For 75 years, our doors have remained open, delivering vital mental health care and life-changing services. Thank you to everyone who joined us for MHA's 75th Anniversary virtual celebration on Thursday, October 14, 2021!
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Honoring
Jeanette L. Fairhurst
Dedicated MHA Board Member, Passionate Mental Health Advocate and Founder of RISE
RISE
(Resilience is Essential)
Global Regeneron Employee Resource Group Dedicated to Building and Promoting Resilience
Event Chair
Patricia D. White, MPA
Community Consultant
Honorary Co-Chairs
Robert and Kristen Clarfeld
“With our 75th anniversary gala, we honor the strength and power of our community and celebrate all those who have faced innumerable challenges, disruptions and losses of all kinds,” said MHA CEO Charlotte Ostman, LCSW-R. “We recognize the lasting impact COVID-19 will have on our community, and we also recognize the very real potential for post-traumatic growth. Together, we celebrate the power of a community that came together to ensure our neighbors near and far were not without tangible essentials, or a listening ear. With this milestone anniversary, we can think of no one more deserving to celebrate than Jeanette Fairhurst and the team at RISE.”
Fairhurst is recognized throughout the community for her extraordinary advocacy and leadership. She serves as the Director of VelocImmune High Throughput Screening Operations and Logistics for the Therapeutic Antibodies Group at Regeneron, where she works with cross-functional teams to coordinate the early screening and selection of novel human antibodies for the many targets Regeneron identifies for potential use as therapies in patients.
Following the death of her daughter Ali to suicide in 2015, Ms. Fairhurst was driven to promote mental health awareness, conversation and available services. In 2018, Ms. Fairhurst founded the Resilience is Essential (RISE) Employee Resource Group at Regeneron, establishing a community dedicated to building resilience and destigmatizing talking about mental health challenges. In just three years, RISE has expanded to more than 400 members globally, who participate in monthly group discussions, work together on community service projects and discuss the science of resilience. Fairhurst was named the Regeneron Volunteer of the Year in 2020 and received a national George H. W. Bush Daily Point of Light award for her mental health advocacy and volunteerism. A graduate of Williams College, Fairhurst is an inventor on 20 granted US patents and an author on numerous scientific publications. She lives in Thornwood with her husband of 34 years, Allen, and is the proud mom of her son Jamie (along with his wife Lunara and daughter Lucy) and Ali, whose legacy continues to shine through her mother’s passion, devotion and leadership.
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The Mental Health Association of Westchester was founded in 1946 to serve members of the military returning from World War II and young school children. Throughout its 75 years of service, MHA has provided innovative care to meet the evolving needs of the community. Today, these services include psychotherapy, peer support, advocacy for children in foster care, supportive housing, care management, employment services and more – all delivered through the lens of trauma-informed, person-centered care.