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Founding Story

Ellenhorn was founded 20 years ago by a psychiatrist and a clinically trained sociologist eager to fill a major gap in private psychiatric care. At the time, there were few, if any, options other than hospital or residential programs and clinic visits. What was missing? Intensive services provided to individuals in the community—resources proven to help individuals manage their lives while receiving care. These services were common in community mental-health centers, but they didn’t exist in the private sector. Two decades later, Ellenhorn continues to offer intensive community-based psychiatric care that allows clients to thrive.

How We’re Different

We believe that staying connected to the world is central to an individual getting better.

At Ellenhorn, we redefine psychiatric care by focusing on what most programs overlook: social recovery. Our multidisciplinary teams work in the real world—where clients live, work and connect—and offer personalized, community-based care. By blending psychiatric expertise with support of purpose, hope and self-belief, we help individuals reclaim not just wellness, but the fullness of life.

Our Mission

Our Mission

At Ellenhorn, we believe healing goes beyond symptoms—it’s about addressing the social impacts of psychiatric diagnoses. We take clients’ social struggles seriously, calling these experiences “psychosocial trauma.” Our mission is to help individuals reclaim purpose, independence, and belonging by blending psychiatric care with an understanding of mental health treatment’s social challenges.

Our Values

Our Values

Ellenhorn values holistic care, seeing each client as more than a diagnosis. We prioritize dignity, believing that true healing addresses both psychiatric needs and the social struggles tied to mental health treatment. With compassion and respect, we empower individuals to reclaim their independence and sense of belonging, fostering a supportive environment where personal growth and connection thrive.

Our philosophy

Our philosophy

At Ellenhorn, we believe that psychiatric recovery and social inclusion go hand-in-hand. Our approach integrates community-based living with top-tier psychiatric care, ensuring clients remain connected to their world while addressing their mental health needs. We see community, purpose, and relationships as essential elements of healing, helping clients regain independence and thrive in their personal and professional lives.

Our goals

At Ellenhorn, our goals for each client are recovery from disruptive psychiatric experiences and social recovery, the two given equal importance. While many programs split these objectives—viewing treatment of psychiatric symptoms as separate from a person’s attainment of their rightful role in the world (and often making symptom reduction come first, as a necessary precondition for a client’s involvement in real life)—we see the full achievement of each goal as dependent on the realization of the other.

We believe that the mutually dependent goals of recovery from disruptive psychiatric experiences and social recovery are impossible to achieve without a strong collaborative relationship with our clients. That’s why our clients are leaders in their own care. We place their goals for the future front and center in our treatment.

01

Social recovery

Social recovery is most likely to occur when a client receives thoughtful and coordinated pharmacological care (i.e., medication) that takes into account how psychiatric symptoms as well as medication side effects can impede achievement of leading a satisfying, productive life in the community.

02

Psychiatric experience recovery

The best pharmacological care occurs when a doctor is part of a team of treaters (clinicians, therapists and others) dedicated to supporting a client’s engagement with the world.

03

Collaborative Care

When psychiatrists are members of a close-knit team, they are able to make more finely tuned treatment decisions that lead to precisely targeted care, the avoidance of overmedication or improper medication, and treatment that can safely help some clients lead medication-free lives.

Our Team

our mission is to support healing beyond symptoms

At Ellenhorn, we see healing as more than treatment—it’s about reclaiming purpose, independence, and belonging. Our team is dedicated to addressing the social challenges of psychiatric diagnoses with compassion, understanding, and expertise.