I have known Janet for 20 years. I was  shocked to hear of her passing .  Condolences to leila and Tyrone . I will miss her greatly Breige Atkinson 

Janet Richmond was a deeply valued colleague at McLean Hospital. Her death has left her clinical team acutely missing her warm presence, intelligence, and humor. In reflecting on our experience of working with Janet, we (as a team) wanted to share with others our experience of working with her.

     Janet supported patients and her fellow staff in both word and in actions.  She demonstrated her care for those she worked with through her listening and reflection. She was consistently thoughtful and supportive of fellow team members.  She approached others with curiosity, compassion, and fascination. She was the clinician others would call in difficult clinical situations, which spoke to her clinical skill, but also her consistent compassion and grounded support. In rounds and consultation, she had a unique ability to quickly and effectively get to the heart of complex clinical issues to help guide and support fellow clinicians. Beyond that, her clinical care, discussion thereof, openness, and interaction with fellow staff personified the model of how a senior clinician can support and mentor fellow and junior clinicians. 

In her years at McLean, Janet was a consistent, healing presence in patients’ lives. In addition to being exceptionally warm and compassionate, she was masterful in building alliance with individuals- utilizing insights from various psychotherapy models that effected tangible changes allowing patients to find relief and growth. She consistently supported her patients in their needs but also advocated for their individual agency and competence. 

 She bravely brought all of herself to her work, patients, and colleagues, and used her remarkable openness and authentic experience to help others.  She left an indelible mark not only on her patients, but on this clinic. 

The legacy she leaves behind in our clinic is one of kindness, astute reflection, and unshakeable support. We are grateful to have known her.

      I knew Janet as a work colleague in the ER and later in the Urgent Care Clinic at the VA in Jamaica Plain. She was a smart and resourceful clinician. Never one to shy away from a crisis situation, she  had the ability to communicate with and, as needed, set appropriate limits with some of our most difficult mental  health patients. You could rely on her to respond to a "code green" and to help bring about a positive resolution. Beyond her clinical work, Janet was published and had a number of  book chapters and articles (one chapter that we co-authored) to her credit.  I was saddened to hear of her death. She is a great loss to her family and friends, as well as to those of us who knew her only in a work setting. Thanks to Janet for all of her good work.
     Phil Kleespies, PhD, Clinical Psychologist
.

I am so saddened by Janet's passing. I worked with her at the AAEP. She was a gifted thinker and collaborator. Her talents shone through on our de-escalation paper. She had a clear vision of the essence of this topic, that it involved meeting the patient as a person, regardless of the severity of their disturbance, and paying close attention to their need for safety, self-esteem, and empathic contact. I never got to see her clinical work first-hand, but I'm sure it must have been exceptional. She was such a lovely person. My deepest condolences to her family and friends, and very best regards.

OBITUARY

Janet S. Richmond

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