By Sally Parker
William F. “Bill” Blue Jr. (MBA ’86) Think that all people who need mental health care should be able to find help quickly at any level of care – from crisis intervention to continuous support – as well as for physical health.
Eleven years ago, after a mental health crisis in his family involving long delays in diagnosis and treatment, Blue left a 28 -year career in the investment bank to find a solution.
“It affected us so deeply. When you cross it, when you worry about treatment, it really has an impact on everything you do, “he said. “The real fuel for my career change was the injustice of the treatment situation and the inability to access quality care.”
Blue, who retired as vice-president of investment banks and capital markets of Wells Fargo Securities, and his wife, Betsy, have planted the seeds of the Hopeway Foundation, a non-profit mental health treatment community for children and adults in Charlotte, North Carolina. Blue was Chairman of the Board of Directors for the first 10 years and recently joined Betsy as an emeritus director.
Hopeway provides a continuum of care, so regardless of individuals, vulnerable customers can ignore the long waiting for appointments. And they don’t have to feel the pain of repeating their history repeatedly in search of new suppliers. Services include several levels of support: residential; Treatment of the day of partial hospitalization and intensive treatment of the ambulatory day, with personal and group therapy and integration activities such as art, music, yoga, gardening and cooking; ambulatory once a week or monthly; and support groups.
“The real fuel for my career change was the injustice of the treatment situation and the inability to access quality care.”
Bill Blue (MBA ’86)
Blue was under tension from the start to provide holistic mental health care based on evidence in Charlotte, but the launch of a non -profit organization of health care was intimidating – forming a board of directors; Conduct a feasibility study; fundraising; find and build a high quality site and staff; And become accredited, under license and in the network. But when Blue took his Pitchbook to Sitdowns with potential supporters, ready to assert, community support came quickly and strong.
“The people we would invite the book and said,” Let me tell you the story of our family. ” The community response was overwhelming. This is how Hopeway rolled.
The board of directors has raised $ 27 million – far exceeding the target of $ 10 million. Hopeway was initially based on community awareness and word of mouth. The first two customers arrived on opening day, Thanksgiving 2016, but a net quickly turned into a constant flow.
More than eight years and 8,000 admissions, Hopeway has served more than 4,000 customers of 40 states and four foreign countries. Last year, he opened a new installation to meet the urgent needs of children under the age of 18. Together, the two campuses employ 160, including full -time psychiatrists, approved clinical therapists and nurses.
Blue says that the launch of Hopeway was partly possible because of the skills he acquired in Darden and advanced in the investment bank, such as presentation, capital lifting and budgeting, team consolidation and marketing.
He is ready to share the lessons learned with communities with similar views. “Darden has always asked:” What are your values? ” “, He said. “I would love to pay it forward. We have a game book, and I would be more than happy to speak to any old Darden who is inspired to try to do something like that in their community. »»
About the business school at the University of Virginie Darden
The Affairs School of the University of Virginia Darden is preparing the world leaders responsible for unrivaled transformational learning experiences. Darden’s higher education programs (MBA, MSBA and PH.D.) and the executive and lifelong learning education programs offered by Darden School Foundation have prepared the field for a life of progress and career impact. Darden’s best classified teachers, renowned for educational excellence, inspire and shape modern commercial leadership around the world by research, enlightened leadership and commercial publishing. Darden has land in Charlottesville, Virginia and the Washington region, DC, and a world community which includes 18,000 former students in 90 countries. Darden was created in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a better public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Press the contact
Molly Mitchell
Main, editorial and media associate director
Darden business school
University of Virginia
Mitchellm@darden.virginia.edu