Brien Center Celebrates 100-Plus Years Of Care, Compassion, And Community Support

“We wanted one sponsor for our 100-plus year celebration,” said Christine Macbeth, president and CEO of the Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Inc. “We got 20, demonstrating the community’s respect for Brien.” The gala on Saturday, October 22 at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield (called 100+ Years because its actual centennial was 2020, when a gathering was impossible) was a celebration of the organization’s history and impact on the lives of generations of Berkshire families, An evening of thanks, personal stories, hors d’oeuvres and drinks was capped by a concert featuring the Me2/ Orchestra, the world’s only classical music organization created for individuals living with mental illness and the people who support them. (The orchestra, dedicated to erasing the stigma surrounding mental illness, was founded by conductor Ronald Braunstein, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1985 and wanted to create a safe space for himself and others.) The Brien Center, founded in 1920 by Dr. Austen Riggs, began in a two-room clinic in Pittsfield and has grown to a county-wide system of care, with 26 locations scattered throughout the Berkshires and with more than 400 employees. From 123 patients that first year, the Brien Center now treats about 10,000 residents a year. With additional sponsors signing on to the event, the center was able to offer hundreds of tickets to the Me2/ concert to those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.

Event sponsors Linda Febles and Jonathan Denmark, both of MountainOne Insurance, and Tim Burke of Mill Town Capital, make closing remarks as the Me2/ orchestra looks on.