Sad news: Paul Goldmuntz has passed away

Dear De Novo Community,

It is with a heavy heart that I’m sharing the sad news of De Novo’s beloved former Clinical Director Dr. Paul Goldmuntz’s passing on March 12, 2023. Paul was known not just for his passion, commitment and leadership, but above all for his great heart, his kindness and solidarity with others.

I was hired by Paul as the Associate Clinical Director in 2007. Paul was not only my clinical supervisor, but also my mentor, a trusted friend, and a part of my family.

As many of you know, Paul dedicated his life to improving access to mental health services for the most vulnerable members of our community. Over his 37-year career at De Novo, he embodied a spirit of social justice, working tirelessly to promote human rights and human dignity. Paul’s greatest legacy, however, may be the generations of clinicians, lawyers and other advocates he taught, mentored and inspired.

Paul first came to De Novo, then called the Cambridgeport Problem Center, as a counseling volunteer in the late 1970’s. He was hired as De Novo’s very first Clinical Director in 1984. Under Paul's leadership, the Counseling Program grew from a small cohort of volunteer clinicians to four staff social workers who serve 425 clients annually. Paul both saw clients and oversaw the recruitment and supervision of over 300 volunteer clinicians during his tenure, allowing over 4,000 clients to access critical mental health services.

"Paul’s compassion, humanity, intelligence, and sense of humor has permeated this organization and has affected everyone who works here," said Andrew Cornell, a volunteer family law attorney at De Novo since 1994. "Paul has shown us how we can act in this world with compassion and dignity that allows others to gain meaning and joy in their lives."

"I grew to admire Paul for his ability to interact, to relate to people, for his ability to reach out," said Valarie Ifill. "Paul has a unique gift. He is a genuine soul. He is a person who enabled me to have hope when I had none. When I had doubts, when I had no sense of self-worth, Paul was my life preserver."

"For patients and therapists alike, you make bearing with the unbearable somehow bearable. And through that, hope has a handhold," said Janet Amphlett, a counseling volunteer who worked with Paul since 1988. "Thank you for imbuing the De Novo walls with kindness, making it possible for so many of us to connect, and continue connecting, in such a rich and meaningful way."

De Novo sends our deepest condolences to Paul Goldmuntz’s wife, Pam, their children Anna and Ben, and his extended family and many friends.

Dearest Paul, you have taken your flight to a place of light and peace, free from all the human sufferings we so often talked about. You will be sorely missed! Your kindness, humanity, humility, and wonderful sense of humor will forever remain in our hearts.

Mojdeh Rohani

Executive Director, De Novo Center for Justice & Healing