Befrienders are carefully selected volunteers, from a variety of organisations and mental health

Mental health

Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...

 charities, who are trained to provide support and companionship to lonely, or emotionally distressed, people. Befrienders will usually visit for an hour or so per week. The meeting is usually arranged to suit the person's needs, either at home, or at a neutral venue. Some befriending schemes include social events, creative classes, or self help group

Support group

In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic...

s.

Selection

Training can take upwards of 10 weeks before a befriender is allocated a case. During the befriending process, continuous support is provided, through regular group meetings and individual meetings with a coordinator. Befrienders assignments are chosen on the basis of ethnicity, gender

Gender

Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...

 (normally same sex as the person requiring help), age and specific needs of the befriendee.

Effectiveness

Unlike professional carers, such as social workers, befrienders can become emotionally involved with their case, which often results in a more positive outcome as they are able to engage at a much deeper level.

See also

• Peer support
• Peer support specialist
  Peer support specialist
  -Peer Recovery Support Specialist:A Peer Recovery Support Specialist is an occupational title for a person who has progressed in their own recovery from alcohol or other drug abuse or mental disorder and is willing to self-identify as a peer and work to assist other individuals with chemical...