When 杏吧视频 announced a $60 million investment for the new , it marked a commitment to address and advance the growing mental health crisis within and beyond Northeast Ohio.
Now, , a distinguished psychologist and renowned researcher in the field of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and trauma, will lead the effort as the Moll Institute's inaugural executive director.
In her new position, Feeny, a professor of psychological sciences in the and director of the PTSD Treatment and Research Program, further elevates 杏吧视频 as an international leader in clinical psychology training and practice-based research.
鈥淭he Moll Institute will provide critical research, training and resources to benefit the growing number of individuals living with mental illness as well as those who care for and support them,鈥 杏吧视频 President Eric W. Kaler said during the June 4 announcement to celebrate the start of construction work on a new space for the institute. 鈥淲e are deeply grateful to Sara and Curt Moll for their commitment to improving lives and outcomes through better mental health care and we are so pleased that Norah Feeny will lead the institute鈥檚 efforts.鈥
Feeny鈥檚 pioneering work has spanned more than three decades in diverse clinical settings, including sexual-assault programs, substance-abuse programs and outpatient clinics. Her research evaluates treatments, examines predictors of treatment success and optimizes therapies for the local community in need. She has also led treatment trials addressing pediatric PTSD, depression and bipolar disorder in youth.
鈥淣orah鈥檚 exceptional career and dedication to advancing mental-health solutions make her the ideal leader for the Moll Institute,鈥 said Joy K. Ward, provost and executive vice president. 鈥淗er expertise and vision will be instrumental in positioning the institute as a global leader in addressing critical mental-health challenges.鈥
Growing mental-health crisis
The Moll Institute, supported through a transformative commitment from Sara and Curt Moll, with the balance covered by the university, will address the escalating mental-health crisis through innovative research, education, clinical collaboration and community outreach. It will also double the number of clinical faculty in psychology and expand PhD training programs for clinical psychologists to meet the growing demand for mental-health expertise.
The timing couldn鈥檛 be more appropriate鈥攐r needed.
- More than one in five adults in the United States live with a mental illness, and only half receive treatment, according to the latest data from the
- Two in five high school students nationally reported experiencing symptoms of depression鈥攆eeling so sad or hopeless daily for at least two straight weeks that they stopped doing some usual activities in the past 12 months, according to the (CDC).
- Half of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24, according to the National Alliance of Mental Health, citing the CDC and several published scientific studies.
鈥淭hese are our loved ones, friends, co-workers and neighbors, many of whom never get the treatment they require,鈥 Feeny said. 鈥淭he Sara and Curt Moll Institute for Mental Health and Well-Being will begin to address this need in Northeast Ohio and beyond with the hiring of new clinical faculty, additional training opportunities for our clinical PhD students and community bridges and connections.鈥
About the Moll Institute
The Moll Institute opens this month in temporary space at 11635 Euclid Ave., which formerly housed the Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center. The institute鈥檚 permanent location in the Nursing Research Building, is scheduled to open in early summer 2027. That site was chosen for its location near key collaborators, including the university鈥檚 School of Medicine and local hospital networks.
