Description

The next session of the Department of Psychiatry's Summer Brown Bag Series will take place on August 6th at noon! Join Sara Passamonte and Elliott Rizzo of Compeer for "The Power of 1: How Mentoring Multiplies," a discussion of the mutual benefits of mentoring relationships, volunteerism, and the Compeer model of friendship and peer support as a complement to clinical support in recovery.

CEUs and CMEs available.

Click here to register. 

Speakers: 

Sara Passamonte was born and raised in Rochester, NY within a family of musicians.  She obtained a bachelor’s in psychology from Nazareth College in 2005 after completing a summer internship at Compeer Rochester. After being employed in multiple roles at Compeer post-graduation, Sara became the Director of Programs in 2014 and assumed the role of President in January 2020. In this first year, Sara led the organization through the challenges of COVID-19 and the social justice movement, taking every opportunity to keep mental health in the spotlight. Sara was honored as a member of Rochester Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” in 2021 and “Women of Excellence” in 2024. Sara previously served on the Monroe County Youth Bureau Board, serves on the Crossroads of Caring Advisory Council, the OMNES IPA Board of Managers, the board of the Monroe Avenue Merchants Association and maintains ongoing collaborative efforts with other nonprofits in the area. Sara is trained in Critical Incident Management, Advancing Youth Development, and Trauma-Informed Care. She is a local musician, singing lead vocals for Pass X The Krooks, and a long-time Compeer volunteer.  

Elliott Rizzo was born and raised in Rochester, NY, and graduated high school in the RCSD.  Driven by a deep passion for helping others, they began their career in volunteerism at the Susan B. Anthony Museum at age 14. Since then, they have volunteered with multiple organizations promoting community, including Grupo Cultural Latinos En Rochester, The United Way of Greater Rochester, Literacy Rochester, and Jellybloom Events. They connected Compeer as a volunteer mentor in the Youth Program in 2022, later being hired as the Program Manager in August 2024. Elliott is a United Way Pride Leadership Development graduate of 2023 and YWCA Equity Through Diversity graduate of 2025. They are also a sitting member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Outside of being a servant leader, Elliott is an avid crafter, reader, and TTRPG player.