PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A nonprofit resource center for mental health and addiction in Haddon Township, New Jersey, is highlighted in a documentary premiering Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the AMC Theater in Voorhees.
Vince DiPasquale, founder of treatment center The Starting Point, featured in the film, says the last two years with COVID-19 have added layers of complexity to the present day story of recovery.
"I think a lot of people thought everything was just going to go back the way it was before — and it’s not going to happen," DiPasquale said.
During the height of the pandemic, he says, the nonprofit offered services online.
"Now, since we’ve opened up again, the floodgates have opened up," he said.
His work, and that of the treatment center, are featured in "Starting Point: The Story of Vince DiPasquale."
The film takes viewers through DiPasquale's own wellness journey and the work he has done through the years.
"Starting point is different than a lot of places that deal with mental illness and addiction. They base it, too, on what people can pay so no one is turned away from treatment which can be unusual," said filmmaker Bill Horin.
"It’s a story about mental health and about addiction and about the work we’ve done over the years in that direction and how it’s such an important thing to get the message out to more people," Horin said.
He says the film examines the path to mental wellness. And he says the movie is inspirational.
"There are so many types of addictions and mental illnesses and things that people are dealing with out there," Horin said, "and until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes you have no idea how hard that is."
He says the key theme is hope, as it is a story of people on a journey to wellness. Horin says, through the stories of people affected by the work done at The Starting Point, he wants viewers to walk away with a deeper understanding of addiction and mental illness.