Mental Health America of Lancaster County

Mission: To improve the quality of life for people recovering from mental illness through the power and gift of friendship.

Compeer is a based upon a national program model for peer mentoring that has proven research on the impact of a structured friendship to support an individual recovering from mental illness. The model was developed in 1973 and replicated internationally beginning in 1980.

The Compeer Lancaster program is an affiliate of Mental Health America of Lancaster. Compeer Lancaster provides volunteer matches with friends who are recovering from mental illness. Friends are referred by mental health professionals. Volunteers are trained and meet weekly with their friend. The power of the match is that it reduces critical incidents such as hospitalizations, missed work and other issues or detentions which may occur. The volunteer is often the most consistent personal relationship with a friend and encourages social interaction through activities together, and monitors for issues which may require a referral back to a mental health professional.