BECOME BECOME BECOME A COMPEER A COMPEER A COMPEER VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER
FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS HELPING HELPING HELPING FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS
The The St Vincent The St Vincent St de Vincent Paul de Paul Society de Paul Society plays Society plays a vital plays a vital a vital role role in advocating role in advocating in advocating for and for and on forbehalf and on behalf onofbehalf the of the of the mostmost disadvantaged. most disadvantaged. disadvantaged. We recognise We recognise We recognise that that that many many of many these of these of people these people have people have a mental have a mental aillness mental illness illness and and are often and are often are socially often socially disadvantaged. socially disadvantaged. disadvantaged. Are Are Are you you interested you interested interested in changing in changing in changing theirtheirtheir experience? experience? experience? JoinJoin a volunteer Join a volunteer a volunteer organisation organisation organisation that that values that values values youryour contribution your contribution contribution and and offers and offers great offers great personal great personal personal rewards. rewards. rewards. Compeer Compeer Compeer staffstaff will staff also will also will provide also provide provide ongoing ongoing ongoing support support for support you for you and for you and yourand your newyour newnew friend. friend. friend. STEP STEP ONE: STEP ONE: JOIN ONE: JOINJOIN x Complete x Complete x Complete a volunteer a volunteer a volunteer application application application form,form,form, including including including threethree referees. three referees. referees. x Attend x Attend x an Attend interview an interview an interview and and complete and complete complete a a a criminal criminal criminal history history check. history check. check. x Attend x Attend x Compeer Attend Compeer Compeer training training sessions. training sessions. sessions. x
x x
x
STEP STEP TWO: STEP TWO: MATCH TWO: MATCH MATCH Volunteers x Volunteers x Volunteers and and friends and friends are friends matched are matched are matched on on on the basis the basis the of basis gender, of gender, of age, gender, age, location age, location location and and and interests. interests. interests. STEP STEP THREE: STEP THREE: THREE: MEET MEET MEET Meet x Meet xtheMeet referring the referring the referring health health care health carecare professional professional professional for additional for additional for additional information. information. information. The x The health x The health professional health professional professional will then will then will then introduce introduce introduce you you to your you to your friend. to your friend. friend. STEP STEP FOUR: STEP FOUR: ENJOY FOUR: ENJOY ENJOY Spend x Spend x time Spend time withtime with yourwith your Compeer your Compeer Compeer friend friend friend every every week every week or week fortnight. or fortnight. or fortnight. Get Get to know Get to know to know eacheach other each other and other and haveand have fun.have fun. fun.
Experience Experience Experience the the the Power Power Power ofofof Friendship Friendship Friendship ….Simply ….Simply ….Simply byby being by being being there there there
Compeer Compeer Compeer is anisaward anisaward anwinning award winning volunteering winning volunteering volunteering program program program that that helps that helps break helps break down break down thedown stigma the stigma the stigma associated associated associated with with mental with mental illness, mental illness, through illness, through through friendship friendship friendship and and social and social support. social support. support. Use Use the Use power the power theofpower your of your friendship of your friendship friendship to help to help to help someone, someone, someone, isolated isolated isolated through through mental through mental illness, mental illness, illness, live alive happier alive happier a more happier more satisfying more satisfying satisfying life. life. life. A small A small gift A small of giftyour of giftyour time of your time cantime can make can make a world make a world a world of difference of difference of difference to someone to someone to someone whowho is lonely. who is lonely. is lonely. Contact Contact Contact the the Compeer theCompeer Compeer the Compeer Program: Program: Program: Contact Program: GPO Box 1804, ADELAIDE GPOGPO Box GPO Box 1804, Box 1804, ADELAIDE 1804, ADELAIDE ADELAIDE Ph: (08) (08) 8112 8722 Ph: Ph: Ph:(08) 8112 (08) 8112 8722 8112 87228722 Fax: (08) 8112 8798 Fax:Fax: (08) Fax: (08) 8112 (08) 8112 8798 8112 87988798 Email: compeer@svdpsa.org.au Email: Email: compeer@svdpsa.org.au Email: compeer@svdpsa.org.au compeer@svdpsa.org.au
Compeer proudly supported by the Compeer Compeer Compeer isisproudly is proudly is supported proudly supported supported by by St the by St the St St Vincent Vincent de Paul Society in SA. Vincent de Vincent Paul de Paul Society de Paul Society in Society SA. in SA. in SA.
COMPEER COMPEER COMPEER COMPEER The The Compeer Program matches people Compeer Program matches people The Compeer Program matches people The living Compeer Program matches people with a mental illness with friendship living with a mental illness with friendship living with a mental illness with friendship livingfrom with mental illness with friendship aacaring volunteer. Compeer is a is a from a caring volunteer. Compeer from a caring volunteer. Compeer is a fromSpecial a caring volunteer. isde a Paul Work of the St Special Work ofCompeer theVincent St Vincent de Paul Special Work of the St Vincent de Paul Special Work the St and Vincent Paul Society inofSA offers thedefollowing Society inand SA offers the following Society in SA and offers the following Society in SA and offers the following program. program. program.program. FaceFace to Face Friends – volunteers and and to Face Friends – volunteers Face to Face – volunteers and Facefriends to Face Friends –Friends volunteers and activities. meet for regular social activities. friends meet for regular social friends meet for regular social activities. friends meet for regular social activities. Mental illness is often misunderstood in our Mental illness is often misunderstood in our Mentalis illness is often misunderstood in our Mental illness often misunderstood in health our health community and people with with mental community and people mental community and people with mental health community andcan people withthemselves mental facing health problems find find themselves problems can facing problems can find themselves facing problems can find loneliness andthemselves despair, yetfacing rejection, at a at a loneliness and despair, yet rejection, loneliness and despair, yet rejection, at a loneliness despair, yet rejection, at a timetime ofand greatest vulnerability. of greatest vulnerability. time of greatest vulnerability. time of greatest vulnerability. The The Compeer model is based on the Compeer model is based on simple the simple The that Compeer model on the simple The premise Compeer model is basedisis on simple “friendship abased powerful premise that “friendship isthe a powerful premise thatsteady “friendship is aand powerful premise that “friendship areliable powerful medicine.” One caring medicine.” One is steady reliable and caring medicine.” One steady reliable and caring medicine.” One steady reliable caring companion can can make a great difference to to companion make aand great difference companion makedifference a great difference to companion can a great to people whomake are can experiencing mental people who are experiencing mental people who are experiencing mental people who are experiencing mental illness. illness. illness. illness.
