Peer Outreach Program

The Peer Outreach Program responds to the needs of  families in under-served and hard-to-reach communities in Toronto. Access Alliance recruits women from high-need communities who participate in a multi-year Peer Outreach Worker Training Program as paid employees. The women learn skills, reach out to immigrant and refugee families, and link families to services.

Peer Outreach Workers support families in a variety of ways including:

• doing outreach to isolated newcomer families in under-resourced neighbourhoods
• providing information and referrals to health and social services
• helping to organize and facilitate a wide range of workshops (parenting, fitness, healthy eating, expressive arts, etc.)
• accompanying clients to agencies such as school and housing boards, social assistance programs, citizenship and immigration services, and other non-profit agencies
• providing language support.

All peers also participate in community interpretation programs through Ontario Colleges and are fully qualified community interpreters. They are able to formally exercise this role as required while working in the field.

We have developed an Early Years Peer Outreach Training Curriculum for newcomer women which outlines the core competencies required of an effective Peer Outreach Worker. This manual is rooted in adult education principles and is available to organizations working with newcomer women who are engaged in peer outreach.

Download the Early Years Peer Outreach Training Curriculum (PDF 690 KB, 95 pgs)

Please contact us for more information about the Peer Outreach Program.