Mclean Hospital Mental Health: Leading Excellence in Care

Mental health services provided by hospitals play a vital role in supporting individuals facing emotional, psychological, and behavioral challenges. 

These services offer specialized care in safe, structured environments, enabling patients to address their mental health concerns with the support of expert clinicians. 

McLean Hospital is a renowned leader in psychiatric care, offering comprehensive mental health services to individuals of all ages. 

With a commitment to providing cutting-edge treatments and compassionate care, McLean has established itself as a trusted institution in the field of mental health. 

In this article, we will explore the wide range of services offered by McLean Hospital and how they contribute to the well-being of their patients.

About Mclean Hospital Mental Health

Established in 1811, McLean Hospital has solidified its position as a pioneer in mental health treatment, as well as in addressing substance abuse disorders. 

As the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School, McLean has been recognized as America’s top hospital for psychiatric care by the U.S. News & World Report.

McLean Hospital has earned this title four times in the past decade, which highlights its unwavering commitment to excellence in mental health care.

Dedicated to delivering high-quality mental health services, McLean serves its patients, their families, and the broader community with dedication and expertise.

With a workforce exceeding 2,700, each member of the McLean team is deeply committed to enhancing the lives of those impacted by mental illness. 

Working closely with patients, McLean clinicians tailor personalized treatment plans to address individual goals, equipping them with the skills needed to lead fulfilling and successful lives.

Treatment And Services Offered By Mclean

McLean Hospital provides a range of mental health services across various age groups, including specialized care for children, adolescents, young adults, and older adults. 

1. Outpatient Child and Adolescent Treatment Programs

McLean Hospital offers a wide array of outpatient programs designed to provide intensive care for children and teens struggling with anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, and OCD behaviors. 

Their programs focus on individualized treatment approaches, including teen counseling, for those facing a variety of mental health challenges.

Their dialectical behavior therapy programs focus on teens and young adults dealing with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and borderline personality disorder. 

The hospital’s Child and Adolescent OCD Institute specializes in treating young individuals (ages 12 to 18) with OCD, specific phobias, and anxiety disorders.

2. Adolescent Acute Residential Treatment Program

McLean Hospital residential programs and partial hospitalization programs offer care for teens dealing with mood and behavioral challenges. 

The hospital’s partial hospitalization programs offer day treatment for youths who struggle with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and self-harm, providing support for long-term recovery.

3. Services for Young Adults

McLean’s STAR Program (Support, Treatment, and Resilience) offers high-quality outpatient care for teens and young adults (ages 14 to 25) who are at risk of psychotic illnesses. 

Additionally, they provide specialized outpatient programs for those in the early stages of psychotic disorders, with expert assessment and inpatient treatment options. 

Their College Mental Health Program supports students dealing with mental illnesses and adjustment issues. 

4. Adult Mental Health Treatment Programs

McLean provides outpatient and inpatient treatment for a wide range of mental health conditions.

These conditions include depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, OCD, schizophrenia, trauma and PTSD, and addiction. 

Their evidence-based programs cater to the diverse needs of adults in different stages of recovery.

5. Geriatric Mental Health Services

McLean is a leader in providing mental health care for older adults. 

Their programs focus on treating mental conditions such as emotional, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms related to memory loss, mood disturbances, anxiety, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias. 

McLean offers both inpatient and outpatient services for individuals over the age of 50, helping them navigate the challenges of aging with comprehensive treatment and follow-up care.

Services and Facilities Provided To Patients & Families

At McLean Hospital, patients and their families are supported at every step of their treatment journey. 

McLean is dedicated to ensuring that both patients and their loved ones have access to the necessary resources, information, and guidance throughout the recovery process.

1. Information About Mental Illnesses

Understanding the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses is crucial for recovery. 

McLean Hospital provides valuable resources on their website to help patients and families learn more about various mental health conditions and how to manage them effectively.

2. Information About Patients’ Rights

McLean Hospital ensures that all patients are fully informed of their rights, including privacy protections and access to care. 

McLean follows policies that minimize or eliminate the use of restraint and seclusion, and privacy is safeguarded under state and federal law. 

Patients have the right to receive visitors, access confidential phone calls, and review their medical records. Additionally, patient-related matters are only shared with consent.

3. Guide to Arriving at McLean Hospital

McLean provides a comprehensive guide for patients, families, and friends on what to expect upon arrival at the hospital. 

This guide, available on their website, addresses common concerns and questions, offering reassurance and helping patients feel prepared for their stay.

