To connect adults who have mental health disorders with caring, trained volunteers, thereby maximizing community participation and helping people recognize their full potential.

We match volunteers in friendships with men and women living with mental health conditions who can benefit from socializing and getting out in the community. Compeer Chester County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer-based program that matches caring adults with men and women who daily deal with mental health challenges. Each volunteer befriends one person of the same gender.

Sharing activities and conversation with a supportive friend has been shown to help a person with a mental health diagnosis feel more positive and hopeful -- and less isolated. Friendships build confidence and boost self-esteem, both vital for someone on their road toward recovery.

The word "compeer" means peer, equal, companion. Matched "compeers" decide together what activities to participate in during their time together each month.

Compeer is a program of Mental Health Partnerships, supported by the Chester County Department of Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (MH/IDD) and private donations.

Compeer's vision is that way people view persons with mental illness will be changed; persons in mental health recovery will feel more included in their communities, and their lives will be transformed by connecting them with one real friend.

http://www.compeerchesco.org