PeerWorks
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersRichmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
PeerWorks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PeerWorks
- Legal name
- PeerWorks
- Website
- https://peerworks.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where PeerWorks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond Hill, Ontario
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PeerWorks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees ranging from $60 for individuals to $350 for organizations, providing revenue and membership benefits.
- Government Funding (Ontario Health Transfer Payment Agreement): PeerWorks receives funding through a Transfer Payment Agreement (TPA) with Ontario Health to support member CSIs and PSOs.
- Federal Research Grants: PeerWorks receives federal grants for research projects, including SSHRC and CIHR funding for ethics code development and knowledge mobilization.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual membership for peer support providers |
| Subscription | Annual | General membership for peer-led organizations |
| Subscription | Annual | Affiliate membership for non-mental health peer support organizations |
| Subscription | Annual | Associate membership for advocacy organizations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
PeerWorks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PeerWorks is a not-for-profit membership-based organization that delivers the PeerWorks Peer Support Core Essentials Program, a 17-module foundational training curriculum for peer supporters, and provides advocacy, professional development, and resources to Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs) and Peer Support Organizations (PSOs) across Ontario. Revenue comes primarily from annual membership fees and a Transfer Payment Agreement with Ontario Health, supplemented by federal research grants.
Product overview
PeerWorks is a not-for-profit membership-based organization that serves as Ontario's provincial voice for peer support and Consumer/Survivor Initiatives. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a unified software product. Its core offering is the PeerWorks Peer Support Core Essentials Program, a comprehensive 17-module training program for peer supporters delivered via live webinars. Supporting offerings include webinars on specialized topics (eating disorders, trauma-informed practice, advocacy), annual conferences, the NewsToGo weekly newsletter, Lighthouse Awards recognition program, policy and advocacy resources, and research materials. The organization also provides member services including organizational and individual membership categories. The various programs work together to strengthen, amplify, and deepen diverse peer voices across Ontario through community building, information-sharing, collaboration, advocacy, and education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Peer Support Core Essentials Program™: A foundational training program for peer supporters developed through extensive consultation with Consumer/Survivor Initiatives and Peer Support Organizations across Ontario. The program involves 17 two-hour live webinars led by PSC certified trainers.
- NewsToGo
- Lighthouse Awards
Products and services
- PeerWorks Peer Support Core Essentials Program A foundational 17-module training program of two-hour live webinars covering topics from Introduction to Peer Support through Crisis Response, Trauma Informed Practice, Advocacy, and Group Facilitation. Developed in consultation with CSIs and PSOs across Ontario. Participants can earn Level 1, Level 1R, or PeerWorks Certified Peer Supporter certificates. Delivered by Peer Support Canada certified trainers.
- PeerWorks Organizational and Individual Memberships Annual membership program with four tiers: Individual ($60/year for peer support providers), General ($250/year for peer-led Consumer/Survivor Initiatives and Peer Support Organizations), Affiliate ($350/year for non-mental-health peer support organizations), and Associate ($350/year for advocacy organizations). Memberships provide access to training, resources, networking, and provincial advocacy representation.
- Annual Peer Support Conference Annual conference bringing together peer supporters, advocates, leaders, and changemakers across Ontario, including the Lighthouse Awards ceremony and archive of past presentations. The 2025 edition was co-hosted with Peer Support Canada.
Quantifiable outcome
- 600+ trained peer supporters through the Peer Support Core Essentials Program
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use PeerWorks
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PeerWorks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
PeerWorks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Empowering Community Minds (ECM) CollaborativeminorECM brings together Institute for Advancements in Mental Health, Community Family Services of Ontario, Hope + Me - Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, Fred Victor, Ontario Brain Injury Association, and Ontario Peer Development Initiative. Created to pool resources during COVID-19 to support increasing mental health needs.
- Ontario HealthcorePeerWorks receives funding through a Transfer Payment Agreement (TPA) with Ontario Health to support over 50 local CSIs, PSOs, and other programs across Ontario.
- Laurentian University (School of Social Work)coreResearch partnership with Tanya Shute at Laurentian University's School of Social Work to conduct a study on data collection needs and practices of Ontario CSIs. The research aims to strengthen evidence for CSI service effectiveness.
- Peer Support CanadacoreNational collaboration on federal grants for developing a national Code of Ethics for Peer Support. Co-hosting conferences and collaborative workshops. PeerWorks and Peer Support Canada work together on advocacy, training standards, and sector strengthening.
