Enhancing rehabilitation through mutual aid: outreach to people with recent amputations.

Social workers in a rehabilitation hospital established an outreach service through which volunteers with previous amputations visited patients with recent amputations, acting as role models and offering emotional support and information. Volunteers received in-depth training and continued with their own system of support. Patients who were visited had strong positive responses to the program. Critical components of the program were developing a collaborative partnership between volunteers and social workers; demonstrating credibility to health care professionals; linking emotional support, information, and affirmation; providing benefits to both patient and volunteer; and strengthening linkages among patient, community, and institution.