Campaign for McLean Hospital Impact Report

Above and Beyond

The $100 million Campaign for McLean Hospital was McLean’s first comprehensive philanthropic campaign. More than 6,000 generous supporters contributed to the effort which ended early and surpassed its goal.

Every gift, large and small, helped the hospital go “Above and Beyond” to create seven Centers of Excellence and has allowed the hospital to expand clinical services, fund cutting-edge research, reinforce world-class leadership, train young clinicians and scientists, purchase state-of-the-art equipment, reduce the stigma of psychiatric illnesses, and direct flexible resources where they are most needed.

The impact of this campaign is felt throughout the hospital and has helped advance McLean’s mission of improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

“Above and Beyond” is our report on all that this campaign has helped accomplish at McLean as we strive to create a future where mental health disorders are prevented and even cured.

Learn about the campaign below or read more in the full impact report.

Center of Excellence in Psychotic Disorders

Center Chief: Dost Öngür, MD, PhD, William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Psychiatry

Like so many health issues, a psychotic disorder brings uncertainty and disruption. McLean’s clinicians and researchers are changing the landscape of recovery, with help from our donor community. Here, assertive treatment and proactive support are helping to restore lives and offer hope. Concurrently, multifaceted and highly novel research is leading us toward new understanding and better treatments.

Creating Brighter Futures

The weeks and months immediately following a first episode of psychosis are critical, and early treatment minimizes the risk of recurrence. Launched with support from a family foundation, McLean OnTrack^TM helps young adults learn to manage their illness, aiming to change the trajectory of their lives.

Among Our Many Donor Investments

• An endowed fellowship to train the finest post-doctoral fellows and faculty members who are building careers both in mental health research and patient care
• A variety of impactful research studies, from exploring the molecular pathways of psychosis to understanding brain metabolism to preventing the health consequences of these disorders and their treatments
• Financial support for those in need of long-term residential care
• The Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) to reduce repeat hospitalizations and risk of homelessness
• WellSpace, a safe and supportive gathering place for healing and community

“Schizophrenia is a horrific illness. Watching my daughter suffer through it was pure hell. Today, she is doing well, thanks to her own personal courage and McLean Hospital. We will always be grateful.”– The late Georgie Ashforth

Center of Excellence in Depression & Anxiety Disorders

Center Chief: Kerry J. Ressler, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, James and Patricia Poitras Chair in Psychiatry

With incidences of trauma, depression, and anxiety soaring, McLean is helping people recover and rebuild their lives. The confluence of technology and donor support has created tremendous forward momentum toward understanding and treating these common and life-altering conditions.

Building Hope

Beyond trauma lies hope. Major investment in trauma research helped McLean launch the first-of-its-kind multidisciplinary study in dissociative disorders and created endowed support for researchers, clinicians, and educators to work side-by-side in discovering how trauma impacts the brain. Their work holds great promise for healing and recovery.

Among Our Many Donor Investments

• An endowed Trauma Initiative for integrated research, care, and training aimed at accelerating knowledge in this field
• The McLean Anxiety Mastery Program helping young people with debilitating anxiety disorders
• Fellowships to jump-start careers and catalyze research into the impact of trauma and abuse on brain function
• Research into wearable technology to collect data used for OCD diagnosis and treatment
• Efforts to identify factors that make some more vulnerable to depression and anxiety than others
• A longitudinal study to better understand neurobiological factors underlying adolescent depression and suicidality

“Without McLean, I could have been a mother who lost a child…or two. I really think McLean saved my kids.”– Roseanne, mother of Abby and Mary

Center of Excellence in Substance Use Disorders

Center Chief: Roger D. Weiss, MD

Addiction has become one of the most discussed public health issues of our time. Treatments that embrace individuals when they are most in need, coupled with a growing understanding of the science behind addiction, are providing new paths for many whose future was uncertain.

Protecting Our Protectors

After the devastating 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, it was clear that law enforcement and first responders need unique and tailored treatment for the mental health strains they endure in the line of duty. A major philanthropic gift launched the LEADER (Law Enforcement, Active Duty, Emergency Responder) program, through which McLean is honored to offer specialized care for men and women in uniform.

