It's child's play.
History
Compeer was founded in 1973 in Rochester, N.Y., with just 12 volunteers at its start-up. Today, on average, 4,000 volunteers in Compeer locations around the world serve people with mental illness or emotional challenges.
The National Institute of Mental Health chose Compeer as a model program in 1982 and funded the development of similar programs throughout the nation. Today, Compeer is a model mental health organization with 50 locations in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
Routinely recognized as a national model, the agency has received the Presidential Recognition award by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the inaugural Eleanor Roosevelt Community Service award, the Presidential Volunteer Action Award, four Points of Light awards and recognition from the American Psychiatric Association.
Key Milestones
1973 | Mental Health Association in Rochester, N.Y. establishes the Adopt-A-Patient program to enable formerly institutionalized patients to live successfully in the community. |
1976 | Bernice Skirboll is hired as Executive Director and develops Adopt-A-Patient into a community-based mental health support program. |
1977 | The name changes to Compeer to better describe the program. |
1980 | Compeer is chosen as a model program for the state of New York. |
1982 | The National Institute of Mental Health selects Compeer as a national model and provides funding to encourage replication of the model throughout the nation. |
1982 | Compeer receives the Presidential Recognition Award from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. |
1982 | Compeer is featured on Good Morning America. |
1983 | The organization incorporates as Compeer, Inc. |
1983 | The first National Conference, funded by the NIMH grant, is held and results in the startup of eighteen affiliate programs. |
1983 | Compeer receives the Certification of Significant Achievement Award from the American Psychiatric Association. |
1984 | Compeer receives the first New York State Eleanor Roosevelt Community Service Award. |
1984 | President Reagan gives Compeer a Presidential Volunteer Action Award Citation. |
1986 | Compeer Montreal becomes the first Canadian affiliate. |
1989 | President George Bush presents the Presidential Volunteer Service Award to Compeer. |
1991 | NBC Nightly News reports on Compeer in a special feature segment.” |
1992 | Newsweek runs a Special Report on Compeer, “The Power of Friendship.” |
1992 | Compeer establishes its first overseas program in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. |
1996 | Compeer establishes its first affiliate in Sydney, Australia. |
1997 | Points of Light Foundation chooses Compeer as a Connect America Partner. |
1998 | Bernice Skirboll presents at the first Conference on Mental Health held at the White House in Washington, D.C. |
2001 | Boston University research study begins on the efficacy of adult Compeer relationships. |
2001 | Compeer Regional Representatives developed a list of “Best Practices” to serve as program standards and benchmarks for future program development. Affiliate workshops were conducted around Best Practices at the 2002 Compeer International Conference in Pittsburgh. |
2001 | Bernice Skirboll and the international impact of Compeer are featured in the Rochester Review, a publication of the University of Rochester. |
2002 | Compeer receives the Eli Lilly Reintegration Award for social integration. |
2003 | Bernice Skirboll presents the Compeer Program at the World Federation on Mental Health Conference in Melbourne, Australia. |
2004 | Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents services begins through the Department of Health and Human Services, Family and Youth Services Bureau grant. |
2005 | An American Psychological Association task force highlights the Compeer Model as a best practices model for recovery in its publication, “Training and Best Practices for Recovery and Improved Outcomes for People with Serious Mental Illness.” |
2005 | Australia becomes the first country outside the U.S. to host the International Compeer Conference. |
2006 | Compeer: Recovery Through the Healing Power of Friends by Bernice Skirboll is published by the University of Rochester Press. |
2007 | Compeer Sydney receives the National Australia Bank Volunteer Award, a statewide recognition, for best practice in volunteer. |
2008 | Boston University research study is published |
2008 | Compeer Youth Programs in Kansas are named Gold Star programs by Kansas Mentors. The award is given to mentoring partners who maintain standards that ensure a quality mentoring experience. |
2010 | Compeer Founder Bernice Skirboll is featured in Kaleidoscope, a publication of The College at Brockport, S.U.N.Y. in an article entitled “Bunny Skirboll: A Life Built Around Friendship” |
2010 | Compeer begins pilot CompeerCORPS program. |
2012 | Australia hosts strategic visioning conference with President/CEO of Compeer |
2012 | Compeer for Seniors, an older adult service of Compeer Greater Buffalo, wins the 2012 Eli Lilly Reintegration Award for Social Support |
2013 | Compeer celebrates 40 years of healing through the power of friendship and 40 years of success of the award-winning Compeer Model. |
2013 | The Award-winning Compeer Model is included in the SAMHSA National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
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2015 | "Friendship is Good Medicine” article about Compeer is published in the Winter edition of Behavioral Health News. |
2016 | Compeer Inc. and Compeer Buffalo merge. Buffalo, N.Y. is now the headquarters for Compeer International and Compeer Buffalo. |
2019 | Compeer Inc. awarded $1.8M from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention |