Hill Center for Women

Please Note: Treatment in some of McLean’s programs has been moved online due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Please contact the program directly for more information.

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At the Hill Center for Women, we offer psychiatric and psychological services for women with histories of trauma and related disorders, borderline personality, mood, and anxiety disorders.

For more information about our insurance-based program or to make a referral, please call 877.434.0144.

The Hill Center for Women is best-suited to individuals who:

• Have a history of trauma and related disorders, borderline personality disorder, depression, and anxiety
• Are seeking 24-hour care in a setting that fosters skill building and recovery

As a residential program with a two week length of stay, the Hill Center for Women provides a safe, supportive, and secure environment to help women build strength and find new resources to regain command of their lives. Our staff emphasizes empathy, compassion, collaboration, and empowerment.

We also offer two-week day treatment (partial hospital) for women who need a more structured setting than outpatient treatment can offer, but are able to manage without 24-hour care.

“I am grateful for the time and opportunity I was given in the program. I feel like I am journeying outside of the darkness now. Life has begun to bud and I feel the sun on my face.”– Hill Center for Women patient

Treatment Approach

Although our short-term program is for women in acute situations, individuals who succeed in our program are those who have the ability and willingness to work with the treatment providers collaboratively and who remain safe, sober, and medically stable while in treatment.

Our group-based treatment program is designed for women who need more structure and intensive treatment than is available from an outpatient program. The program offers 2-week residential and partial hospital (day treatment) levels of care.

Our program draws its strength from several schools of investigation including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills training, clinical studies of trauma and recovery by McLean Hospital researchers, and the extensive work on the psychology of women conducted at the Stone Center at Wellesley College.

Residential and partial hospital patients attend groups weekdays from 9am to 2pm. Patients can expect bi-weekly meetings with their case administrator and meetings with psychiatric or nursing staff as needed. These individual meetings occur during or after group time. Some patients may receive additional specialized individualized meetings, as needed, to address more specific clinical needs.

The group schedule is curated to allow patients the opportunity to learn and practice new skills. Group topics include goal setting, DBT skills, anger management, symptom education and management, and expressive therapies.

Residential patients also attend groups in the evening and on weekend mornings. Those in residence have access to staff 24 hours a day. Residential patients cook and eat meals together and participate in chores at the house, fostering a sense of community and reinforcing the importance of self-care and independent functioning.

During free hours, patients are encouraged to resume normal life activities outside the confines of the program. This gives them an opportunity to increase positive experiences, practice their skills, and reconnect with important parts of their lives.

Patients often socialize informally with each other or visit with family members outside of scheduled programming. They are also welcome to attend any relevant self-help groups on campus that are open to the community.

Program Schedule

Individuals in our partial hospital (day) and residential programs follow the schedule below Monday through Friday 9am-2pm, while those in our residential program also attend evening and weekend group programming. The program schedule also allows time for practicing skills while engaging in independent life activities, such as errands, and leisure activities of the individual’s choosing.

Monday

9-10am	Self-Assessment/Goals
10-11am	DBT Distress Tolerance
11am-12pm	Distress Tolerance Workshop/Life Beyond Treatment
12-1pm	Lunch
1-1:45pm	PTSD Education and Symptom Management
5-6pm	Dinner
6-7pm	Residential Patients Meeting

Tuesday

9-10am	DBT Emotion Regulation
10-11am	Self-In-Relation/Orientation
11am-12pm	DBT Chain Analysis/DBT Problem Solving
12-1pm	Lunch
1-1:45pm	Art Therapy/Nuts & Bolts
5-6pm	Dinner
6-7pm	Kitchen Organization

Wednesday

9-10am	Community Meeting
10-11am	DBT Emotion Regulation
11am-12pm	Impulse Control
12-1pm	Lunch
1-1:45pm	DBT Mindfulness
5-6pm	Dinner
6-7pm	Nuts & Bolts

Thursday

9-10am	Anger Management
10-11am	Self-In-Relation/Orientation
11am-12pm	PTSD Skills Group
12-1pm	Lunch
1-1:45pm	Eating Disorders/Nuts & Bolts/Spirituality and Mental Health
5-6pm	Dinner
6-7pm	Life Tasks

Friday

9-10am	Self Assessment/Weekend Planning
10-11am	DBT Interpersonal Effectiveness
11am-12pm	Education and Vocation
12-1pm	Lunch
1-5pm	DBT Substance Use and Relapse Prevention/DBT Skills Practice
5-6pm	Dinner
6-7pm	Weekend Planning

Saturday

9-10am	Skills Review
10-11am	Expressive Therapy
11am-12pm	Self-Assessment
12-1pm	Lunch
12pm	Self-Help Group: AA – de Marneffe Building (optional)
4:30pm	Self-Help Group: SMART Recovery – de Marneffe Building (optional)
5-6pm	Dinner/Evening Planning (optional)
6pm	Self-Help Group: LEADER 12-Step – de Marneffe Building (optional)

Sunday

9-10am	DBT Distress Tolerance
10-11am	Goal Writing/Self-Assessment/Diary Card
11am-12pm	Skill Implementation
12-1pm	Lunch
5-6pm	Dinner
6-7pm	Weekend Wrap Up
7pm	Self-Help Group: Al-Anon – de Marneffe Building (optional)

Admission & Cost

Admission

The Hill Center for Women is ideal for women with histories of trauma and related disorders, borderline personality, mood, and anxiety disorders who seek a safe, supportive, and secure environment to build strength and find new resources to regain command of their lives.

For further information or to make a referral, please contact our admissions coordinator:

Phone: 877.434.0144

Cost

The Hill Center for Women is covered by most insurance providers. McLean Hospital accepts Medicare, Massachusetts Medicaid, and many private insurance and managed care plans.

More information on insurance providers accepted by McLean Hospital may be found on the Mass General Brigham website. You may also find it beneficial to review McLean’s patient billing and financial assistance information.

Referral Form

We review potential patients to determine whether the program is a good fit for the individual. Clinicians, along with their patients, should fill out and submit the Hill Center for Women Referral Form. Once the form is received, we will respond to continue the intake process.

Please note that a period of sobriety prior to admission is required for lasting and meaningful results. This requirement supports the important therapeutic work undertaken by each person and ensures a living and working environment that feels safe to each patient.

Treatment Team

Program Leadership

Andrea Killam, LICSW, Program Director

Ms. Killam specializes in the treatment of women with post-traumatic stress disorder and co-occurring issues such as depression, eating disorders, substance use and borderline personality disorder. Her administrative responsibilities include supervising a multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals, students, and trainees.

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Milissa Kaufman, MD, PhD, Medical Director

Dr. Kaufman is extensively trained in the treatment of trauma-spectrum disorders. She is also the medical director of the adult trauma disorders treatment track in McLean’s Adult Outpatient Services, director of the Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Research Program, and a teacher, supervisor, and mentor for the MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program.

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Sherry Winternitz, MD, Clinical Director, Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Programs

Dr. Winternitz provides clinical and administrative oversight for the Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Inpatient Program and for the Hill Center for Women. She is also co-investigator on a research project led by Milissa Kaufman, MD, PhD, designed to evaluate the neurobiological basis of traumatic dissociation.

Staff and Associates

Our staff includes a multidisciplinary group of board-certified psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, psychologists, registered nurses, counselors, and expressive therapists. This highly trained and experienced team provides rapid, accurate diagnosis, thorough treatment planning, aftercare planning, and high-quality care tailored to each individual’s needs.

Accommodations

The Hill Center for Women’s residential program provides a serene environment so patients can focus on their treatment. The Hill Center is located in a historic cottage on the McLean campus.

Though McLean Hospital is located only minutes from Boston, its setting offers a pleasant, peaceful surroundings that enable patients to focus on improving their mental health.

The program facilities include comfortable bedrooms, common areas for groups and conversation, and access to a fitness facility with state-of-the-art equipment.

FAQ

Where is the Hill Center for Women located?

The program is located on the Belmont campus, in the Hill Center building. For more information on directions, parking, and local accommodations, please visit our Maps & Directions page.

Who benefits most from the Hill Center for Women?

Our program focuses on treating women diagnosed with anxiety, depression, mood disorders, personality disorders, dissociative identity disorders, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Is family involved in treatment?

With permission of the resident, we are happy to offer education to family members or hold family meetings, in person or over the phone.

Is smoking permitted?

Smoking is allowed in designated outdoor areas only. No smoking is allowed inside any of our buildings.

When are visiting hours?

Visiting hours for the residential program are 2-6pm and 7-10pm Monday through Friday and 12-10pm weekends.

Are cell phones allowed?

Patients are allowed to hold and use their cell phones, except during treatment, with some guidelines to prevent disruption of the program and other patients.

Is aftercare planning a part of the program?

The treatment team works closely with the individual as well as with family, significant friends, and outside providers to develop a personalized aftercare plan. Recommendations by staff are made based upon clinical needs, progress made during treatment, and long-term treatment goals.

Can former patients access their medical records?

All requests for medical records should be directed to McLean’s Health Information Management Department.

Are support groups offered?

To complement our programs’ services and encourage individuals’ initiatives in their own treatment course, many self-help groups are hosted by McLean.

Does McLean gather patient feedback?

McLean is dedicated to maintaining high-quality and effective patient care. To ensure that those standards remain at the highest level, we utilize a number of feedback instruments and quality indicators. Among these tools are the Perceptions of Care survey which monitors patient satisfaction and BASIS-24™, a psychiatric outcomes measurement tool created at McLean and widely used in the U.S. and around the world, which delivers feedback on the patient care experience.