Peer Support

University of Ottawa•Lexington, MA

8d•$21 - $21•Onsite

About The Position

This is a live-in position and requires the individual to be on campus to attend on-site training, meetings and provide in-person support to students living in a University Residence environment. All live-in members of the Residence Life team are leaders in their communities, maintain an important presence in residence, and are available to support and engage with students in residence at all hours of the day. Therefore, individuals should have strong organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, as well as integrity and flexibility. The role of a Peer Support (PS) is to create the best student experience for members of the University of Ottawa community living in Residence. This is completed through various strategies to build community and uphold safety in residence. PSs support mixed communities in residence consisting of students in all years of study including graduate students with the goal of fostering a strong sense of community and engaging students. These communities may be distributed throughout multiple floors and/or residence buildings. A PS is an individual who is well equipped to create a safe community in which residents of all origins and orientations may thrive while they embark on their academic and personal development. PSs support the wellness and safety of students with conflict resolution, report facilities-related issues, and emergency management with the support of a peer-team and Lead Coordinators, Residence Life. They may respond to highly sensitive situations therefore, a respect for confidentiality and good stress management skills are essential. As a unionized position, all PSs are expected to be familiar with their Collective Agreement (CUPE-2626-03). Time Commitment and Training Total of 555 hours to be worked, based on 37-week academic year (mid-August to April, inclusively). An average of 15 hours/week, including early mornings, evenings, weekends and holiday periods. Available to work evenings, including on-call on a rotating basis, and during the weekends. Mandatory training sessions in-person and online, offered throughout employment: Mandatory Online Training as determined by Residence Life and the University Start of Contract Training: Two weeks in August preceding the start of the Fall semester or period in January preceding the start of the Winter semester if hired for the Winter semester. Ongoing Training: One (1) five-hour ongoing training commitment once a semester, includes a lunch break.

Requirements

Previous experience in a student staff position with Residence Life and obtained a positive recommendation from a supervising Lead Coordinator, Residence Life.
Maintain a full-time student status at the University of Ottawa at the time of application and throughout the employment contract period.
Obtain and maintain a minimum 5.0 CGPA at the University of Ottawa.
All members of the Residence Life team are required to meet a high level of bilingualism (English, French) in order to best support students living in residence and studying in either of the University’s official languages.
As employees with the University of Ottawa, prospective candidates for a role with Residence Life must obtain a satisfactory result on a language proficiency test. Results that do not meet this requirement will automatically result in disqualification.
Maintain a good standing at the University of Ottawa and in residence (where applicable).
Valid Standard First Aid and CPR-C/AED Certification delivered by a recognized certification body in Canada and approved by WSIB in Ontario. Certification is to be valid throughout the employment contract period, recertification within this period is permitted.
Results of a Vulnerable Sector Criminal Background Check completed within the 2 years before the start of the employment contract period.
Skilled in the use of all Microsoft Office software and other communication platforms.
Demonstrated competencies connecting with students in all levels of study
Excellent interpersonal and communications skills to connect with others on a peer-to-peer level
Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills
Ability to manage time effectively and meet deadlines
Ability to collaborate with others as well as work independently
Ability to facilitate large- and small-scale events and meetings
Creativity and initiative for community events and programming
Understand the importance of documentation in their role
Strong organizational abilities and attention to detail
High tolerance for stress and ability to self-regulate
Capacity to assist in managing crisis situations of a physical, emotional, academic, and environmental nature
Ability to self-evaluate and be receptive to feedback
Excellent communications skills with supervisors related to deadlines, issues arising, urgent matters

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Residence Life’s leading principles, concepts, and approaches like harm reduction, JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion), stepped care model, etc. (an asset)
Skilled in objective documentation and reporting (an asset)
Knowledge of the University of Ottawa campus and surrounding vicinity (an asset)
Knowledge of the Residence Agreement, Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure as well as other University of Ottawa policies (an asset)
Knowledge of the University of Ottawa Residence Curriculum (an asset)

