Beverly Andrews has spent the past four years being a friend to the mentally ill.
Andrews is a volunteer through the Compeer program of the Mental Health Association of Mecklenburg County. The program matches volunteers on a one to one basis with people
who have been diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness. The goal of is to reduce the isolation that often accompanies mental illness.
"I decided to get involved after my daughter saw something about the program on TV," Andrews said. "We went through a training program and then we was assigned someone to
be a friend to. I have had the same friend for four years and now we are working on being a friend to someone who doesn't have a friend assigned through the program."
Compeer began in 1973 in New York in response to the problem of social isolation faced by the mentally ill. There are now 115 program in over 30 states, Australia, the Netherlands and Canada.
Clients are screened and referred to the program by Psychiatric Rehabilitation Counselors of the Continuing Care Division of the Area Mental Health Authority, the agency responsible in
this area for treatment. Compeer referrals are at least 18 years old and come from all backgrounds. Volunteers undergo a three- to four-hour training session and interview to
choose their friend and meet their friend's psychiatric rehabilitation counselor. After the first meeting, volunteers continue to receive training and support through optional second training
sessions and monthly meetings.
"To me, Compeer is about helping someone who has a mental illness to make them feel like
everyone else," Andrews said. "It's a wonderful experience being a Compeer volunteer. It's a good way to get to know people and you can really make a difference."