WHO AREARE COMPEER VOLUNTEERS? WHO COMPEER VOLUNTEERS? WHO ARE COMPEER VOLUNTEERS? WHO ARE COMPEER VOLUNTEERS? x People fromfrom all walks of life, x People all walks of nationalities, life, nationalities, xfrom People from all walks of life, nationalities, x People all walks of life, nationalities, religions and regions of Adelaide. religions and regions of Adelaide. andof regions of Adelaide. religions religions and regions Adelaide. x People whowho are friendly, accepting, x People are friendly, accepting, xwho People areand friendly, accepting, x People are who friendly, accepting, emotionally mature ableable to make a a emotionally mature and to make emotionally mature and able emotionally mature and able to make to a make a longlong term commitment. term commitment. term commitment. long termlong commitment. x People wanting an opportunity for for x People wanting an opportunity xwanting People wanting for a x People an opportunity personal growth andan to opportunity potentially make personal growth and tofor potentially make a personal growth and to potentially personal growthtoand potentially make a make a difference another person’s life. life. difference toto another person’s difference to person’s another person’s life. difference to another life.
WHAT WILL WE WE DO DO TOGETHER? WHAT WILL TOGETHER? WHATWE WILL DO TOGETHER? WHAT WILL DO WE TOGETHER? x
x x
x
x
Ongoing support is offered to volunteers by by Ongoing support is offered to volunteers Ongoing support is one offered to by Compeer staff through to one contact Compeer through one tovolunteers one Ongoing support is staff offered to volunteers by contact Compeer staff through one to one contact Compeer staff one tomeetings onemeetings contact . andthrough peerpeer support . and support and peer support meetings. and peer support meetings.
WHO AREARE COMPEER FRIENDS? WHO COMPEER FRIENDS? WHO AREhave FRIENDS? People who have aCOMPEER diagnosed mental illness WHO ARE COMPEER FRIENDS? People who a diagnosed mental illness People who have a diagnosed mental illness (such ashave schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, People who diagnosed mental illness (such as aschizophrenia, bipolar disorder, as bipolar disorder, orschizophrenia, anxiety) and disorder, are involved in in (suchdepression as (such schizophrenia, bipolar depression or anxiety) and are involved depression or anxiety) and are involved in ongoing health treatment, and who who are depression ormental anxiety) and are involved in and ongoing mental health treatment, are ongoing mental health treatment, and who are isolated andhealth in need of a friend. ongoing mental who are isolated and intreatment, need of aand friend. isolated and in need of a friend. isolated and in need of a friend. Compeer friends are referred to the by by Compeer friends are referred toprogram the program friends are(e.g. referred tomanager, the program by theirCompeer health professional case Compeer friends are referred to the program by their health professional (e.g. case manager, their health professional (e.g. case manager, worker, nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist, their social health professional (e.g. case manager, social worker, nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist, socialnurse, worker, nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist, GP) social worker, psychiatrist, psychologist, GP) GP) GP)
x Volunteers and and theirtheir matched friend x Volunteers matched friend x Volunteers their matched Volunteers andweekly their matched friend meet weekly or and fortnightly for afor afriend meet or fortnightly meetorof weekly or fortnightly for a meetminimum weekly fortnightly formonth. a month. 4 of hours per minimum 4 hours per minimum of 4 hours per month. minimum of 4 hours per month. x A month commitment is is x twelve A twelve month commitment x Amonth twelve month commitment is A twelve commitment is required from volunteers. required from volunteers. required from volunteers. required from volunteers. x Volunteers and and friends decide x Volunteers friends decide x Volunteers and friends Volunteers andwhere friends decide when, where and what theydecide will do, when, and what they will do, when, where when, where and whatand theywhat will they do, will do, together. together. together.together. x Activities maymay include: Coffee and and a a x Activities include: Coffee x Activities may Coffee include: Coffee Activities may include: and chat, playing sport, watching aa aand a chat, playing sport, watching chat, playing watching a chat,movie, playing sport, watching aor many taking up asport, hobby movie, taking up a hobby or many movie, taking up a hobby or many movie, taking up a hobby many other activities or opportunities other activities oror opportunities other activities or opportunities othertogether. activities or opportunities together. together.together. x Attend Compeer social gatherings x Attend Compeer social gatherings x Compeer Attend Compeer social gatherings Attend together. together.social gatherings together.together. The The key key is building the relationship is building the relationship The key isfun building theother’s relationship The key is and building thein relationship and having each having fun in each other’s and having fun in each and having funcompany. in each other’s other’s company. company. company.