worked in diverse areas.
Much of the conversation in my workshop group reflected the central issue of drifting into other roles. Peer support roles tend to be poorly defined, and workers are often asked to do things outside the peer support role. It is also difficult, if not impossible, for peer support workers to refuse to carry out tasks beyond their role since workers desire to support peers. Group members are often asked to do things that fit social work roles better. They discussed that the key reason for this drift outside of what peer support at its core is partially due to roles and job duties not being clearly defined at the outset of their role and referrals to peer support workers when social work would be a better fit.
First, formalized role descriptions and education for other staff about what tasks the peer support workers are hired and recruited to do would assist in less drift.
Unfortunately, chronic underfunding makes it harder to stay within the scope of peer support and not drift into other activities beyond supporting the peer and moving into problem-solving roles. I am not discounting the importance of these needs, but they are outside of what the peer support role is supposed to be at its core.
Another issue is that pay in peer support roles is low, especially compared to firmly established roles in the system. There is no easy answer to the need for livable wages that reflect the type of work peer support workers do, the emotional work. It is great to say salaries need to be higher, but underfunding of mental health is a chronic problem. Unfortunately, peer support roles are not valued monetarily at the same levels as other roles that are in many ways related and often better paid.
By providing livable and equitable wages and working to resolve the issues with peer support drift, the future of peer support is bright.”
Laura’s reflection touches on many of the themes that were heard throughout the day: the importance of clearly defined roles, fair wages, and the need for systems to better understand what peer support actually is. These issues are not new, but they are deeply felt, and there is a growing community of people who are ready to do something about it.
This session was not the end of the conversation; it was just the beginning. It’s important that lived experience and peer voices continue to be centred in these conversations as we continue to work toward a future where peer support is not only recognized, but also respected and supported in meaningful ways.
If you are a peer support worker or someone passionate about this field, we invite you to stay connected and involved. Your voice matters, your work matters, and you are not alone.