Responsibilities

PSs develop communities and interact with residents by becoming acquainted with every individual resident in their designated community.
They should foster an inclusive and cohesive residence environment by taking a proactive approach in helping to resolve any conflicts.
PSs must be available to residents for formal and informal support, including the facilitation of mediations when necessary.
They should document and inform their supervisor of any situations or conflicts they are aware of, and, when appropriate, work in collaboration to address them.
PSs are expected to support community members in completing Roommate Agreements with help from tools like the Shared Living Guide.
PSs are responsible for facilitating community meetings with their assigned residents each month.
PSs are responsible for individual in-person interactions with students living in residence, including upper-year students as well as monthly in-person programming for medium to large sized group events (“residence-wide events”) to foster a strong sense of community and to engage students.
PSs assist in peer and professional staff led events, projects, and initiatives in residence. This may include, but is not limited to Move-In, Open House, Study Fest, Carousel interviews, Move-Out, etc.
PSs contribute to efforts for campus-wide knowledge sharing.
PSs are expected to contribute to Residence Life Education, Training, and Hiring projects. This may include, but is not limited to attending meetings with designated Lead Coordinators, facilitating and/or assisting with the development of training opportunities for other staff, etc.
PSs are responsible for the development and enactment of residence clubs and affinity groups to further enrich the experience of students living in residence.
PSs are expected to collaborate with various campus partners (ex., Campus Events) to organize and offer opportunities for engagement and community building within the numerous communities in residence.
PSs are expected to support students with conduct and care peer conversations and follow-up in residence as informed by their training.
Although they will be primarily responsible for peer conversations and follow-up concerning residents in their designated communities, PSs may be called to support these needs throughout the entire residence community.
Conduct support may include roommate mediations and upholding the Residence Agreement, Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure. This includes having proactive and preventative conversations with students about the rules in residence.
Care support involves the ability to recognize, respond and refer students in distress to the appropriate resources.
PSs are expected to create a variety of passive programming at the start of each semester to contribute to the sense of community and belonging within their designated area of residence.
Once a month, except for December and April (final exam periods), PSs are expected to update the passive programming board in their designated community informed by observed trends and reflecting the learning outcomes of the residence curriculum.
Twice a month, except for December and April (final exam periods), PSs are expected to work with other PSs to organize and facilitate/host a community event (“residence-wide event”).
PSs may be required to support alternative programming initiatives, each informed by a harm reduction approach, during key periods of the year to meet the needs of the service and community living in residence.
Must use the software system eRezLife to document significant observations, interactions with residents, community development efforts, duty shifts (as needed), and all other required reports.
Monitor their work email inbox (Outlook) and messages (MS Teams) regularly to correspond with residents, the Residence Life Team, and the administrative staff in a timely manner (unless on official time off).
Manage any work-related social media accounts (e.g., community Facebook or Instagram pages) on a regular basis (unless on official time off).
Participate in Performance Appraisal processes.
Report the hours of work completed each week through the designated reporting form.
PSs are expected to regularly monitor their designated poster mailbox to ensure that posters (informational or other) are promptly distributed and displayed throughout the residence community.
Monitor the posters displayed in their residence communities by removing and disposing of any posters that are out of date.
Required to attend and actively participate in all meetings deemed necessary for their role with Residence Life.
PSs attend regular meetings with Residence Life team members to aid in meeting the needs of the communities of students living in residence.
PSs must know and respect the Residence Life Code of Ethics for Student Staff, Residence Life Confidentiality Agreement.
PSs assist with ensuring safety and security in the residence community through various strategies led by principles of harm reduction and informed by residence policies.
PSs must be consistent in upholding regulations throughout their employment with Residence Life.
PSs must maintain an awareness of routine and emergency procedures essential to the safety and security of residents (e.g., fire alarms, medical emergencies, fire evacuation procedures).
PSs are required to perform a walkthrough of their building at least once a week and complete any resulting documentation.
PSs will work with other campus partners such as Protection Services, reception, security guards, etc. to ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents.
PSs may be required to occasionally support with the duty rotation as necessary or at the discretion of the Lead Coordinator, Residence Life in order to meet operational needs.
When scheduled to work a duty shift, PSs are expected to perform scheduled rounds while interacting with residents, completing any necessary interventions or follow-up, inspecting community spaces in their designated areas for issues (i.e., safety and security concerns, presence of physically or psychologically harmful situations), as well as monitoring the shared duty phone (when applicable).
Those working a duty shift must remain in the designated residence building during the entirety of their shift and are on call overnight and expected to respond to needs for support (e.g., mental health interventions, door unlockings, roommate conflicts, etc.) and to complete any resulting documentation or reports.

Benefits

Employees who work during the holiday period (the two weeks in December/January when the rest of the University is closed) will be paid an hourly wage of $20.73/hr.
$437/month, paid in equal installments bi-monthly, plus $85.68 per semester for general expenses, plus a room in residence as a taxable benefit.
The University of Ottawa offers a generous pay and benefits package that includes a competitive salary, a defined benefit pension plan, group insurance coverage and an employee and family assistance program.

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