Caring Community provides a bridge between health and community through the integration of peers into primary care teams. Peers are individuals with significant life experience who engage as allies in a listening, connecting, and accompanying role in attainment of the life goals set by the individual, at their own pace. The role of peers is distinct from and complementary to those of health care professionals and community workers.

Caring Community is built on the experience of peer support initiatives (e.g., in mental health, addiction, homelessness, for women, seniors, and Indigenous peoples) and distinguishes itself by its holistic health approach, regardless of the person’s age or health conditions.

Piloted since 2017, Caring Community has been the object of a publication in the British Medical Journal, identified as an “emblematic model” of integrated community care by the international consortium TRANSFORM, and recognized as a leading practice by Accreditation Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Portrait of Ghislaine Rouly, patient partner

We invite you to watch a video portrait (in French) of this co-leader of Caring Community, directed by Julien Forest.