SouthCoast COMPEER At UMass Dartmouth

Volunteers serve as positive role models, as they raise self-esteem, increase social and communication skills, and encourage independence for their Compeer friend. The Compeer program, a complement to therapy, reflects the belief that a volunteer's friendship, advocacy and support help to offset the loneliness and fear experienced by those with mental illness and alleviates the stigma often attached to it. The book and movie "The Soloist" is a good example of that.

""Making Friends and Changing Lives" is the vision of Compeer. Compeer recruits, screens, trains, and pairs volunteers to be friends with adolescents and adults experiencing mental illness. Compeer Inc. was started in Rochester, NY over 35 years ago and now has over 80 affiliates. SouthCoast Compeer at UMass Dartmouth is the only one in Massachusetts and the only one based at a university.