Voices from McClendon Center: Q&A with Dr. Sally He
A Conversation with Dr. Sally He, Psychiatrist and McClendon Center Board Member
Alongside the staff and programs that make McClendon Center’s work possible, there are dedicated volunteers who help guide and sustain the mission. Dr. Sally He has been one of them since 2021, serving as a member of our Board of Directors.
A board-certified adult and addiction psychiatrist, Dr. He first encountered McClendon as a George Washington University psychiatry resident. What she saw during that rotation stayed with her. She’s now a Public Psychiatry Fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the founder of ClariThrive, a platform building evidence-based mental health tools to support people between appointments. She brings all of that to her work with McClendon’s Board.
We sat down with her recently to talk about what drew her to psychiatry, what she’s learned from the mental health system, and what she wants supporters to know about the work happening here every day.
Tell us a little about yourself and your background. What drew you to psychiatry?
I’ve always been drawn to people’s inner worlds, long before I knew that curiosity had a name. I’m now a board-certified adult psychiatrist with a background in public health. I believe mental wellness is the foundation for everything else in life, and everyone deserves the chance to thrive, even when psychiatric symptoms or distressing beliefs make things harder. Psychiatry lets me combine medical knowledge with deep listening to support patients as they grow according to their own values and path.
How did you first get connected to McClendon Center, and what made you want to join the board?
I first connected to McClendon during my psychiatry residency at George Washington, through a clinical rotation here. At the time, Shean and Michael, now McClendon Center’s President & CEO and COO, were deeply embedded in the day-to-day work and close to clients in a way that left a lasting impression. Their dedication, and the Center’s reputation in the community, made me want to stay connected and support the work in a new way as a board member.
What does McClendon Center’s work mean to you personally, having seen the mental health system from the clinical side?
McClendon’s heart is its people: leadership, group leaders, clinicians, case workers, and all its staff. They put clients at the center and stay committed even when the work is hard. McClendon offers a full range of services: medication management, therapy, and more, but what sets it apart is the wraparound support: a Day Program, group therapy, hospital discharge coordination, and case management in the community. Too often, people get shuffled from system to system. McClendon gives them a stable place to connect, recover, and grow.
You recently founded ClariThrive and are now a Public Psychiatry Fellow at Columbia. What’s driving you professionally right now?
After years of clinical experience, I want to bring that experience into system-level change. My time at McClendon showed me the gap between policy and the people it affects. Touring policymakers’ offices during a health policy rotation, I realized how much I wanted to bridge that gap and bring lived experience into the rooms where decisions get made. The fellowship lets me learn firsthand from a state’s behavioral health system and its leadership. And with ClariThrive, I’m building tools that empower patients as active partners in their care: psycho-educational resources that make every visit more meaningful for both patients and providers, and support that stays with patients between appointments, not just during them.
What do you wish more people understood about mental health care for underserved communities?
People in under-resourced communities are often stigmatized, but they’re resilient. Recovery is possible with the right treatment and support. Trauma, medical and mental health symptoms, and social barriers like housing, employment, and safety compound the challenge. As clinicians, we work alongside people to help reduce both the internal and external obstacles in their path so they can define and live their fullest life on their own terms.
What would you say to someone considering supporting McClendon Center — as a donor, volunteer, or partner?
Thank you. Your time matters. Federal Medicaid changes are reshaping the funding landscape for community mental health organizations everywhere, and McClendon, like many nonprofits, has to stay resourceful and adaptable to keep serving DC residents well. Whatever you can give has real, direct impact.
And if you’d like to see the work firsthand, join us at Art of Transformation — McClendon’s annual fundraising celebration of resilience and recovery, featuring client artwork and raffle prizes donated by sponsors this September 17, 2026 from 6–8pm. Tickets and sponsorships are available at mcclendoncenter.org/aot.
Voices from the Center is a series spotlighting the people behind McClendon Center’s mission. Read our other conversations at mcclendoncenter.org.
McClendon Center has served the Washington, DC community since 1980, providing integrated behavioral health care to individuals living with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. Learn more at mcclendoncenter.org.
