In the United States, 1 in 5 people suffer from mental illness at one point in their life and another 7.5 million people are mentally retarded. Until the 1970's, many of those with the greatest needs were housed in government institutions. But when those institutions were slowly closed due to either inhumane conditions or new governmental funding priorities, many found themselves in living in group homes or with their loving, but often ill-equipped families.

For over three decades, COMHAR has provided services to mentally ill individuals and their friends and families in Philadelphia's Kensington, Fishtown and Port Richmond neighborhoods. In this tape, four COMHAR clients tell of their challenges and how they've become more independent with able assistance from this vital community mental health program. Staffed solely by professionals and volunteers who live as well as work in the neighborhood, COMHAR helps its clients navigate the daunting peaks and valleys of everyday life, whether its going to a long overdue "prom", learning how to calibrate medications or running a household.