- St. Joseph's Health SystemcoreCollaboration on ethics research with Dr. Lee de Bie. St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton hosts one of the largest peer support programs. The research team includes expertise from St. Joseph's Health System and McMaster University.
- McMaster UniversitycoreCollaboration with Dr. Lee de Bie from McMaster University (School of Social Work) on federal grants for national Code of Ethics development.
- Ontario Ministry of HealthcoreCSIs receive funding from the Ministry of Health as part of the provincial mental health system, with PeerWorks advocating for increased recognition and support.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PeerWorks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): Canada's largest mental health and addictions teaching hospital and research centre based in Toronto, Ontario. Comparable to PeerWorks as a major Ontario mental health organization and frequent collaborator through St. Joseph's peer support research partnerships, though CAMH operates clinical services and research at much larger scale.
- Mental Health Commission of Canada: National policy and research body focused on improving mental health systems in Canada. Comparable to PeerWorks in mental health sector advocacy and policy work, though MHCC is federally funded and concentrates on system-level change rather than peer support training delivery.
- Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): National mental health charity providing a broad range of mental health services across Canada through provincial divisions. Comparable to PeerWorks as a major mental health organization, though CMHA is much larger and offers clinical and community services beyond the peer support focus.
- Mood Disorders Society of Canada: National mental health charity supporting people affected by mood disorders through peer support, advocacy, and education. Comparable to PeerWorks in mental health advocacy and lived-experience focus at a national level rather than a single province.
- Schizophrenia Society of Canada: National mental health charity focused on schizophrenia and psychotic disorders through education, advocacy, and peer support programs across provincial divisions. Comparable to PeerWorks in mental health peer support and provincial affiliate structure, though focused on a specific diagnostic condition.
Regional players
- Institute for Advancements in Mental Health (IAMH): Mental health non-profit offering education, research, and advocacy programs across Canada with Ontario roots. Comparable to PeerWorks in mental health support and lived-experience focus, and is a partner organization within the ECM Collaborative.
- Empowerment Council: British Columbia-based peer-run mental health advocacy organization led by people with lived experience of mental health issues. Comparable to PeerWorks in peer-led advocacy model and lived-experience governance structure, though operating in BC rather than Ontario.
- Hope + Me - Mood Disorders Association of Ontario: Ontario-based mental health organization supporting people with mood disorders through peer support groups and education programs. Comparable to PeerWorks in Ontario-based peer support delivery and provincial advocacy, and is a partner organization within the ECM Collaborative.
- Addictions and Mental Health Ontario: Provincial advocacy organization representing mental health and addictions service providers across Ontario. Comparable to PeerWorks in provincial mental health advocacy scope and Ontario geographic focus, though its members are service provider organizations rather than peer-led initiatives.
Direct peers
- Peer Support Canada: National peer support organization that develops training and certification standards for peer supporters across Canada. Directly comparable to PeerWorks as both focus on training, advocacy, and credentialing of peer support workers, with Peer Support Canada operating nationally while PeerWorks operates in Ontario; the two organizations co-host conferences and collaborate on national ethics code development.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PeerWorks social profiles
Digital presencePeerWorks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PeerWorks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
PeerWorks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PeerWorks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PeerWorks
What does PeerWorks do?
PeerWorks is a not-for-profit membership-based organization that delivers the PeerWorks Peer Support Core Essentials Program, a 17-module foundational training curriculum for peer supporters, and provides advocacy, professional development, and resources to Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs) and Peer Support Organizations (PSOs) across Ontario. Revenue comes primarily from annual membership fees and a Transfer Payment Agreement with Ontario Health, supplemented by federal research grants.
Is PeerWorks a public or private company?
PeerWorks is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PeerWorks founded?
PeerWorks was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PeerWorks based?
PeerWorks is headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, in the North America region.
How does PeerWorks make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are government Funding (Ontario Health Transfer Payment Agreement) and federal Research Grants.
Who are PeerWorks's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Mental Health Commission of Canada, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Mood Disorders Society of Canada and Schizophrenia Society of Canada. Regional players are Institute for Advancements in Mental Health (IAMH), Empowerment Council, Hope + Me - Mood Disorders Association of Ontario and Addictions and Mental Health Ontario. Peer Support Canada is listed as a direct peer.
Does PeerWorks have an API?
No public API is recorded for PeerWorks.