Innovation Institute

Transforming the mental health system through program and practice innovation.

WHY NOW?

The urgency is undeniable: 

• More than 28 million people with mental illness in the U.S. receive no treatment. 
• Only 28% of youth with severe depression receive consistent care. 
• Mental health support remains siloed, specialist-dependent, and inaccessible for too many. 

These gaps are not just unfortunate, they are systemic. The Innovation Institute exists to close them, and we have already begun to move the needle.  

INSTITUTE PROGRAMS TO DATE

The Innovation Institute is a tested and growing model for driving change at scale that has successfully launched and advanced multiple program and practice innovations that:

• Reintegrate students into school after mental health crises through bryt, a transformational intervention now operating in 300 schools across six states and available to 67% of Massachusetts public high school students.
• Deliver early psychosis care in community settings via our CEDAR and M-PATH initiatives, which have also trained more than 1,400 health care professionals in psychosis-informed care.
  • CEDAR is a one-of-a-kind coordinated specialty care treatment model for young people at risk for psychotic illness or experiencing psychosis-like symptoms, a growing population.
  • M-PATH is a statewide referral and triage hub that provides support to young people at risk of psychosis and their families through expert consultation, referral assistance, and peer support. 
• Embed mental health into primary care through four integrated care pilots that improve access, outcomes, and satisfaction—alongside the launch of a new maternal mental health pilot with a Boston pediatric practice later this year. Integrated Care is a team-based approach integrated into pediatric and family care practices that identifies, coordinates care for, and treats mental health conditions in children and youth. 
• Bring telebehavioral health care directly to students during the school day in under-resourced rural and gateway communities, delivering 11,000 sessions in 2024 alone. 

Each of these efforts reflects our commitment to real-world testing, continuous iteration, and wide-reaching dissemination—an approach that is uniquely positioned to shift how mental health care is delivered in the U.S. 

BOLDLY ENVISIONING THE FUTURE OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE  

The American mental health care system is at a breaking point. It is inequitable, outdated, fragmented, and inaccessible to far too many. The Brookline Center is working to be part of the solution.  

A trusted provider since 1958, the Center has long delivered strong clinical outcomes caring for the mental health needs of our community. Now, through the Innovation Institute, we are building on our history to transform the mental health care system through program and practice innovation. 

When traditional care cannot meet the community’s evolving mental health needs, we leverage our expertise to create new community-responsive practices 

The Innovation Institute designs, tests, and shares mental health care innovations – either our own or ones that our partners bring to us – to make the system more equitable, accessible, and effective for all. As a community-based care provider, we are uniquely positioned to both provide and innovate care. 

We are working now to expand our innovation capabilities: advancing current program and practice innovations, generating new innovations, and deepening our engagement with partners across the mental health ecosystem. 

We have the track record, the leadership, and the reputation to succeed, and we invite you to join us in these efforts.