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.

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Wayne was treated at McLean for addiction to alcohol: watch Wayne share his story

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.

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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.

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“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.

Led by Chief Brent P. Forester, MD, MSc, 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.

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Becca was treated at McLean’s Appleton and College Mental Health Programs: watch Becca share her mental health story

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.

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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.

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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.”

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