About Us.
We are the family and friends who knew and loved Dominique, a remarkable young man whose life ended far too soon. We watched him light up our lives, then unfortunately watched that bright light dim until he was gone. We are the people who love him enough to share his story and experiences with you, so if you are affected by mental illness, directly or indirectly, you may gain an understanding of the importance of treatment, love and support.
When you take a moment to think about it you will not have to look far to find someone in your life affected by mental illness. But please know that RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE when you receive proper diagnoses, believe in and follow the treatment plan, and learn how to provide love and support.
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We want to encourage you. We want to enlighten you. We want to inspire you and get you involved. We want you to understand a mental illness diagnosis need not to be a death sentence; physically or socially. With treatment, love and support most can live very normal lives, but we have to rid ourselves of the stigma. This is not our legacy; it's Dominique's.
Our Foundation
YES, we want and need your financial support, but we also want your volunteer time and understanding. Dominique truly valued the opportunity to attend Detroit Catholic Central High School, so we want to give other young men that opportunity, where money is his only obstacle, not desire.
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The stigma of mental illness is simply UNACCEPTABLE! We are committed to the eradication of the stigma attached to mental illnesses. As we grow and evolve we will support organizations dedicated to educating and improving the lives of individuals and families living with mental illness, suicide prevention and supporting those who have lost children. You will be amazed at what a difference we can make in very little time.
We are a 100% volunteer organization. 100% of the funds we raise are donated and/or
reinvested in future events.
DFMF Today
Since establishing the foundation in 2011 we have worked to achieve our mission of becoming a resource to anyone affected by mental illness. Becoming a behavioral healthcare advocate has become my life's passion.
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Since April 2014 I have had the privilege to serve as Executive Director of NAMI Michigan. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. I was also appointed to the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) Behavioral Health Advisory Council (BHAC).
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Since then, I have been fortunate to serve our most vulnerable citizens in several additional capacities. In 2018 I joined both the Oakland and Wayne County's Suicide Prevention Coalitions. In 2020 I was appointed to Governor Whitmer's Suicide Prevention Commission, and Mental Health Diversion Council. In January 2022 I was elected President of CITI (Crisis Intervention Team) International, the nations' "Gold Standard" crisis response program.
"STIGMA is the leading barrier to the early diagnosis and treatment that leads to better outcomes." STIGMA KILLS! In April of 2021, Sonya and I created EVERYBODY-VS-STIGMA .COM to become the global symbol of awareness and HOPE to anyone living with or caring for someone living with a behavioral healthcare diagnosis as a reminder that they are never alone.