“Mental health affects all of us. It can be something we experience personally, or it can impact us as we see loved ones, our schools and communities struggle with behavioral health challenges. My family was no exception. I was diagnosed with clinical depression several years ago. But, I was lucky to find help. With the help of medication and talk therapy, I became healthy again, and I’ve been able to live my life to the fullest ever since.

That help is not available to everybody. Each of us can play a role in supporting mental health by sharing, by showing empathy and by advocating for the cause. I’m here not as an expert or clinician, but someone who believes deeply in the power of support, community, empathy, and access. Salem Hospital’s vital behavioral health programs are a very personal cause that is important to me because it’s important to the North Shore region which holds a special place in my heart. I hope the community will join me in supporting the hospital’s efforts to the fullest.” – Rose-Marie Van Otterloo

“I became interested and decided to focus on child psychiatry while raising my own child. As a parent, I was driven by a desire to better understand how to support my child’s growth and well-being. That experience sparked a deeper curiosity about how children develop and what helps them thrive. My interest was also shaped by my mother’s early life—she spent part of her childhood in an orphanage, and that time in an institutional setting had a lasting impact on her development and the person she became. These personal experiences have deeply influenced my commitment to understanding and supporting children’s mental health.” – Jeff Prince, M.D.

Meet Patient M

When Patient M was 16 years old, they spent two months at Salem Hospital, where Jefferson B. Prince, MD provided compassionate care to navigate their behavioral health challenges. After being discharged from two other previous facilities with unsuccessful treatment, Salem Hospital felt like the last resort. Dr. Prince and the Salem team helped make sure they had everything they needed and stepped in during a crisis moment.

“The (child and adolescent psychiatry) team at Salem Hospital really listened to me and went above and beyond,” Patient M says. “Dr. Prince helped me better express my needs, so I got the best long-term placement possible. The staff also helped me when I was struggling — they told me stories, did origami with me and made my room feel more like home by allowing me to decorate with origami, artwork and letters from loved ones. When I left, they let me put up some of my origami in the hallways to brighten the space for future patients.”

Patient M was also able to complete high school coursework during their stay in Epstein 2, which hadn’t been an option at other facilities. They never felt rushed out of Salem, they say, and felt safe there. They now live on their own in Texas, taking college classes to earn their degree in bioethics and working as a home health caregiver and a LEGO Robotics teaching assistant.

“My time at Salem marked a starting point where my medications were revised and I was able to learn different coping skills,” Patient M says. “I have a bright future now where my past isn’t holding me back, thanks in part to what Salem Hospital did for me.”