In This Edition…
- Message from the President
- The Long-Lasting Impact of Deinstitutionalization
- Mainstay’s Response to Deinstitutionalization: Our Boston Portfolio
- Meet Ellen Miller
- Upcoming Events
- $50 for Fifty Fundraising Drive
- Scholarship Story
- Cinnamon Apple Pizza Rolls
The Danvers State Hospital opened in the late 1800s and was originally known as the State Lunatic Asylum. It closed in 1992, and despite being included on the National Register of Historic Places, was demolished in the early 2000s.
Message from the President
On February 5, 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered a special message to Congress on the subject of mental illness. He said, “Every year, nearly 1,500,000 people receive treatment in institutions for the mentally ill and mentally retarded. Most of them are confined and compressed within an antiquated, vastly overcrowded, chain of custodial state institutions. The time has come for a bold new approach.”
Twelve years after that landmark speech, Mainstay was established. By then a great internal shift occurred among the American population. Nearly two million vulnerable individuals were released from state psychiatric hospitals and were being treated as outpatients in community health facilities all across the country. With that shift, an obvious question loomed: Where will all these people live?
In this, our second edition of Mainstay’s Compass newsletter, we take a closer look at the deinstitutionalization period that unfolded in America between the 1960s and the 1980s. We want to share with you the story of how one small agency in Boston was able to help advance a new national solution to a seemingly inextricable public health crisis involving a most vulnerable population of Americans.
I invite you to explore the Compass and learn more about Mainstay’s 50-year history.
Sincerely,
Larry Oaks
President & CEO
The Long-Lasting Impacts of Deinstitutionalization
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Mainstay this year, it is helpful to reflect back to the mid-1970s, when the mental health care system in this state was changing rapidly as state psychiatric hospitals were closing.
“The Department of Mental Health instituted a process called Deinstitutionalization,” said Mainstay Supportive Living and Home Care co-founder Newt Levee. “It was decided that it was a bad idea to house mentally ill patients in these big state hospitals. They wanted them to be in the community, which sounds good, but they weren’t making provisions for them.”
Mainstay’s Response to Deinstitutionalization: Our Boston Portfolio
Starting in 1975, Mainstay created eight group homes and four independent living residences for people with Severe Mental Illness all across Boston.
Meet Ellen Miller, Mainstay’s Dynamic New Board Member
The newest member of Mainstay’s Board of Directors is also its youngest. Twenty-nine-year-old Ellen C. Miller is an attorney working for the prestigious law firm Goodwin Procter in Boston…
Meet Tatum!
Tatum Palmer is our 2025 AmeriCorps Intern. Tatum is a sophomore at the University of Vermont pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work, and is helping establish our new project in Brockton. Thank you, Tatum, for your contributions thus far!
Upcoming Events
Resident Summer Cookout
All Mainstay residents and their families are invited to join us on Saturday, June 21, 2025 from noon to 3:00 p.m. for a summer cookout. There will also be music, games and activities. Come meet Mainstay staff, including our new Program Manager Dee Reyes!
This event is rain or shine.
You Make a Difference 2025
Our fifth annual You Make a Difference fundraiser cocktail evening will be held on Thursday, October 23, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Law Offices of Goodwin Procter LLP at 100 Northern Avenue in Boston.
Learn more and become a sponsor!
In recognition of Mainstay’s 50 Year Anniversary, we are pleased to announce our $50 for Fifty Fundraising Campaign which will culminate with our Annual Gala in October.
Fifty years ago, the organization that is now known as Mainstay Supportive Housing and Home Care was founded. Our founders’ main goal was to provide housing for some of our state’s most vulnerable people: those with mental illness.
Over the last five decades that mission was met and expanded as different populations with a variety of supportive housing solutions made themselves known to us. Today, Mainstay is recognized for its quality affordable housing and supportive services for elders, people managing mental health issues and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which enable them to live more independently in their own homes and community.
The demand for the housing and services that Mainstay provides is at a critically high level today and growing. Our goal is to continue to help meet these demands as we embark on our next 50 years. We invite you to join us in making a tangible difference in the lives of people who depend so heavily on the housing and services that Mainstay provides.
In recognition of Mainstay’s 50 Year Anniversary, we invite you to invest in our future by making a $50 donation to commemorate this important anniversary. We encourage our business partners to donate $500 or $5,000 or any other multiple of $50.
Thank you for your generosity and continued belief in our mission. Together, we’re driving change and transforming lives—one donation at a time!
Scholarship Story
Last year, Mainstay Supportive Housing and Home Care launched the Supporting Success Scholarship Program. This new financial support program helps our residents and families cover services fees when times are tough. We had long dreamed of being able to offer this kind of support, and thanks to our generous donors, this dream is now a reality!
One Mainstay family recently shared their story with us. It depicts exactly why this scholarship is important, and we hope it will prompt more people to consider donating to the fund.
“For the past several years, my daughter lived on her own but became socially isolated as friends moved away. When she was forced to move because her building was being sold, Mainstay became a refuge for my daughter, providing not only a place to live but also a community of people to live with. Mainstay has provided me and our family with a sense of relief knowing that she is not alone but living with other residents and staff with whom she interacts and engages on a daily basis.”
“The move to Mainstay caused her to lose her job because it was too far to commute [she does not drive] and she suffered a loss of income. The need for financial assistance became acute, and the Mainstay scholarship that was awarded to her was a big factor in keeping her at Mainstay. Our family deeply appreciates the scholarship and the Mainstay community.”
We look forward to sharing more scholarship stories with you in future editions of the Mainstay Compass, and invite you to contribute to the Supporting Success Scholarship Program.
A Cinnamon Apple Pizza recipe that is sure to please!
Wondering what to do with that extra pizza dough in your fridge? Mainstay’s Nutritional Consultant Emily Lombard—a registered dietician—recently shared this fun and easy recipe for Cinnamon Apple Pizza Rolls with the House Managers at all six Mainstay homes. At Cedar House in Malden, House Manager Brooke Johnson got creative and turned the rolls into a pizza for residents to enjoy! Residents at one of our Norwood homes enjoyed making (and eating!) the rolls. We hope you enjoy this recipe as well.
Cinnamon Apple Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 large pizza doughs (or enough for 12 large rolls each)
- 4 medium apples (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2-3 tbsp honey (for glaze, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or grease pans.
- In a small owl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and honey. Toss the apple slices with melted butter and the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Roll each pizza dough into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Brush the remaining melted butter over the dough.
- Evenly distribute the apples over the dough, making sure each roll will have a good amount of the mix.
- Starting from one long side, lightly roll each dough into a log. Slice each log into 1-inch rolls. You should end up with about 24 rolls total.
- Place the rolls cut-side-up on the baking sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Glaze (optional): If you’d like a honey glaze, warm the 2-3 tablespoons of honey with 2 tsp cinnamon in the microwave or on the stovetop. Drizzle it all over the baked rolls.
