Beyond the Library Walls: Anne Romano’s Commitment to Mental Health

Anne Romano is the Director of Library Services, but her impact on Silver Hill and the mental health community at large goes far beyond her title.

Yes, she makes sure the library shelves are stocked with the best books for patients and staff, but she is also a mental health advocate, educator, and donor. For more than two decades, she has quietly become someone who creates healing moments at Silver Hill.

Romano’s role places her in a unique position within the Silver Hill community. Patients may encounter her while searching for a good read, requesting a book for a school assignment, attending a group session she is leading, or simply seeking a quiet, reflective space.

The library itself features fiction, self-help titles, and games, as well as medical resources for staff. Patients and staff may also use computers for research.

“I believe in bibliotherapy,” Romano says of the evidence-based approach that uses guided reading to support mental health and personal growth.

The library’s move to the Martin Center on the east campus in 2025 has expanded its impact by making it more accessible and creating another recreational option for patients and families on weekends.

She also organizes and administers book clubs for staff and residential patients. In 2025, Romano started a book club for patients in Triumph at Silver Hill for trauma and dissociative disorders. Emily Haas, MD, director of Triumph, said the book club provides a valuable opportunity for patients to connect and engage with each other.

Romano’s dedication to Silver Hill, however, reaches well beyond the library walls. As a donor, she generously supports the Patient Financial Aid Fund, which helps patients who otherwise would not be able to afford treatment here. She also contributes to the Staff Emergency Fund and frequently gives in memory of former staff members who have passed away.

“I’m passionate about mental health and suicide prevention,” Romano says. “I believe in our model here of team-based treatment, and I feel like I’m a member of the team and can impact a patient’s stay.”

Just as her dedication to Silver Hill extends beyond the library, her commitment to mental health awareness extends outside Silver Hill’s campus.

An active member of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, she serves on the Connecticut chapter’s education and nominating committees and has spent years advocating for greater understanding and access to mental health care. Romano participates in fundraising walks for the AFSP and served as co-chair of the Fairfield County walk for many years. While participating in AFSP events, Romano also represents Silver Hill.

“The public needs to know there are places like Silver Hill for themselves or their loved one,” she says. “We need to get away from the public thinking we are a place just for the elite. I’ve encountered all types of people from stay-at-home parents to teachers to firefighters to presidents of companies. Every race, every gender, everything. I’ve had a good experience being around our patients and seeing how far they’ve come. I’ve seen firsthand what our treatment can do, and I want to support and advocate for that.”

The path to Silver Hill

Romano was born in Bridgeport and raised in Fairfield and Trumbull. She earned a degree in religious studies from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. While beginning graduate studies in Connecticut, she answered a call to volunteer in the Bahamas. Instead, urgent needs redirected her to southern Alabama’s bayou communities, where she spent 13 years serving as a volunteer, teacher, and librarian. She earned a master’s degree in library science from the University of Alabama, concentrating in medical libraries.

She returned to Connecticut in 2000 and weighed three job opportunities before joining Silver Hill. Aside from a brief departure to work at another hospital in the region, Romano has been at Silver Hill ever since, shaping the experience of patients and staff alike.

Librarian, group leader, advocate, donor. Anne Romano is proof that impact comes in many forms.