Produced in 2014, this video still offers some interesting information about the founding of Hamm Clinic and what makes it uniquely different.
Our founder, Margaret Hamm Kelley, was ahead of her time. A social worker and granddaughter of renowned St. Paul leader Theodore Hamm, she recognized that mental illness was a serious problem … especially for those unable to afford care.
In 1954, Margaret established Hamm Clinic. She gathered a team of clinical social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists to provide integrated mental health care to individuals who could not pay for treatment. She also fought against the stigma of mental illness. Her motto was:
Comprehensive mental health care
is a basic human right that should be
accessible to everyone.
Margaret’s approach to treatment was collaborative and empathic. Her innovations are the foundation of our current Healing Together™ Model of Care (PDF). Our Hamm Clinic team is grateful to her as we build on her vision.