The Cole Resource Center has been providing mental health support for more than 30 years. The needs of our community are greater and more urgent today than in 1993 and addressing those needs in today’s digital environment requires methods unforeseen at that time. Yet CRC’s work remains solidly grounded in the founders’ vision of offering non-clinical support to those facing mental health challenges, provided by staff with lived experience and expertise in recovery.

 FOUNDING PHASE (1993-2018). The Cole Resource Center was founded in 1993 by Evie Barkin and Anne Whitman, PhD. Speaking openly about their firsthand experiences with mental illness, the two women were pioneers in non-clinical support of peers, individuals living with mental health conditions. They led the all-volunteer nonprofit organization during its first 25 years. Their focus was on peers supporting other peers, offering compassion and understanding along with providing practical information about navigating the health care system and gaining productive employment. Barkin and Whitman spoke publicly about mental health issues. They modeled wellness in recovery, highlighting the value of helping others. McLean Hospital, where both had received treatment, supported CRC in an informal partnership, providing office space and referrals.

TRANSITION (2018-2020). The founders were succeeded in January 2018 by a salaried Executive Director who extended CRC’s outreach to family members as well as peers. She created new programs, raised the visibility of the Center, and recruited more peer and family member volunteers. In spring 2020, coincident with the start of the pandemic which constrained its fundraising efforts, CRC faced the need to restructure its operating budget by contracting its spending. Its ongoing revenues were no longer sufficient to support the expanded programs and the increased overhead.

PANDEMIC RESPONSE (2020). In the summer of 2020, a group of committed CRC volunteers stepped up to keep the organization operating and serving its community. In August 2020, the CRC Board of Directors approved their proposal for a pro bono Leadership Team which would manage the organization during the “pandemic phase.” These professionals focused CRC’s efforts on only three core programs: resource referrals, support groups, and the Workforce Program. They streamlined the organization’s operations and implemented monthly tracking of impact metrics. Two members of the original Leadership Team continue to guide CRC today.

BUILDING FOR GROWTH (2021-present). CRC has substantially strengthened its organization over the past five years and its impact has grown: the number of individual client interactions provided increased from 720 in FY2022 to over 1,650 in FY2025. Key building blocks included creating a resources database and expanding its outreach to existing and new organizational partners. CRC began adding paid professional staff for the Workforce Program in 2022. Board membership was refreshed by adding new members from a variety of professional backgrounds. In April 2024, the Board hired a capacity-building consultant who served as CRC’s full-time Director of Organizational Development from September 2024 to April 2026. She designed and implemented new systems and procedures that have empowered CRC staff, enabled the expansion of our services, and provided compelling impact metrics.  

FY2026 AND FUTURE. The CRC Board has approved a major investment in staffing and fundraising capacity starting in FY2026, including hiring an Executive Director for CRC. Recognizing the important and unmet need in the community for peer support of job seekers in mental health recovery, the Board’s strategic priority for growth is the Workforce Program. We expect to significantly expand CRC’s visibility, client community, donor base, and sources of grant funding during the targeted growth phase of FY2027-2028. CRC remains committed to providing all services free of charge to its clients, funded by philanthropic support.

MORE ABOUT CRC’s FOUNDING

The Cole Resource Center—the first psychiatric resource center of its kind— was founded as an independent organization in 1993 by Evie Barkin and Anne Whitman, Ph.D. The two founders met as participants in the Manic Depressive and Depressive Association (MDDA), now the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.  The CRC began as the education and advocacy arm of MDDA, then became an independent organization. 

The Center is named for Jonathan O. Cole, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Senior Consultant in Psychopharmacology at McLean Hospital. Widely loved and admired, Dr. Cole is regarded as the founder of clinical psychopharmacology, the field in which he was active for almost 50 years.

After co-founder Evie Barkin was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1976, she learned firsthand what it is like to have a psychiatric illness—and how important it is to have a strong support network. As she learned the treatments and practices needed to manage her illness, Evie slowly regained her confidence and was determined not to let illness rule her life. She joined a peer group that inspired her to take on more responsibility. "I felt great because I was relating to people who had the same diagnosis but who were doing well," she recalls. "It made me want to help others with mental illness. The more I accomplished, the better I felt."

Evie received countless inquiries from peers seeking information about illnesses, the American Disabilities Act, and the process of finding a job. Noting the lack of resources available to serve this population, Evie joined with Anne Whitman, Ph.D., to establish the Cole Resource Center. Since its opening in 1993, the Cole Resource Center has acted as a beacon of light for many in the mental health community. "We have shown our peers that there is life after psychiatric illness," says Evie.