For almost 90 years, the Mary A. Rackham Institute (MARI) has been providing quality mental health, speech and language, and training opportunities to the University of Michigan and surrounding communities.
MARI strengthens community wellness through individualized, innovative, and results-oriented mental health and language clinical services and education, treating clients of all ages and backgrounds, and training the next generation of practitioners.
Our dedicated team of psychologists, social workers, speech and language pathologists, psychiatrist, support staff, advanced-level trainees, and volunteers are invested in improving the lives of the clients we serve across the lifespan.
Today, we have two funds you can choose to support: the MARI Impact Fund and/or the Tim Wadhams & Tyler Thomas Aphasia Awareness Fund.
MARI Impact Fund
Our training program for future mental health and speech-language practitioners is robust and strong, as we offer twelve different programs and regularly train over 80 students, trainees, and volunteers per year. These include our practicum students, pre-doctoral interns, postdoctoral fellows, post-MSW fellows, SLP clinical fellows, and volunteers.
“What I’ve most enjoyed about MARI’s training process is how many opportunities there are for supervision and learning from clinicians from different backgrounds, fields, and areas of expertise. Being able to ask questions, gather resources, and hear different perspectives has given me a strong foundation for my future work.” - QP, Social Work Intern 2023-2024.
Our MARI Impact Fund provides assistance to our trainees and staff, providing them with the necessary therapy tools to use in sessions, support to attend professional development workshops, funding for testing and clinical supplies (we serve both adult and child clients), and developing new clinical programs and workshops.
"I’ve been very impressed with the organization so far. I’ve been provided with resources and help in a more comprehensive manner than I have experienced with any [other] psychology/mental health care.” - Adult client at the Mental Health Clinics
By donating to this fund, you would be supporting the training the next generation of mental health and speech-language practitioners and providing them with the necessary tools to use in sessions.
Tim Wadhams & Tyler Thomas Aphasia Awareness Fund
Our University of Michigan Aphasia Program (UMAP) pioneered the intensive therapy model for people with aphasia more than 85 years ago. We have long recognized the need for an aphasia-specific treatment approach — and that extends to mental health and wellness too.
“It was clearly evident that we were in the right place for Jeff’s treatment from the first day here at UMAP. To say that the therapists are amazing is an understatement. Each and every one of them has so much compassion and shows a drive and enthusiasm to do anything they can to help my partner improve.” - MW, care partner of a UMAP client.
Our goal is to help make Intensive Aphasia Therapy accessible to all. Unfortunately, intensive, comprehensive aphasia therapy is not covered by health insurance, which means those who seek intensive, aphasia therapy often pay for it out-of-pocket. This can be a significant hurdle to families, especially as they are trying to find support/recovery/resources for their family members. Yet, we know the intensive, comprehensive, and individualized approach is the most effective when treating aphasia.
The Tim Wadhams & Tyler Thomas Aphasia Awareness Fund was established to provide financial support to families seeking services at the University of Michigan Aphasia Program, so families can focus on treatment and recovery, versus financial concerns.
By donating to this fund, you would be providing financial assistance to clients with aphasia and related disorders to attend our University of Michigan Aphasia Program.
No matter what fund you choose to support, your support will help us continue our legacy of providing quality services to all.
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