Assemblyman Peter Rivera & Dr. Rosa M. Gil               Dominic Carter, Dr. Rosa M. Gil, Cheryl Wills            Mr. Carter autographing his book No Momma's Boy

Festivities were in full swing this summer at Comunilife’s Annual Summer Picnic in July 2007 held at Comunilife’s affiliate (HAT) apartment building, which provides affordable housing for persons with low incomes in the Bronx . Board members, employees and distinguished guests enjoyed refreshments and cuisine provided by our catering services Taste of the Bronx .

The Honorable Assemblyman Peter Rivera , Chairman of the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Committee of New York Assembly opened up the event. In his comments he underscored the tremendous needs for services for persons living with mental illness such as housing, meals, outpatient mental health clinic services and other “wrap around services”. He praised Comunilife’s executive leadership and staff for implementing the Mission to serve New York City residents in a continuum of housing and mental health services to improve the quality of their lives in the community.

This year’s distinguished guest of honor was Dominic Carter, NY1 News political reporter. He is the host of NY1’s nightly political show “ Inside City Hall ”. Carter, who is best known for his hard-hitting political coverage, has interviewed every major political player in the city and state as well as many national and international leaders. Mr. Carter was in attendance to speak about his recently published book, No Momma’s Boy which addresses and issue that deeply impacted his life. As in the case with many individuals in underprivileged communities, Mr. Carter’s mother suffered from schizophrenia. He eloquently spoke to the audience about the struggles he endured growing up with a mother living with chronic mental illness and lived in a low-income class neighborhood, very close to where the picnic was held in the Bronx .

He told our friends and colleagues that “up until receiving my mother’s psychiatric records, I was skeptical and nervous about going forward. After all these years of carrying bitterness inside, I had to forgive her…When I speak publicly it only reinforces that I have done the right thing.”

Although Mr. Carter was aware of his mother’s mental illness, it wasn’t until receiving her thousand page psychiatric report that he found out the intricate and complex history of her battle. Electric shock therapy and stints in straightjackets at the age of 16 were a few of the many treatments his mother underwent, along with an index of medications prescribed throughout the years.

Mr. Carter’s troubled past and family history is what propelled him to write a candid, firsthand account of his life as the son of a mentally ill mother. As a result of his personal struggles, Mr. Carter is seeking to change the negative association linked to mental illnesses and provide an accessible resource on the subject to help those in need find comfort in his experience.

“We live in a society where we almost try to squeeze mental illness under the rug. We’ve got to get over the stigma and understand that it impacts almost every American family in one way or another.”

Mr. Carter told Comunilife’s staff how important their work is to make sure that those living with mental illness have housing, meals, psychiatric treatment, social services and many other services to help them to live a healthy live in the community. He highlighted the need to protect and support children who are living with parents who suffer from mental illnesses.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Gil emphasized the extraordinary accomplishments Dominic Carter has achieved as a journalist despite the challenges he experienced as a child. This achievement is evidence of human resiliency and adaptations to the most adverse psychological and socio-economic environments. The importance of his social support network, such as his grandmother and other relatives, provided him with nurturing to help him with the challenges of growing up with a mentally ill mother.

Comunilife’s core value and philosophy of enhancing and nurturing social support networks in the lives of our clients is crucial for them to live in communities. No Momma’s Boy is a quintessential read as it remind us of the struggle our patients endure and reinforces our role in becoming advocates for the better living of these individuals. Comunilife extended its pride in Dominic Carter’s success as a journalist after struggling with obstacles that could have discouraged him from following a professional career.

For more information on Dominic Carter please visit: http://www.nomommasboy.com/