The Lancet Psychiatry has an article about London, England’s Maytree Suicide Respite Centre, “a charity and sanctuary for people in suicidal crisis.” The Centre runs with a few paid staff and nearly a hundred volunteers.
“Our main aim”, Maytree’s Director tells The Lancet, “is to make a significant contribution to the prevention of suicide. And we do it in a very unique way. There’s a strength to not being medical. Our focus is very much on volunteers befriending the guests, which guests get a lot out of. Knowing that somebody’s rocked up to support them without getting paid for it–there’s something quite touching about that.”
Mohammadi, Dara. “Under the Maytree.” The Lancet Psychiatry 2, no. 6 (June 2015): 494–95. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00244-8. (Full text)
