Divisions
McLean Hospital’s clinical and research activities are organized into seven divisions. These divisions integrate the hospital’s three mission elements—clinical care, research, and education—with a focus on the rapid translation of science in order to establish, deliver, and disseminate ever-better, evidence-based approaches to care.
Led by world-class clinicians and researchers, each of McLean’s seven divisions have a primary diagnostic, research, or demographic focus and are laying the groundwork for further innovation as we continue to set a high bar in psychiatric care, research, and education.
Division of Alcohol, Drugs, and Addiction
McLean’s Division of Alcohol, Drugs, and Addiction, led by Chief Roger D. Weiss, MD, is designed to foster integrated, evidence-based approaches to prevention, early detection, and treatment of substance use disorders.
Addiction has become one of the most prevalent health issues of our time. From the current opioid crisis to the treatment of those dually diagnosed with addiction and other mental health illnesses, McLean offers a continuum of addiction care, including brief hospitalization for detoxification and stabilization, four residential programs, a partial hospital program, outpatient treatment, specialized programs, and a consultation service.
The division also includes robust training and research initiatives through the Co-Occurring Disorders Institute, the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Clinical Research Program, and the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship.
More Information
- McLean offers world-class alcohol and drug addiction treatment
- Researchers at McLean have been studying addiction for over 40 years
- Read the latest addiction news and articles
- What is addiction? Learn more about misuse of alcohol and drugs
- Q & A: Roger Weiss, MD, Chief of the Division of Alcohol, Drugs, and Addiction
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Nancy and Richard Simches Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Mental health issues are appearing ever-more widespread among young people. Daniel P. Dickstein, MD, FAAP, is chief of the Simches Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Children and teens are more prone than adults to depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, bipolar disorder, addiction, and personality disorders.
Led by Dickstein, McLean treats children ages 3 to 19 years who are struggling with these and other issues. Two fully accredited schools provide educational opportunities for children needing specialized academic programming. The division also reaches into the community to support children and adolescents in every possible setting, including public and private schools and pediatrician’s offices.
More Information
- McLean offers child and adolescent mental health treatment for an array of diagnoses
- Many investigators focus on child and adolescent psychiatry and on the development of the brain
- Read the latest articles and news on child and adolescent mental health
- Mental health affects kids and teens differently: learn more about youth mental health
- Q & A: Simches Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders in the United States today, and individuals with anxiety also frequently struggle with clinical depression. Led by McLean’s Chief Scientific Officer Kerry J. Ressler, MD, PhD, along with its Director of Research Diego A. Pizzagalli, PhD, and Clinical Director Jane Eisen, MD, the Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders works to understand the biological underpinnings of these illnesses.
The division conducts both clinical and basic science research into the relationship between stress, fear, trauma, and the prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders. Because these disorders occur in all demographics and often appear in conjunction with other psychiatric diagnoses, the division works collaboratively with McLean’s six other divisions to speed the translation of science from bench to bedside to develop ever-better clinical and medication treatments.
The division incorporates all levels of care, from outpatient to residential to multiple specialty inpatient programs and outpatient services like ECT, TMS, and ketamine.
More Information
- McLean is a leader in depression and anxiety treatment, including specialty care for obsessive compulsive disorder
- Research at McLean is investigating the biology and care of mood disorders
- Read articles about depression, anxiety, and OCD
- Learn everything you need to know about depression
- Anxiety and what you need to understand in adults and kids/teens
- What is OCD? Learn more about obsessive compulsive disorder
- Q & A: Kerry J. Ressler, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders
“The doctors I met with were amazing, and my social worker was able to find a great-fitting aftercare plan for me. I’m very grateful for the help & support I received there! Thank you, McLean staff!!!”– Patient treated at McLean
Division of Geriatric Psychiatry
Providing psychiatric care for older adults can include managing the normal effects of mental and physical changes of aging while also concentrating on the psychological and neurological changes that can worsen as the body and brain get older.
McLean’s Division of Geriatric Psychiatry works to make the later stages of life healthy, fulfilling, and joyful. Clinical care and research in the division focus on older adults with depression, bipolar disorder, and behavioral complications of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
More Information
- Older adult mental health treatment at McLean includes inpatient and outpatient services
- Geriatric psychiatry research is at the forefront of the field
- Read the latest in older adult news
- About the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry
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Division of Psychotic Disorders
Led by Chief Dost Öngür, MD, PhD, the Division of Psychotic Disorders includes inpatient programs, a residential facility, specialty outpatient clinics, and community-based services for individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders, primarily schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Öngür and his team have built clinical and research collaborations to advance our understanding of the neurobiology of psychosis and develop new insights into treatment and prevention. Researchers and clinicians in the division are changing the landscape of recovery and helping to restore lives and offer hope to those diagnosed with these debilitating disorders.
More Information
- McLean provides compassionate clinical care for individuals with psychotic disorders like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
- Researchers at McLean are at the cutting edge of psychotic disorders research
- Read the latest in psychotic disorders news
- Everything you need to know about bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia: what you need to know
- Q & A: Dost Öngür, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Psychotic Disorders
Division of Women’s Mental Health
The mission of McLean’s Division of Women’s Mental Health is to innovate and improve mental health care for all women and girls throughout their life span. Led by division Chief Shelly F. Greenfield, MD, MPH, and Clinical Director Amy Gagliardi, MD, the division provides a uniting infrastructure to advance clinical care, training, and education.
The division is a national leader in this emerging field and is conducting and sharing research across McLean and around the globe.
More Information
- Learn more about borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, and trauma care at McLean
- Investigators at McLean lead their fields in the study of BPD, eating disorders, and trauma/PTSD
- What is borderline personality disorder? Learn more about BPD
- What is trauma? Learn more about trauma and PTSD
- Eating disorders: what you need to know
- Learn more about the work of the Division of Women’s Mental Health
Jerry and Phyllis Rappaport Center of Excellence in Basic Neuroscience Research
One of McLean’s primary mission elements is to conduct state-of-the-art scientific investigation to maximize discovery and speed translation of findings toward prevention and cures for major psychiatric disorders.
Chief Bill Carlezon, PhD, leads McLean’s Jerry and Phyllis Rappaport Center of Excellence in Basic Neuroscience Research which is dedicated to studying the role of biological factors in mental illness. Under his direction, more than 130 principal investigators in more than 40 research labs conduct research into the “why” and “how” of mental illness.
Scientists study the brain at the cellular and molecular levels to push the frontiers of knowledge and move their findings from “benchtop to bedside.”
More Information
- Read the latest issue of Discovery @ McLean Hospital, McLean’s annual research magazine
- Find articles about the latest in neuroscience news and discovery
- Meet some of our expert investigators and neuroscientists
- Learn about McLean’s Rappaport Center of Excellence in Basic Neuroscience
- Read about neuroscience press coverage in the media
- Explore more information about basic neuroscience at McLean
- Watch these videos about working in research at McLean