Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Timeline
Generic

Mike Roberts

Vancouver,BC

Summary

After working for about ten years in the convention industry, in February 2023 I started on the road to certification as a Peer Support Worker, which I achieved in February 2025.

Specific to doing work in this field, I have first-hand knowledge of some of the issues that my potential clients might face: namely substance abuse and its recognized effects: isolation, depression and anxiety, remorse and regret, shame and guilt, etc.

Through several decades of battling with Alcohol Use Disorder myself, I have become intimate with all of the above symptoms/causes, and by also working to find compassion, not judgment, for myself, I believe I'm equipped to benefit others by showing them that same compassion.

After intense effort and three stays at three different rehab centres, I achieved complete sobriety by October 2023. Using healthy coping mechanisms, I now no longer feel any threat to my sobriety and am ready to begin working as a Peer Support Worker.

Overview

11
11
years of professional experience

Work History

Peer Support Worker

Thrive Leisure & Recreation Services
01.2025 - 02.2025
  • This paid, four-week supervised practicum allowed me to apply classroom learning to real-world situations. It offered the opportunity to improve client well-being by sharing personal experiences, coping strategies, and resources in a relatable manner. I encouraged my client's self-discovery through guided reflection exercises.
  • My responsibility was to choose and present the material for a four-session workshop of my making.
  • According to my supervisor, feedback from the workshop participants was overwhelmingly positive. I was reported to be engaged, a good listener, and someone who could hold space for them when they needed to be heard.
  • Given this feedback, I feel that I've benefited enough from my own experience of addiction, recovery and self-care, as well as the course material, to be ready to go out into the field.
  • I'm still participating in peer-led, ongoing training to stay current on best practices in mental health and substance abuse support services.

Food Delivery Driver & Kitchen Prep Worker

HAVE Culinary Training Society
02.2023 - 03.2024
  • Most of my experience at HAVE was delivering meals by car to vulnerable populations at B.C. Housing and mental health facilities in the Lower Mainland. This brought me an understanding of compassion, patience and holding space for the folks I interacted with during my deliveries.
  • This work also instilled in me the idea that I might be a good advocate for my customers, which led to a successful application for Peer Support Worker training at Thrive, which started in April 2024 and was completed with a paid practicum ending in February 2025.

Convention Worker

UNIFOR #1928
09.2013 - 02.2023
  • As a member of UNIFOR #1928, I provided on-site support during special events such as keynote speeches or panel discussions. More generally I worked as part of a team setting up and tearing down facilities according to plans provided, ensuring a professional atmosphere for convention attendees.
  • After almost ten years, the work's sometimes heavy physicality became too taxing. Also, the job's repetitive and impersonal nature became increasingly unappealing.
  • These considerations led me to make a successful application to HAVE Culinary Training Society, where I started as a vehicle delivery driver in February 2023.

Education

Some College (No Degree) - Arts

Carleton University
Ottawa, ON

Peer Support Worker Certification - Peer Support Worker Training

Thrive Leisure & Recreation Services
Vancouver, BC
02-2025

Skills

  • I'm able to remain calm
  • I'm able to hold space
  • I have a good understanding of the phrase "Not why the addiction, but why the pain"
  • I have a good understanding of the phrase "The opposite of addiction is not sobriety, but connection"
  • I understand that addiction is a toxic response to a person's most important needs going unmet These needs can range through the physical, psychological, and spiritual realms
  • While preparing and executing my practicum, I gained experience collaborating with Thrive staff to assemble the material
  • My practicum, which I named "Making Mindfulness", gave me experience with teaching stress reduction techniques
  • I have volunteer experience teaching English as a Second Language through the UBC Learning Annex

Certification

Thrive- Peer Support Worker Training Program/ 2024

UBC Learning Annex- Volunteer Teaching English as a Second Language/ 2013

Timeline

Peer Support Worker

Thrive Leisure & Recreation Services
01.2025 - 02.2025

Food Delivery Driver & Kitchen Prep Worker

HAVE Culinary Training Society
02.2023 - 03.2024

Convention Worker

UNIFOR #1928
09.2013 - 02.2023

Some College (No Degree) - Arts

Carleton University

Peer Support Worker Certification - Peer Support Worker Training

Thrive Leisure & Recreation Services

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Mike Roberts