Philanthropy Related Content

The Way Forward: A Historic Moment for McLean Hospital

McLean Hospital has announced the official launch of the public phase of The Way Forward: Campaign for McLean. This is the most ambitious fundraising effort in McLean’s history, with a goal of raising $225 million to transform the hospital’s future. This campaign is not only the largest in McLean’s...

Neurotherapeutics Offer Hope for Treatment-Resistant Depression

As a young psychiatrist, Stephen J. Seiner, MD, witnessed how effective electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was for some of the depressed patients he encountered during a geriatric fellowship at McLean. “I saw how lifesaving it could be for patients who did not respond to medication,” said Seiner. After...

Honorary Trustee Establishes Fund To Support Hill Center Staff

It started with a phone call. Jeanne Blake, a McLean Hospital honorary trustee, had provided philanthropic support to the Trauma Continuum of Care at the Hill Center. Now, she heard that hospital staff—still weary from the demands of the pandemic—could use a boost. So, she called Milissa Kaufman, MD...

A Living Lab for Dementia Caregivers

A wife had been caring for her husband with dementia at home for four years. She had come to McLean’s geriatric outpatient clinic to find out where to get more help for him. But it soon became apparent that she needed help herself. She was lonely and struggling with making decisions on her own. Her...

Horizons – Spring 2024

The stories in this edition show that McLean’s mission is expansive—with an array of integrated clinical, research, training, and public education activities geared toward individuals, family members, and the broader community. In this edition, you’ll read about innovative services like...

Comedian, Actor, and Writer John Mulaney Accepts McLean Award

On Friday, November 3, more than 350 supporters and staff of McLean Hospital gathered at Boston’s Intercontinental Hotel for the 2023 Annual Dinner. After a three-year pause on the annual gathering, attendees delighted in the opportunity to reconnect with friends, both old and new, and to celebrate...

Peer Specialists Model Recovery for Those Struggling With Mental Illness

It was while attending an open Narcotics Anonymous meeting with a family member that Lisa Charland saw first-hand the powerful role peers could play in a person’s recovery. Her family member was a featured speaker, and afterward, people shared with him that he was the reason they were in recovery....

Horizons – Winter 2024

We are delighted to share the Winter 2024 edition of Horizons. As always, we seek to share a broad range of stories that highlight the power of philanthropy and volunteerism on both McLean and the field of mental health. We were thrilled to bring back McLean’s Annual Dinner this past November. After...

Celebrating a New Era in Psychiatric Research

“It’s an honor and a responsibility to live up to the traditions of everyone whose work and dreams have been supported by the Rappaport Foundation in the fields of medical research, the arts, and public policy,” said Bill Carlezon, PhD, chief of McLean’s Rappaport Center of Excellence in Basic...

Understanding Gender Differences in Mental Illness

Late in her medical residency, Amanda Sedgewick, DO, was running treatment groups for women with substance use disorders. Patients would disappear from treatment for weeks at a time and Sedgewick realized they were in abusive relationships—which was keeping them away from the clinic. So, she began...

McLean Board of Visitors Convenes in a Day of Learning and Connection

After two years of gathering virtually, the McLean Board of Visitors came together in person on May 3, 2023, for the group’s annual meeting. For many, it was a reunion of sorts—old friends getting reacquainted after a prolonged absence and new members introducing themselves and forming connections...

Horizons – Fall 2023

The increase of public awareness is a crucial positive aspect of our nation’s mental health crisis. It is an important step in the right direction. But we also need effective treatments backed by solid research and delivered by skilled caregivers. Even with all of that, we need ongoing efforts to...

Tackling the Mental Health Crisis Among Young People—One Intern at a Time

You need only turn on the nightly news to be reminded of the mental health crisis facing today’s young people. According to Daniel P. Dickstein, MD, FAAP, chief of McLean’s Nancy and Richard Simches Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, providing access to care in an efficient, affordable...

One Donor Asks: What Are We Doing This Year?

When long-time supporter Ann O’Keefe talks about McLean, she uses words like “scale,” “impact,” and “sustainability.” Ann is both eloquent and elegant in her approach to philanthropy and has honed her efforts into a process that both speaks to her own passions and provides maximum impact for McLean...