Northwestern Medicine creating behavioral health institute with $25 million gift

Northwestern Medicine is launching a behavioral health institute with a $25 million gift from the Kent and Liz Dauten Family Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic investments in behavioral health in the region, according to the hospital system.

The Northwestern Medicine Dauten Behavioral Health Institute aims to redefine behavioral health by using new diagnostic and treatment approaches, according to a news release announcing the gift.

The institute’s first major initiative will be the Bipolar Disorder Center of Excellence, which will feature clinical programs for patients with complex diagnoses and disorders, according to the release.

The institute will also feature employment support programs, a clinical research and patient outcomes registry, emergency psychiatry services and a fund for pilot projects.

The institute, which will be based in Northwestern Medicine’s Streeterville campus, will be fully operational in one to two years, according to Christopher N. King, spokesperson for Northwestern Medicine. That’s when the hospital system anticipates a major advance in clinical operations, improved access and innovation in the treatment of bipolar disorders, King said.

The Dautens, in the news release, said the Dauten Family Foundation has prioritized philanthropy in the field of brain sciences and mental health “where there is an explosion in demand for care and an urgent need to find better treatments.”

“As longstanding supporters of the Northwestern Medicine three-pronged model — clinical care, research and education — we could not be more excited about this new collaboration,” Kent Dauten said in the news release. Kent Dauten is chairman and founder of the Chicago-based investment firm Keystone Capital.

Howard Chrisman, president and CEO of Northwestern Medicine , said the gift “marks a turning point in our ability to deliver world-class behavioral health care.”