Silver Hill Financial Aid Provides Access to Care for Patients in Need

For many people struggling with mental illness or addiction, the biggest barrier to getting help isn’t willingness, it’s affordability.

At Silver Hill Hospital, the Patient Financial Aid Fund exists to remove that obstacle, giving patients access to the compassionate, evidence-based care they need to heal and rebuild their lives. For those who have received this support, gratitude runs deep for both the financial help and the transformational care.

As Thanksgiving approaches and we reflect on all we are grateful for, including words of thanks from patients who received care through the Silver Hill Hospital Patient Financial Aid Fund.

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When Christy arrived at Silver Hill, she was in crisis. She was overwhelmed by depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. A series of life stressors, including job and personal pressures, had left her hopeless and afraid. Other treatment centers did not help her to recover; in fact, they exacerbated her fragile state.

As Christy’s condition worsened, she felt herself slipping toward suicidal thoughts. When she learned about Silver Hill’s Patient Financial Aid Fund, it felt like a miracle.

“The care I received was overwhelmingly compassionate,” she said. “I was treated as a person with an illness, rather than an illness within a person. I truly believe I would not be standing here today without the gift of financial assistance, which is the gift of life.”

At Silver Hill, Christy soon began to feel like herself again. The warmth of the staff and the shared experiences of her peers helped her reconnect with hope. Today, she has returned to her work, continues to manage her depression and anxiety, and carries forward what she calls “the miracle of Silver Hill.”

Her father, Wendell, remembers the transformation vividly and offered his own words of thanks.

“Christy has always been able to light up a room with her smile,” he said. “When she was going through her difficulties, that light was gone. Now she has it back, and it’s a joy for me to see. Thank you for everything you’ve done for her.”

For another family, the financial aid program offered restoration. When Nick entered Silver Hill in early 2024, his life was unraveling. A young father of twin daughters, he was struggling with substance use and felt that he had reached rock bottom.

“There was the very real possibility that I wasn’t going to make it,” he said. “Silver Hill was one of the greatest experiences I ever had. They didn’t just tell me I’m an alcoholic. I knew that already. They told me why I’m an alcoholic and gave me skills to be able to handle it.”

Nick is now nearly two years sober. The Patient Financial Aid Fund made it possible for Nick to stay at Silver Hill long enough to truly begin healing.

His wife, Sarah, later reflected on the experience: “The scholarship bridged the impossible gap and made it possible for him to stay. It gave Nick the strongest foundation possible and our family the best chance. I’m so grateful.”

Today, Nick is living a life he once thought was out of reach. He works as a teacher for children with special needs and draws on skills he learned at Silver Hill every day.

While Nick is thankful for everything Silver Hill has done for him, there is one result of his treatment that stands out among the rest:

“They gave my daughters the father they deserve,” he said.

Stories like Christy’s and Nick’s are why Silver Hill’s Patient Financial Aid Fund exists. For more than 25 years, the program has provided vital support to patients who could not otherwise afford care. In the past five years alone, the hospital has distributed over $5 million in financial assistance to more than 140 patients. Awards typically cover between 25% and 90% of program costs, averaging $30,000 per patient.

The financial aid program is funded almost entirely by philanthropy. Behind each award is a donor who believes, like Silver Hill does, that no one should be denied life-saving treatment because of finances. As clinicians know, recovery from mental illness and addiction requires time, structure, and a therapeutic environment that fosters trust and self-understanding. That is what Silver Hill provides and why financial accessibility is so critical, as the cost of extended care is often out of reach for many patients.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nearly 60% of adults with mental illness do not receive treatment, often because they believe it costs too much. Silver Hill’s Patient Financial Aid Fund eliminates or lessens that barrier and stands as a tangible commitment to equitable access to care. The gratitude of the patients speaks volumes for what they’ve regained: family, purpose, and the belief that recovery is possible.