4. Health Insurance

McLean accepts a variety of health insurance plans, including Medicare, Massachusetts Medicaid (with some limitations), Blue Cross, and many private insurance providers. 

They also have agreements with managed care companies to ensure coverage for necessary mental health treatments.

5. Patient Medical Records

McLean Hospital maintains thorough medical records, which include medical histories, test results, treatment notes, and more. 

Patients, their families, or legal guardians can request to review or obtain copies of medical records, including discharge summaries, by state and federal laws.

6. Patient Billing

McLean Hospital is committed to providing clear and compassionate support when it comes to patient billing. 

The staff works with patients and families to explain McLean hospital costs, insurance coverage, and payment options, ensuring that the billing process is as smooth as possible.

7. Financial Assistance

Recognizing that some patients may not have full insurance coverage, McLean offers a financial assistance program for uninsured and underinsured patients with limited financial resources.

McLean’s Career Resources: Supporting Lifelong Success in Patient Care

McLean Hospital is committed to the professional growth of its providers, offering a wide range of training, education, and career opportunities to ensure lifelong success in patient care.

1. Trainings

McLean has been training mental health professionals for over 200 years, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School. 

Psychiatry residencies, post-graduate fellowships, and opportunities for students are just some of the resources available.

• Psychiatry Fellowships: McLean offers fellowship programs in various mental health specialties.

• Lectures on Demand: Weekly professional development lectures on psychiatry and neuroscience are available online.

• Doctoral Training: McLean’s APA-approved psychology internship is one of the nation’s top programs.

• Psychology Fellowships: Post-doctoral training is available in numerous mental health specialties.

• Nursing Training: Psychiatric nursing training is offered for undergraduate and graduate students.

• Social Work Training: Social workers can benefit from clinical training opportunities, including McLean’s Mental Health Clinical Pastoral Education Program.

       This program provides interfaith professional education for chaplaincy services.

2. Student Opportunities

McLean provides opportunities for undergraduate researchers, medical students, and Harvard University students. 

Their Child and Adolescent Clinical Fellowship offers college graduates the chance to pursue careers in mental health.

3. Conferences and Seminars

To support ongoing professional education, McLean hosts numerous conferences on key mental health topics throughout the year. 

These conferences feature expert speakers from around the world and include panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and interactive learning formats. 

McLean’s Mental Health Webinars are designed to provide educational content for everyone, including healthcare providers seeking to enhance their skills.

The hospital also offers a Psychiatry Lecture Series, part of its weekly Grand Rounds, which serves as a continuing education resource for psychiatrists and mental health professionals. 

These conferences and seminars ensure that McLean staff and other professionals stay at the forefront of mental health care and research.

4. Job Opportunities

McLean creates a workplace environment of collaboration and mutual respect, where staff are dedicated to delivering the best care for patients. 

Benefits include paid time off, Medical, Dental, Prescription, and Vision Insurance Plans, and much more.

McLean’s workplace culture emphasizes teamwork and patient devotion, making it an ideal place for career growth.

Staff Members of Mclean Hospital Mental Health

Mclean Hospital has a dedicated team of mental health staff members, each bringing unique expertise and experience to the hospital.

Some of their top staff members are:

1. Peter B. Adams, MD

Dr. Peter B. Adams has always been passionate about working with children and adolescents since his early medical school days. 

He is actively involved with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and works at McLean SouthEast’s acute residential treatment and partial hospital programs. 

Dr. Adams also maintains a private practice, where he continues to support the mental health needs of young individuals, helping them manage emotional and behavioral challenges.

2. Blaise Aguirre, MD

Dr. Blaise Aguirre is a renowned child and adolescent psychiatrist who specializes in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mentalization-based treatment (MBT), particularly for BPD. 

Since joining McLean Hospital in 2000, he has gained national and international recognition for his work in treating mood and personality disorders in adolescents. 

Dr. Aguirre is also a well-known author and speaker, regularly lecturing around the world on these topics and contributing to several publications.

3. Kayia L. Akoun, MD

Dr. Kayia L. Akoun is a staff psychiatrist at McLean Hospital’s Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Inpatient Program. 

Her clinical interests focus on women’s mental health, trauma disorders, mood disorders, and college mental health. 

Dr. Akoun is board-certified in medicine by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and continues to play a key role in helping patients navigate complex mental health challenges.

4. Patricia J. Allen, PhD

Dr. Patricia J. Allen is the senior manager of research and evaluation at McLean’s Institute for the Study of Resilience in Youth and an instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School. 

