“Relationships are key to resiliency.”
This week, we’d like to spotlight our Compeer program and all that it does for the community it serves.
Compeer is a combination of the words ‘companion’ and ‘peer’ and it aptly describes the purpose of the program. A peer becomes a companion to an individual with a mental health diagnosis, intentionally building a relationship with them.
Compeer envisions a day when all communities embrace individuals and their families living with mental health challenges; when prevention begins early with children and their families; when living, learning, working and volunteering in the community is given expression through the social inclusion of all individuals and supported by the power of friendship and hope.
Stigma prevents many people from seeking the help they need. We are discovering that the negativity and misunderstanding that often surrounds mental illness can create fear and cause shame, which in turn causes unnecessary pain and confusion.
Nearly two-thirds of all people with mental health challenges do not seek treatment. Imagine if only one of every three of your friends sought help for a broken arm.
Because they don’t seek help, individuals with mental health concerns often become isolated. The Compeer friendship helps to integrate them into the community and to develop social confidence.
There are many studies that indicate that friendships help improve mental health. In 2008, Community Mental Health Journal (page 28) published the results of a study of the Compeer program. The participants who had Compeer services (in conjunction with other professional care) reported feeling better about themselves and they felt fewer symptoms of their mental illness.
In other words, friendship is good medicine.
We would love to have you as a volunteer! Compeer volunteer opportunities are fun and flexible for any schedule. We have several different types of opportunities available.
To see if Compeer is the right opportunity for you, view the job description. If you want to become involved, you can access the online application form.
We also have a Compeer program specific to veterans. When they are discharged from the military, one of the biggest pieces that veterans leave behind is the feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood. Many Veterans may never experience a bond that comes close for the remainder of their lives. The goal of CompeerCORPS is to help our veterans find that connection and feel what it was like to have a close friend again. Many veterans struggle to find purpose after the military. Our program helps veterans find a sense of purpose again while at the same time helping another Veteran.
For more information on how to volunteer or donate, view our CompeerCorp web page or contact Olga Antonyuk at olga@compeerfriends.org.
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