Peer Ambassadors have lived experience with mental health and recovery, and are trained to provide support to other young adults experiencing mental health challenges.
An exciting announcement for our Stella’s Place community:
We are announcing an important and impactful change to the Stella’s Place program offering. After careful review and and thoughtful consideration, we are launching a Peer Ambassador and Access Counsellor Navigator program. This new program will replace the current Peer Support program.
Peer Ambassadors will be drawn from the age cohort of program participants and will draw from lived experience and formalized training in their initial interactions with those who are new to Stella’s Place programming.
The new positions of Access Counsellor Navigator will provide individualized support, counselling, BeanBagChat and service navigation.
As a result of these changes we will significantly reduce our waitlist by providing quicker services to participants waiting to meet with a Clinician.
We are excited about this new structure and its positive impact on the programming we are able to provide. Please contact us with any questions you may have.
Our Peer Support Initiatives
Community Healing Project
A trauma-informed approach to community violence to help equip young adults with mental health skills. The Community Healing Project engages young people who live in or are connected with one of the communities that the project is working with.
Pathway to Peers at Mount Sinai Hospital
This partnership places a Peer Support Worker trained by Stella’s Place into the emergency department at Sinai. The Peer Support Workers are able to help from a place of understanding for young people coming into emergency in distress.
UofT Mississauga Peer Support Program
We are working with the the Student Union from University of Toronto Mississauga to develop a Peer Support Program Plan. This involves facilitating a training program for the volunteers who will provide services on campus.
Strides, Toronto Gender-Based Violence Program
At Stella’s Place, we have adapted our Peer Support Training Program to support folks with experience of Human Trafficking and Gender Based Violence to encourage trauma recovery, build hope, confidence, and resilience.
Learn About the Gender-Based Violence Peer Support Program at Strides 
“Meeting someone who has been there, who listens to you, who shows that they ‘get it’— it makes you feel a little less lonely, and a little bit more like, “OK, if someone else can manage this, then maybe there is some hope: like this life can be do-able.”
–Victoria, Young Adult Council Member
“You have to know your community—respect them and want to help them, but understand their needs. Working with people is more about listening to them, being present and not about jumping to solutions or problem solving too soon. I’m able to combine my training with my own experiences and reach others in a really personal way.”
-Abdul, former Youth Peer Mentor Coordinator
