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 a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the event felt like a joyous reunion among old friends.
Comedian John Mulaney brought tremendous energy as our 2023 McLean Award honoree. His remarks were resonant both for their candor related to his direct experience and humor to which many could relate.
In this edition of Horizons, you’ll read stories that underscore how impactful philanthropy can be.
One story is about a family who has channeled a tragic loss into a culture of philanthropy through their insightful and targeted giving.
Another story highlights a gift entirely focused on improving innovative care for children and teens. We also spotlight a donor whose gratitude for his own treatment at McLean has inspired him to give and engage in myriad ways.
Finally, we are thrilled to introduce our inaugural team of runners for the 2024 Boston Marathon. We hope you’ll come out this April to support them and celebrate McLean.
Read the Articles
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 the hospital’s mission and progress.
McLean’s Newest Trustee Brings Passion, Knowledge, and Expertise to the Board
Kate O’Neil, an advocate for women’s mental health, has joined McLean’s Board of Trustees. A long-time McLean volunteer, she has served on the McLean National Council, the Board of Visitors, and the Women’s Mental Health Leadership Council. O’Neil came to know McLean when a loved one was treated at the hospital for anxiety.
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. “I was so moved by that,” said Charland, who went on to become a peer specialist at McLean. “I felt the peer specialist job would allow me to do something similar.”
Partnership With Rite Aid Healthy Futures Benefits McLean’s Youngest Patients
Three new initiatives within McLean’s child and adolescent division are getting a financial boost from Rite Aid Healthy Futures (RAHF), a public charity dedicated to uplifting communities served by the Rite Aid pharmacy chain.
Read more in the full issue:
Mental Health Matters: McLean’s First Boston Marathon Team
Mental Health Matters is McLean’s inaugural team of 5 runners and one emeritus member in the 2024 Boston Marathon. The team will champion our mission to end the stigma surrounding mental health and raise funds to support the hospital.
Meet the McLean team.
Dana Schroeder
A former patient of McLean, Schroeder looks forward to giving back and contributing to the mission of destigmatizing mental illness.
“Being on this team combines two great passions: running and mental health. I hope to help normalize the conversation around mental health so it’s not a big, scary topic. I want it to be something we can feel comfortable talking about.”
Lauren Hutson
Hutson is a clinical researcher in McLean’s Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research.
“I am so excited to have the opportunity to combine my passions for long distance running with child and adolescent mental health!”
Jim Shea
Shea is a real estate professional and father of three with two London marathons under his belt.
“I thought my days of running 26.2 were over, but the chance to run with McLean’s inaugural team was an opportunity I could not turn down.”
Aryeh Miller
Miller is a managing partner at Reliance Financial.
“As I lace up my running shoes for the 128th Boston Marathon, I carry with me the resilience and determination that defines McLean and the individuals it serves.”
Lynne-Marie Shea, PhD
Shea is a post-doctoral fellow with McLean’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office and College Mental Health Program.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to combine my passion for fitness with McLean’s commitment to increasing access to quality care.”
Arthur J. Siegel, MD
Director of McLean’s Internal Medicine and Primary Care Clinic, Siegel is supporting the team in an emeritus role as a coach.
“I’ve been involved with 50 Boston Marathons, 20 as a runner, 30 as a volunteer doctor in the BAA’s finish line medical tent, and I am looking forward to this coaching role!”
We hope this is the first of many Mental Health Matters Marathon teams, and we look forward to cheering them on in April! Support the Team
Ride for Mental Health
In 2016, Malcolm Dorris lost his son Eric, who was just 21 years old, to mental illness. The following year, Mac founded The Ride for Mental Health, with a clear focus on raising funds for McLean and reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Since 2017, the Ride for Mental Health has raised more than $1.2 million dollars—funds that have supported a wide range of critical initiatives at the hospital while honoring Eric’s memory.
This year’s ride will take place on June 22 and 23, 2024, in New Paltz, New York. Riders will be able to enjoy scenic views of the Hudson Valley as they complete 14-, 25-, 50- or 100-mile routes.
Interested individuals who are unable to participate in person are encouraged to join the Ride’s Strava Group. Virtual riders will track their mileage through the app and, just like in-person riders, will be able to set up their own personal fundraising pages.
To register, volunteer, or learn more, visit the Ride website and select “Team McLean.”
Gratitude Spurs Philanthropy
Charles S. Fradin uses the term “mission critical” when he describes the work done at McLean every day, and he is wholeheartedly committed to helping sustain that work in whatever way he can.
“Under the leadership of Drs. Joe Flores and Alex Vuckovic, the clinical team at McLean engaged my imagination and intellect,” he said.
“They helped me see my life as one full of possibilities instead of limitations.”
Nearly a decade ago, Charles showed his gratitude to Dr. Flores by making a philanthropic gift his honor to support a new clinical training opportunity at McLean’s Gunderson program.
“I liked the idea of supporting the next generation of mental health experts,” he said.
Aware of the crisis in adolescent mental health, Charles made a second substantial gift in 2023, this one designated toward a new residential and academic center for adolescents that McLean plans to build.
Today, Charles serves on McLean’s National Council and has become an advocate for the hospital in addition to his philanthropy.
“Joining the National Council has been profoundly and personally meaningful to me. Now I am in a position to advocate for the hospital’s mission and help support their vision to enhance and expand their life-sustaining programs.”
On top of his generous financial support, Charles also made a deeply personal in-kind gift.
Three paintings by artist Gayle Wells Mandle had hung in his parents’ Rhode Island home.
As a triptych, he wanted the paintings to hang together where they might promote a sense of peace and well-being for onlookers.
Charles felt that McLean’s Pavilion program needed something “visually interesting and exciting” on the walls.
So, he gifted these works of art to McLean—and now, they hang where both patients and clinicians can enjoy them.
“My engagement with McLean on so many levels has made me a more reflective person, and I am grateful for that.”
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