PACT Documentary Chosen for International Film Festival
PACT team members conduct a visit with Louis, a client who lives outdoors in a Trenton suburb.
Ever wonder how individuals challenged by severe mental illness and once relegated to institutions are able to function and thrive independently in the community? PACT: A Day in the Life tells the story in a powerful manner, with the filmmakers shadowing a Catholic Charities’ PACT team one day last summer.
PACT, which stands for Program of Assertive Community Treatment, is an outgrowth of the Assertive Community Treatment model established in the wake of mass de-institutionalizations of individuals diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness in the late 1980s.
Catholic Charities PACT represents New Jersey’s oldest program and it will observe its 20th Anniversary in June. Two of its four PACT teams are featured in the documentary to be shown at the SOMA Film Festival at the South Orange Performing Arts Center on Feb. 13 at 2 PM. If you’d like to attend the film festival, ticket can be purchased on the SOMA website.
“We subtitled the film ‘Not All Heroes Wear Capes’ because PACT team members demonstrate grace and courage in some extremely dangerous situations — all part of their job caring for the seriously mentally ill,” says director John Bynum.
Produced entirely by the External Affairs staff at Catholic Charities, the documentary was made to help de-stigmatize serious mental illness and foster appreciation for the dedicated men and women who work to keep these individuals as well as the community safe.
It was produced with the hope of advocating for continued support of cost- and life-saving programs that keep individuals from unnecessary hospitalizations and help them achieve self-sufficiency.
The film also reveals some of the emotional rewards of this work. PACT staff member Ben observes, “I love working with the seriously mentally ill, they can’t help but be themselves, unlike many people who can often be quite fake.”
View the film in advance of the festival on our website or You Tube channel.