OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work and create.

Please note that internal job postings are open only to current permanent OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 employees and temporary OPSEU Local 576 Unit 1 employees with one year of continuous service.

Reporting to the Manager, Harm Reduction Project, the Health Promoter is responsible for supporting the implementation, delivery, and evaluation of the Integrated Harm Reduction and Mental Health Capacity Building Initiative, funded by the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence & Security (MCURES). This multi-phase initiative is delivered in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University, George Brown Polytechnic, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, and The Neighbourhood Group Community Services.

The Health Promoter will play a key role in advancing project objectives through the development and delivery of health promotion activities, harm reduction education, substance use literacy initiatives, overdose response training, student outreach, resource development, peer engagement, and knowledge dissemination. In addition to supporting the harm reduction initiative, this position contributes to the broader Student Wellbeing portfolio by promoting awareness of and access to student wellness and other student support offices.

The Health Promoter will work collaboratively across Student Wellbeing teams and with community partners to develop and implement health promotion interventions that empower students to increase autonomy over their health and wellbeing.



The incumbent will support the development of integrated care pathways, strengthen referral networks, build partnerships that enhance student support systems, and advocate for equitable access to services. This role contributes to fostering a culture of care grounded in trauma-informed, equity-based, anti-oppressive, health promotion, and harm reduction approaches.

Summary of Responsibilities:

Harm Reduction and Health Promotion, Training and Student Engagement

- Support the development, implementation, and evaluation of harm reduction, substance use literacy, mental health promotion, and overdose response initiatives.
- Co-facilitate workshops with other partner institutions, OCAD staff and students to lead training sessions, presentations, outreach activities, and awareness initiatives for students, staff, and faculty.
- Develop and implement strategies to increase awareness of harm reduction and mental health resources through digital, in-person, and drop-in programming.
- Conduct outreach during key periods including orientation, examinations, and other campus events, which may include evening and/or weekend.
- Respond to student inquiries and provide information, service navigation, and referrals to appropriate campus and community supports.
- Engage and provide day to day guidance to the Peer Health Educator in delivering programming and project deliverables
- Foster welcoming,



inclusive, and non-judgmental spaces that encourage student engagement and help-seeking.

Peer Engagement and Community Partnerships

- Collaborate with the project team, including cross-institutional counterparts, peers and student communities to co-design and deliver outreach initiatives, events, campaigns, and educational content.
- Support the training of peers, including topics such as harm reduction, communication skills, boundaries, confidentiality, de-escalation, and referral pathways.
- Assist with coordination of community partners participating in project activities and events.
- Build and maintain positive working relationships with students, community partners, and cross-institutional stakeholders to support project goals.
- Work with the Manager, Harm Reduction Project to further develop integrated care pathway models.
- Expand the reach of the Student Wellbeing portfolio by reaching out to create referral pathways for students

Knowledge Dissemination and Project Implementation

- Develop and adapt educational materials, resource guides, toolkits, and communications to ensure accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and relevance to diverse student communities.
- Support creation of promotional materials and project communications.
- Assist with planning and coordination of the student-led podcast and related knowledge mobilization activities.
- Support student participation in content development and contribute to dissemination of project resources, findings, and educational materials across institutional channels.
- Participate in project planning, implementation, and delivery of project objectives and deliverables.

📌 Health Promoter, Harm Reduction Project (Toronto)
🏢 OCAD U International
📍 Toronto