With a PhD in Nutritional Neuroscience from Tufts University, Dr. Allen’s research focuses on social, emotional, and academic development. 

Her work at PEAR (Program in Education, Afterschool & Resiliency) is dedicated to developing assessment tools for educators to support children using a strengths-based, public health approach. 

Dr. Allen’s commitment to translating data into real-world educational practices has had a lasting impact on youth development.

5. David J. Alperovitz, PsyD

Dr. David J. Alperovitz has over 25 years of experience working with individuals with OCD, eating disorders, trauma histories, and dissociative symptoms. 

He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and completed post-doctoral training at McLean. 

He is currently the program director of McLean’s Klarman Eating Disorders Center and also serves as an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. 

His dedication to helping adolescents and adults overcome mental health challenges has made him a leader in the field of trauma and eating disorder treatment.

6. Jessenia Arias, PsyD

Dr. Arias is a bilingual Spanish-speaking clinical neuropsychologist whose work focuses on neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic assessments for adults and geriatric patients. 

Dr. Arias has made significant contributions to the field, notably through her work on NeuropsychCARE.

It is a tool aimed at facilitating neuropsychological assessments for Spanish-speaking populations.

For this tool, she received the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention, and Training in Psychology Implementation Grant.

7. Alice W. Asby, MD, JD

Dr. Alice W. Asby has been with McLean Hospital since 2008 and works in the Adult Outpatient Services, where she helps adults with mood disorders, anxiety, relationship issues, and trauma. 

Using a combination of individual psychotherapy, group therapy, and psychiatric medications, Dr. Asby offers comprehensive care to her patients. 

She previously worked in McLean’s Dissociative Disorders and Trauma Inpatient Program, where she gained valuable experience in treating complex mental health conditions.

Want to know more about mental health hospitals, check these out:

1. Las Encinas Mental Health Hospital: Review of Care & Support
2. Elmhurst Hospital Mental Health: Comprehensive Care
3. Harris Center for Mental Health: Dedicated to Well-Being

Why Choose Mclean Hospital Mental Health?

McLean Hospital consistently ranks among the best hospitals for psychiatric care, as recognized by U.S. News & World Report. 

As a member of Mass General Brigham, McLean gives patients access to a vast network of medical resources and consultations, enhancing the care experience. 

The hospital offers top-quality patient care, informed by the latest research and delivered by expert clinicians. 

Many of McLean’s staff members hold joint appointments as faculty at Harvard Medical School, ensuring that patients benefit from cutting-edge knowledge and treatments.

McLean is accredited by The Joint Commission, which annually verifies that the hospital meets the highest national standards for healthcare. 

The hospital is also committed to continuous improvement, using patient satisfaction feedback and tracking treatment outcomes to refine and elevate the quality of care.

No case is too complex for McLean’s multidisciplinary treatment teams. 

Their clinicians specialize in treating individuals with multiple diagnoses, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other conditions, ensuring effective care.

Locations & Contact Information

McLean Hospital provides mental health services across several locations, serving communities in eastern, southeastern, and central Massachusetts, as well as coastal Maine. 

McLean Hospital locations:

• Belmont Campus (Main Campus): 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478

• McLean SouthEast (Adult, child, and adolescent services): 23 Isaac Street, Middleborough, MA 02346

• McLean SouthEast at Oak Street (Adult and teen inpatient mental health services): 52 Oak Street, Middleborough, MA 02346

McLean Hospital Phone Number: 617.855.3141

Additional McLean Hospital locations and their phone numbers can be found on their website. 

For inquiries, you can contact their staff through the online form available on their website or by calling them on the provided phone number.. 

McLean Hospital Reviews

McLean Hospital has gained outstanding reviews from patients for its compassionate care and highly professional staff. 

Here are some patient testimonies highlighting their positive experiences:

Marcy Linane, who is currently receiving ECT treatment for anxiety and depression, shares: 

“From the front desk staff to the doctors, every single person is polite and professional. They show interest in you, remembering little details that make you feel genuinely cared about.”

Cara C says: 

“I have had a great experience here at McLean. The nurses and MHSs are wonderful. They take their time and actually listen to what you have to say.”

Stephen Crivellaro states: 

“I can’t speak highly enough regarding my stay at McLean Hospital. I’ve never felt so invigorated and motivated as I do now. Because of my stay here, I feel like I stand a chance at living a positive, productive, and meaningful life.”

These reviews reflect McLean’s commitment to providing exceptional mental health care.

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