|
|
Volunteers Needed for Compeer of
|
|
|
The Compeer Vision
The vision of Compeer is to serve as a complement to
mental-health treatment through social integration for every person who
is diagnosed with a mental illness or an emotional challenge that wants
and needs help, in every community around the world.
Compeer of Kanawha Valley matches caring volunteers with adults in mental health
recovery. Our hope is that these supportive friendships will give
participants a feeling of being connected to their community, encourage
socialization, overall well being and improvements in recovery.
These friendships give hope, hope to living well.
|
|
|
|
How to Help
The best way you can help us is
to become a Compeer volunteer and be matched with a person recovering
from mental illness. The friendship you can provide can help
individuals in your community continue onto recovery. Your financial
support will also be greatly appreciated.
Season
Lewis
Compeer
of Kanawha Valley is funded in part by WV Department of Health and
Human Resources.
|
|
|
Dear Colleague:
Do you have a few hours a month to give back to your
community? Then Compeer of Kanawha Valley may be
the volunteer opportunity for you!
|
|
|
What is Compeer?
Compeer
Inc. is an international, non-profit organization that helps adults
and children overcome the devastating effects of mental illness, such
as loneliness, isolation and low self-esteem - through the power of
friendship. Compeer was
founded in 1973 in Rochester, NY and it started with just 12 volunteers. Compeer volunteer-based programs and
services, which serve as a complement to therapy, provide supportive
friendships for people in mental-health care - helping them on their
recovery journey.
Compeer
is recognized as a best-practices model by the American Psychological
Association (APA). The
National Institute of Mental Health chose Compeer as a model program
in 1982 and funded the development of similar programs throughout the
nation. Compeer is a model
mental health organization with nearly 100 locations in the U.S.,
Canada and Australia.
Compeer
has more than 80 chapters across the country and around the
world. Compeer of Kanawha Valley
is one of only two chapters in West Virginia. Approximately 6,500 adults and
children served worldwide.
Nearly 5,000 volunteers worldwide provide 190,000 volunteer
hours annually.
|
|
The Compeer Model
The Compeer Model has the following key
elements:
- All
consumers must be referred to the program by a mental health
professional
- The
consumer must be at a point in their recovery that they can
participate in a friendship relationship
- The
consumer must choose to participate in the program
- The
consumer must be in mental health therapy during the length of
the match
- Volunteers
are friends/mentors. They do not provide any mental health
advice. All mental health questions are referred to the
consumer's mental health professional or Compeer staff.
|
|
Why Compeer?
Mental illnesses affect children, adolescents, adults,
and older Americans of all ethnic and racial groups, both sexes, and
all educational and socioeconomic levels. No one is immune from the
risk of mental illness. Approximately 40 million Americans aged 15 to
54 experience some type of mental illness each year, an estimated 8
million of whom will have both a mental illness and a substance use
disorder.
Recently published articles in the Charleston Gazette
and other publications have brought to light the persistent
overcrowding problems at West Virginia's mental health
hospitals.
Compeer of Kanawha Valley will help to alleviate the overcrowding problems and
lower the readmission rates at mental health hospitals by providing
outreach and friendship relationships to patients who are ready to be
discharged to the community and who are currently residing in the
community. This approach will
provide a form of community support and social contact that will
connect discharged patients to their communities. A feeling or sense of being
"connected to the community" will also result in decreased
readmission rates of discharged patients.
|
|
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Kanawha Institute for Social Research & Action,
Inc. (KISRA)
|
|
|
