Philanthropy Related Content

Established in 2008, the College Mental Health Program (CMHP) provides assessment, education, and support to students with mental illness and adjustment issues, with the goal of easing their transition to college initially and, in some cases, their return after a medical leave. The CMHP also...

How do you predict which teenagers will develop clinical depression? Can you use brain activity, mood or behavior patterns, and other information? Are there targeted prevention strategies that could stop a vulnerable young person from plunging into depression? And for teenagers who are currently...

Sarah was diagnosed with a confusing series of psychiatric disorders after showing symptoms as early as second grade. At 14, she spent four months rarely getting out of bed. Desperate for help, her parents found McLean’s Adolescent Acute Residential Treatment (ART) Program. Its short-term, intensive...

Janie and Jeff Plank had no idea what to do when, in quick succession, three of their four children found themselves grappling with mental illness. “We were tossed into a pool and didn’t know how to swim,” remembered Janie. She turned to her friend McLean National Council member Carroll Pierce...

This issue of Horizons focuses on McLean’s work to address the growing need for more—and better—child and adolescent services. We know that early intervention is the best route to a successful outcome. McLean is committed to identifying and treating psychiatric disorders as soon as symptoms arise...

Growing up on a dairy farm in Iowa, Lori Etringer, MBA, McLean Hospital’s chief development officer, drew strength and inspiration from the women in her family. “My dad has six sisters, and four out of five in my family are female,” she said. “They are strong in both traditional and non-traditional...

Edward P. Lawrence and Joseph Gold, MD, both important influencers of the mental health care landscape, were lauded at a July event for their significant contributions to McLean Hospital, Partners HealthCare (now Mass General Brigham), and the greater field of behavioral and mental health. The two...

Alexander Spier wanted to leave the world a better place than he found it. As a philanthropist, he gave generously, and despite his wealth, he lived simply. Now his family foundation is funding a first-of-its-kind study investigating the use of cannabis in quelling anxiety and agitation in patients...

The Fall/Winter 2019 edition of Horizons brings you stories of celebration. Our first story celebrates the importance of truth and openness. At McLean’s Annual Dinner in September, our 2019 McLean Award honoree Selena Gomez captivated guests with her courage and honesty. It was a wonderful evening...

Singer and actress Selena Gomez was honored with the 2019 McLean Award at the hospital’s Annual Dinner held on September 13. Each year, McLean presents the award to individuals who have furthered the public’s understanding of psychiatric illness and mental health. Previous honorees include NFL star...

Kimberlyn Leary, PhD, MPA, joined the McLean faculty as executive director of policy outreach in 2016, and in late 2018, she took on an additional role as executive director of the Division of Women’s Mental Health, working closely with division chief Shelly F. Greenfield, MD, MPH. This critical...

“I have three generations of serious mental illness in my family, and not all of them have always had good outcomes … I will never forget that I am a family member first,” said Marylou Sudders, secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, in her keynote address at...

Harry Kasparian has spent more than 35 years as a leader in the technology field. An engineer and businessman who founded a successful data analytics company, Kasparian understands the value of science, data, and research. Fueled by the grief of losing his beloved daughter, Julia, in 2016, Kasparian...

Neuroscientist Sabina Berretta, MD, received $35,000 as one of the earliest recipients of a research fellowship from the Rappaport Foundation. The funding supported her research into structural changes that occur in two brain regions of people with schizophrenia. That modest grant laid the...

The Summer 2019 edition of Horizons highlights the importance of building relationships and making connections. The first story is about a father who created a fund in his daughter’s name that is leveraging McLean’s neuroscience expertise together with data science capabilities of Worcester...

The difference between writing a check for an important cause and riding a bike for one is Mac Dorris. In founding the Ride for Mental Health in 2017, Dorris has created an opportunity for people to do both. The event’s scenic course, stellar logistics, and excellent vibe have attracted both serious...

They did what they were trained to do: ran toward the explosions to shield and tend to the injured and comforted the frightened as they were transported to waiting ambulances. The first responders were among the biggest heroes of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The Richard family suffered an...

Patients with mental health emergencies often languish in emergency departments for hours and sometimes days. A scarcity of inpatient psychiatric beds across the country is a significant problem. With the opening of McLean’s new three-floor wing of the Admissions Building in 2016, this insufficient...

The first 30 days following a period of psychiatric treatment can be treacherous. Patients have left the supportive, highly structured environment of the hospital, with its singular focus on recovery, to return to the same old stressors. They also have to navigate new stressors, such as explaining...

Shyanne had more or less stopped talking—a disorder called selective mutism. She was depressed and anxious, had stopped going to school, and couldn’t stand to be touched. Her grandmother was doing her best to homeschool her but admits the 12-year-old was learning very little. Then someone told her...