By Elizabeth Barhydt
The introduction of an innovative youth mental health program heralds a significant advancement in the Greenwich United Way’s commitment to mental health. This new program, informed by careful needs assessments and built upon nearly a century of local philanthropic history, is the latest testament to the organization’s dedicated approach to fostering a healthier community.
At the helm is David Rabin, CEO of the Greenwich United Way, who brings a strategic vision and deep understanding of the town’s philanthropic pulse. In our interview with him, we discussed his stewardship as the organization continues to evolve, responding to the shifting needs of Greenwich residents.
Supporting the United Way’s ability to meet those needs are events like this week’s Sole Sisters Luncheon.
On April 25th, community members and philanthropists gathered at the Greenwich Country Club for the annual Sole Sisters Luncheon. This year’s gathering not only raised funds but also featured keynote speaker Dr. Frances Jensen.
Dr. Jensen, a noted neurologist and Chair of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, provided insights into her groundbreaking research on The Teenage Brain, also the title of her book.
Rabin expressed the community’s good fortune, saying, “for anybody who had a teen, was a teen, is having a teen or used to have a teen, the answers she will give you as to why they did what the they did will be very enlightening, because her science, the neuroscience of the teen brain, is something she is the world-renowned expert on, and we’re lucky to get her.”
Rabin went on to say that Jensen is a graduate of our own Greenwich Academy. “GA’s reunion happens to be this weekend,” he explained, “and she happened to be in town, so it worked out really nicely.”
The luncheon was chaired by Clarena McBeth and Karin McShane. The Sole Sisters, a group of dedicated women and philanthropists who organize the luncheon annually, were celebrated for their commitment to the Greenwich United Way’s mission. These women take an active role in learning about local issues and addressing them through strategic partnerships with various agencies.
Rabin, recounting the inception of the Sole Sisters initiative, said, “Sole Sisters is the women’s initiative of the Greenwich United Way, 15 years I believe, they’ve been around.”
The Sole Sisters Luncheon, which has historically been hosted at the Greenwich Country Club, brings together “300 of the most philanthropic, caring women in town,” according to Rabin. Their motto, “Women Stepping Up to Help Others Step Forward,” perfectly encapsulates the ethos of the United Way’s women’s initiative, dedicated to service and improvement in education, financial stability, and health.
The focus on mental health at this year’s luncheon dovetails with the organization’s broader emphasis on this critical area, especially among adolescents. In reflecting on the Greenwich United Way’s recent initiatives, Rabin discusses the development of a new mental health program, which stemmed from a significant need identified in their last assessment in 2020. “So that’s why one of the reasons we partnered with Greenwich Hospital.”
The result of this partnership is a state-of-the-art youth and adolescent mental health intensive outpatient program (IOP), which w ill serve an estimated 400 children annually. Rabin conveys the urgency and the critical nature of this project, asserting, “… if you as a parent call any mental health professional for youth nowadays, you might have to wait months to get help. That’s the wait list.”
The United Way raised $1.6 million to construct the physical location for the IOP which Greenwich Hospital will run. The program aims to fill a gaping void in the community, providing timely interventions for adolescents in need. “It is beautiful. The space is warm, welcoming, inviting, state of the art at 500 West Putnam,” Rabin described with deep enthusiasm.
The upcoming grand opening of the IOP is not merely a ribbon-cutting ceremony but a moment that marks a significant milestone in the continuum of care available within the town.
The mental health program joins a distinguished list of initiatives pioneered by the Greenwich United Way over its 90-year history. Mr. Rabin offered a broader view of the organization’s legacy: “The Youth Mental Health IOP is another jewel in the crown of the organizations that the Greenwich United Way has founded in the past 90 years.”
Indeed, the United Way has consistently responded to the community’s needs with concrete actions, a fact Mr. Rabin summed up by saying, “We find the need, we raise awareness, and then we fix it. Find it and fix it, that’s what we do.” This proactive philosophy has seen the organization’s hand in the founding of critical services like Kids in Crisis, River House, and the Greenwich Adult Day Center, among others.
The residents of Greenwich look forward to the enduring support and innovative solutions that have become the hallmark of the Greenwich United Way.