Among Our Many Donor Investments

• The Co-Occurring Disorders Institute to improve the treatment for those dually diagnosed with substance use disorders and other psychiatric illnesses
• Research into the effects of marijuana on cognitive abilities, particularly in youth
• An annual award for young investigators focused on women and addiction
• A major gift to McLean’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Program to both enhance treatment and further a meaningful peer network for patients
• A weekly facilitated group for families with loved ones recovering from a substance use disorder, providing opportunity for education, support, and community

“I drank to ease my pain…I hated myself. The staff at McLean went above and beyond to help me get my life back.”– Wayne, LEADER patient

The Nancy and Richard Simches Center of Excellence in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Center Chief: Joseph Gold, MD, Chief Medical Officer

As mental health issues appear ever-more widespread among young people, McLean is working hard to reach children and adolescents in every possible setting. Our clinicians are working with schools, pediatricians, and communities to detect and treat psychiatric issues earlier, while our scientists are working to understand risk and resilience.

Empowering Educators

School nurses are ideal partners in promoting health and wellness for students, yet they receive little training on how to screen for, intervene, and advocate around behavioral and mental health issues. Thanks to a major philanthropic investment that launched the McLean School Nurse Liaison Project, school nurses are becoming powerful agents for student mental health within their schools.

Among Our Many Donor Investments

• Nancy and Richard Simches Center of Excellence in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry providing support for the center in perpetuity
• A first-of-its-kind pre-doctoral psychology internship focused on children and adolescents
• Financial support for families of children receiving care at McLean
• Major expansion of outpatient care and new partnerships with school districts
• Support to launch a new residential program for adolescent and young adult males with borderline personality disorder, creating a new model of care for this under-diagnosed illness

“School nurses have a major role in kids getting the help they need. We’re delighted to help increase access to mental health expertise and promote prevention.”– Nancy Anthony, who, together with her husband Bob, helped McLean launch the School Nurse Liaison Project

Center of Excellence in Geriatric Psychiatry

Center Chief: Brent P. Forester, MD, MSc

McLean’s Geriatric Psychiatry team works to make the later stages of life joyous, productive, and fulfilling. Philanthropy helps us provide care and support for our nation’s growing population of older adults, while investments in research fuel studies probing the complex vulnerabilities of the aging brain.

Addressing the Impacts of Aging

Jacqueline Rogers was treated at McLean many years ago. The care she received and her fondness for Dr. Brent Forester inspired her daughter Debbie and niece Amy to launch the Geriatric Mood Disorders Research Program to focus on understanding the disorders that impair quality of life for elders.

Among Our Many Donor Investments

• Major investments in translational science to deliver new therapies for Parkinson’s disease
• Fellowships to jump-start promising research by junior faculty
• Increased outpatient capacity to promote independent living
• Geriatric care consultants to support families and caregivers affected by dementia
• Technology innovations to improve patient care
• Support for clinical trials to treat Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment
• A pilot study on the benefits of spiritually integrated care

“I lost both my wonderful and loving parents to Parkinson’s disease. For me, supporting Parkinson’s research is personal. My hope is to change outcomes for my generation and for generations to come.”– Margo Cooper

Center of Excellence in Basic Neuroscience

Center Chief: Bill Carlezon, PhD

Finding the answers to the “why” and the “how” of mental illness is what drives McLean scientists who study the brain at cellular and molecular levels. By supporting cutting-edge techniques and technologies, along with the experts deploying them, philanthropy has pushed the frontier of knowledge toward prevention and cure.

Probing the Mysteries of the Brain

The late Josephine Pomeroy’s gratitude for the care she and other family members received at McLean prompted her to leave a sizeable bequest to the hospital. Today, her gift supports basic scientists working to address the most relevant problems in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and to ensure that findings improve care.

Among Our Many Donor Investments

• A newly endowed fellowship and expansion of existing fellowships to support the promising ideas of young investigators
• A $1 million endowment to support basic neuroscience research in perpetuity
• Many targeted gifts from individuals and foundations directed to pilot studies, new technologies, equipment, and collaborations
• Support for interdisciplinary research involving cell biology, neuroplasticity, genetics, behavioral neuroscience, and neuropathology
• New research exploring how genes and the environment interact to cause and exacerbate psychiatric disorders
• Studies aimed at developing novel and personalized treatments

“Our family believes that Josephine received the finest treatment available in the United States. It is my hope that my aunt’s bequest will benefit future McLean patients.”– Lawrence K. Pomeroy

Center of Excellence in Women’s Mental Health

Center Chief: Shelly F. Greenfield, MD, MPH, Chief Academic Officer, Kristine M. Trustey Chair in Psychiatry

Only since the 1990s have women routinely been included in psychiatric research, so we are just beginning to understand differences in mental health conditions as they affect women and girls. McLean is expanding this body of knowledge to help us better understand the role of gender in the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of mental illness.

