Life was good for Nicholas Pierre until he was laid off from his job as IT specialist at Addison design in February 2012. His life spiraled out of control – family life became turbulent and he had to move to a domestic violence homeless shelter with his son. Then he was diagnosed with Schizoaffective and panic disorder.
Nicholas Pierre is a Black married man in his forties who lives in The Bronx. When Citiview members visited the shelter where he lived back in 2014, he agreed to tour the clubhouse. After the visit, he was sold and became a member. He was seeking a stigma-free place that could provide him employment resources and where he could connect with peers and build a community that could support him in achieving his recovery and personal goals.
Soon, Nicholas became an integral member of the Goodwill clubhouse. Hehe helps other members solve their IT issues or lends an ear to those who need it. The Citiview community has also helped Nicholas. Once when he was going through a rough period and was feeling unstable and unsafe, members escorted him to the hospital and made sure he received the help he needed. Citiview has provided him a place to socialize with peers, stay connected to the community, and design a personalized Wellness Recovery Action Plan to help him to stay out of the hospital.
Once he felt ready to work, Nicholas reached out to the clubhouse’s employment unit. They helped him explore potential career options and search for job openings. And on October 2022, Nicholas secured a full-time job as Operations Associate at Ronald McDonalds House NY earning $20/hr. In this position, Nicholas engages with families who are staying at Ronald McDonald House while their children are receiving cancer treatment.”
“Thanks to Citiview, I understand mental health better and now I am able to act fast using my Wellness Recovery Action Plan to stay out of the hospital,” said Nicholas. “I hope to empower others with my experience with mental health, break barriers, and remove stigma to mental health treatment to get quality care.”