PeerOnCall: Making peer support more accessible in workplaces everywhere
TORONTO, June 3, 2025 /CNW/ - Stress, burnout and mental health challenges can affect employees in any field—whether on the front lines of healthcare and emergency response or managing teams in various high-pressure industries, including sectors like education and social services. But finding the right support at the right time isn't always easy.
PeerOnCall, a digital peer support application created to enhance mental health and wellness in the workplace, is helping to change that.
Now owned and operated by Stepped Care Solutions (SCS), the platform has been redesigned to integrate into a broader range of workforces–offering timely, relatable support by connecting employees with trained peers from within their own organization and meeting people where they are, when they need it most.
"PeerOnCall represents a significant shift in how workplaces approach mental health," said AnnMarie Churchill, President and Lead Executive Officer of Stepped Care Solutions. "By facilitating peer connections in an anonymous, secure, easy-to-use platform, we are helping organizations build a culture of psychological safety and early support."
Through its focus on accessible mental health information and peer connection, PeerOnCall enables employees to navigate work-related stress and mental health challenges in a confidential, secure and supportive space. Users can connect with trained peers who understand their experiences, offering a safe alternative to conventional mental health services.
Key features of PeerOnCall
Applicable across sectors: Can be adopted by workplaces in a variety of industries, but with customized content and resources to ensure relevance.
Peer support matching: Personalized connection options based on job roles, experiences, and language.
Flexible wellness tracking: Allows employees to log their wellbeing and track progress over time.
Security Features: Ensures private, anonymous peer communication via text or phone.
Workplace Insights: Enables administrators to monitor activity levels and identify potential workplace issues early via usage trends.
Research-informed and purpose-driven
PeerOnCall was initially co-designed and researched by Dr. Sandra Moll at McMaster University, in collaboration with organizational leaders, frontline service providers and leading researchers in the Canadian public safety community, including Drs. Nicholas Carleton, Joy MacDermid, Stephen Czarnuch, Renée MacPhee and Rose Ricciardelli. This collaborative co-design and testing process also involved the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment, and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) with input from Public Safety Canada. Funding support came from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, DRDC, Movember, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Today, Stepped Care Solutions leads the platform's implementation and future development using a cost-recovery model. Researchers—including those at McMaster University—will continue to use PeerOnCall to explore the value of mobile health technology and peer support within the public safety community.
Building on its expertise in mental health and substance use health system transformation and the Stepped Care 2.0® model, SCS is expanding PeerOnCall's capabilities to serve a broader workforce, while maintaining its strong, evidence-based foundation.
"We are excited to keep studying the implementation and impact of PeerOnCall as an innovative tool to address workplace mental health," said Sandra Moll, Professor, School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University. "Building on the learning to date about peer support in public safety will inform expansion into a broader range of workplace settings. It also provides an opportunity for ongoing systematic evaluation regarding the role of mobile technology in fostering healthier work environments."
"Expanding peer support into more diverse organizational settings is a critical part of building healthier, more responsive workplaces," said Maggie Inrig – Senior Director of Population Mental Health Innovation at Stepped Care Solutions. "As we continue to develop PeerOnCall, we're guided by data-informed insights and the understanding that every organization is unique. Our goal is to support scalable, tailored peer support programs that make a real impact on workplace wellness."
Stepped Care Solutions (SCS) is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization, and the creators of Stepped Care 2.0 (SC2.0®)—an innovative and transformative model that leverages collaboration and technology to enhance mental health and substance use health systems. SCS exists to help organizations and communities reframe, rethink, and redesign mental health service delivery for better access and outcomes.
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