Understanding Gender Differences

A first-of-its-kind post-doctoral clinical fellowship in women’s mental health is putting into practice our emerging understanding of the role gender plays in psychiatric disorders. A year of training includes exposure to diagnoses that are highly prevalent among women and girls, experience with evidence-based therapies, and grounding in the medical aspects of women’s mental health.

Among Our Many Donor Investments

• A major multi-year investment to fund the planning and launch of the Center of Excellence in Women’s Mental Health
• The Kristine M. Trustey Chair in Women’s Mental Health, endowing the role of the center’s chief
• The first women’s mental health fellowship dedicated to training psychiatrists in recognizing and treating mental health issues affecting women and girls across the lifespan
• The Women’s Mental Health Leadership Council—an engaged group of women from the community who are helping McLean advance the field of women’s mental health
• Two specialized research awards: an endowed scholar in the field of trauma and an annual award on women and addiction

“McLean is, as usual, ahead of the curve in terms of training the next generation of clinicians. It’s exciting to play a role in providing better care for women and girls.”– Nancy Rushton, trustee of the Kathleen and Ronald J. Jackson Foundation, which funded McLean’s first clinical fellowship in women’s mental health

Shared Resources

Some gifts uniquely advance a broad spectrum of McLean’s work. Endowment of leadership positions, capital grants, and investments in our academic mission lend stability and forward momentum in equal measure. Gifts totaling almost $48 million have created an impact that is felt across the hospital—by strengthening our workforce, expanding our clinical reach, and providing critical technologies.

Furthering Our Mission

Demand for psychiatric treatment has long exceeded capacity. An anonymous $5 million gift helped fund construction for a new wing on our Admissions Building, providing 31 inpatient beds and much-needed office and research space. McLean can now care for more than 1,000 additional people each year.

Among Our Many Donor Investment

• Two endowed leadership chairs, Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Chair of Psychiatry (president and psychiatrist in chief); James and Patricia Poitras Chair in Psychiatry (chief scientific officer)
• An endowed fellowship for post-doctoral trainees seeking careers as clinical-researchers and an endowed pre-doctoral fellowship for neuroscience majors
• A multitude of gifts to support specialized clinical and research training in nursing, adolescent psychology, and women’s mental health, as well as psychotic, substance use, and eating disorders
• A $3.75 million foundation grant to install a state-of-the-art MRI scanner in the McLean Imaging Center and promote translational research

“We are honored to have our names connected to McLean Hospital through this endowed chair. And Scott is deserving of recognition, as his leadership has put McLean on a new playing field.”– Rose-Marie van Otterloo

Unrestricted Giving

Donors made unrestricted gifts at unprecedented levels during the Campaign for McLean Hospital. Many embraced our Mary Belknap Society by making annual unrestricted gifts of $1,000 or more. The response has created a vital and renewing base of flexible resources to support the full of McLean’s mission.

Leading the Way

As members of the Mary Belknap Society, Susan and Lee Berk make annual unrestricted gifts and help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness by allowing their names to be published with other donors.

Among Our Many Donor Investments

• An $8.6 million unrestricted gift—half for endowment and half for current use—to fund emergent priorities now and long into the future
• 100% participation in annual giving among the Board of Trustees
• A $500,000 unrestricted gift from a son honoring the memory of his father, a former McLean trustee
• Many annual unrestricted gifts from donors who also support targeted clinical or research programs
• A growing number of recurring monthly gifts and matching grants from employers

“Lee and I have enormous trust in McLean’s leadership. Our support is unrestricted because we feel strongly that those with more knowledge and experience should direct our gifts where they can be the most useful.”– Susan Berk, Mary Belknap Society member

If you are interested in giving to McLean Hospital, please visit our Give page to learn more.