As we share this edition of The Way Forward News, it’s a time of both reflection and renewal at McLean.
After nearly two decades of extraordinary leadership, Scott L. Rauch, MD, has concluded his tenure as president and psychiatrist in chief. We are deeply grateful for Rauch’s vision, compassion, and commitment, which have guided McLean through a period of remarkable growth and impact. McLean is forever better for his leadership and service.
Building on Rauch’s remarkable legacy, we’re poised for an exciting new chapter under the leadership of Susan M. Szulewski, MD, MBA, as McLean’s new president and chief operating officer, and Maurizio Fava, MD, as chair of psychiatry at Mass General Brigham. Their shared energy, expertise, and dedication will propel McLean into an exciting new era. We look forward to introducing you to Drs. Szulewski and Fava more fully in our next edition.
In this issue, you’ll meet the newest interns joining the Nancy and Richard Simches Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, learn about groundbreaking research happening within the division and across the hospital, and see how philanthropy is expanding the reach of our School Consultation Service.
You’ll also read about two significant acts of generosity—a large capital grant from the Yawkey Foundation and a meaningful bequest from a long-time supporter of McLean.
Together, these stories celebrate McLean’s enduring strengths: exceptional people, innovative programs, and a community of supporters who ensure our work continues to transform lives and reflect the spirit of The Way Forward—a community advancing hope, discovery, and healing for all.
Read the Articles
Discovery + Education = Gold-Standard Care
Training and education comprise one element of McLean’s tripartite mission, and learning is a unifying thread across all areas of the hospital. At the Nancy and Richard Simches Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the more people we teach, the broader our influence, as our trainees expand our capacity to help more children and families.
A $2 Million Boost for Brighter Futures: The Yawkey Foundation Invests in McLean’s Vision for Youth Mental Health
The Yawkey Foundation has awarded a $2 million grant to McLean Hospital to support the development of the hospital’s new child and adolescent campus—an investment that will help create a more modern and welcoming environment for young people and their families. The new campus will reflect the latest thinking in therapeutic design, ensuring that care is offered in spaces that promote comfort, safety, and recovery.
Research at McLean: Fueling Discovery, Advancing Care
Throughout its 200-year history, McLean Hospital has been defined by research excellence, marked by a long list of “firsts” in innovation and discovery. In 1888, McLean became the first psychiatric hospital in the United States to establish basic and clinical laboratories to study the biological roots of psychiatric disorders. Today, McLean maintains the largest neuroscience and psychiatry research program of any private psychiatric hospital in the nation.
Meeting Kids Where They Are: McLean’s School-Based Mental Health Model
McLean’s School Consultation Service (SCS) empowers schools to meet kids where they are: in the classroom. Recognizing that schools are often a child’s most consistent point of contact, the SCS bridges the gap between clinical settings and everyday learning environments by helping teachers, parents, and staff understand and respond to students’ mental health challenges with knowledge and compassion.
Read more in the full issue:
A Lasting Legacy
Donald and Charlotte Test never lived near Belmont and had no personal connection to McLean. And yet, for more than three decades, the couple was among McLean’s most devoted champions from afar. Together, they invested in research, supported faculty, and left a lasting legacy through a bequest that will support McLean long into the future.
Their story began in 1992, when Donald reached out to learn more about McLean’s work in schizophrenia research—a field close to the couple’s hearts. While visiting McLean, they met researchers whose groundbreaking work inspired their first gift, marking the start of a long and meaningful philanthropic partnership.
That initial gift established the William and Henry Test Memorial Research Fund. Named in honor of Donald’s sons, the fund supports schizophrenia research.
Their next gift launched the William P. and Henry B. Test Professorship in Psychiatry in the Field of Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School. The position was first held by Francine Benes, MD, PhD, whose pioneering research at McLean advanced the theory that schizophrenia and psychotic disorders may stem from disrupted neural connections.
Following her retirement, the Test Professorship was awarded to Dost Öngür, MD, PhD, current chief of McLean’s Division of Psychotic Disorders.
As their connection with McLean grew, the Tests expanded their giving beyond schizophrenia research.
They established the Henry and William Test Endowed Fund, which has fueled initiatives such as McLean’s Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Service and new research and training efforts. This gift affirmed the Tests’ understanding of what it takes to sustain McLean’s mission—advancing research while taking a holistic approach that supports many areas and people across the hospital.
And with their final gift, a significant bequest to McLean, Donald and Charlotte’s legacy will continue to support McLean, along with other organizations they cared deeply about.
“I am proud to be the recipient of the professorship that bears the Test name,” said Öngür. “The enduring nature of their endowed support has offered critical continuity for research into schizophrenia, and their final gift creates a legacy that enables McLean leadership to direct support where it’s needed most.”
The Tests were engaged and supportive partners to McLean, remembered for their generosity and their clear understanding of philanthropy’s essential role in progress.
