After Stroke In-Person Peer Support Group Facilitator

March of Dimes Canada is looking for a volunteer with lived experience of stroke to lead an established peer support group for stroke survivors, their caregivers and families in Charlottetown.

The In-Person Peer Support Group Facilitator plays an essential role by facilitating a monthly in-person small group discussion, providing guidance, encouragement and direction to group conversation, and focusing on fostering a supportive and empathetic environment. Being a stroke survivor or a caregiver to a stroke survivor yourself is critical to this peer support role.

The group has previously met the first Tuesday of every month at 6pm at Trinity-Clifton Church on Richmond Street but we are looking to take this opportunity to work with the volunteer facilitator to review and potentially change the day of the week, time, and location of where the group meets.

Time Commitment: Approx. 2-3 hours per month. Minimum 1-year commitment.

Location: Charlottetown

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Facilitate and lead a monthly meeting focused on peer support
• Encourage group participants to engage in conversation
• Share your stroke journey, where appropriate, to provide encouragement
• Record and report group attendance to supervisor after every group meeting
• Report any urgent concerns regarding the group to Volunteer supervisor
• Suggest guest speakers and/or guest speaker topics and support arranging guest speaker presentations at meetings in partnership with supervisor
• Signpost, where appropriate, to MODC After Stroke program and community-based support programs
• Promote the peer support group through various channels, including personal social networks and community partnerships

Skills and Experience

• Lived experience of stroke, ideally at least one-year post-stroke (or far enough along in recovery journey to be confident in facilitating a group)
• Ability to demonstrate, inform, and share your knowledge based on your lived experience
• Strong interpersonal skills and an overall positive attitude
• Reliability
• Self-direction; able to work independently
• Awareness of the boundaries of the role and use supervision to clarify when uncertainties arise
• Respectfulness towards the values, cultural diversity, opinions, and ideas of others

Interested in learning more?

Contact Emma Gascoigne by e-mail at egascoigne@marchofdimes.ca or by phone at 902-237-6435​