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Sheilah M. Gauch

About

Sheilah M. Gauch is the Principal and Clinical Director of Dearborn Academy, a therapeutic day school that services students with social/emotional and learning needs. She is also a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and educator with over 20 years of experience working with and advocating for students with complex mental health needs. In addition to her work with students, she engages with caregivers, school districts, and mental health professionals through consultation, training, and public speaking.

Gauch has two of her own children, whose mental health issues were ultimately diagnosed as PANS/PANDAS. She co-led the creation of the Massachusetts Coalition for PANS/PANDAS Legislation which successfully championed the passage of an insurance mandate for the sickest children in the Commonwealth with this illness, as well as established a DPH PANS/PANDAS Advisory Council, where she serves as the co-chair. She is also a board member of the Alex Manfull Fund and co-founded a national legislative advocacy group, National Alliance for PANS/PANDAS Action (NAPPA).

Gauch received the 2020 Commonwealth Heroine Award for her work on the MA PANS/PANDAS Legislation as well as her leadership as the Chair of her local Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). In 2024, she received Boston College School of Social Work’s Distinguished Alumni Award for her contributions to the helping profession.

Recent Posts
The Anxiety of School Avoidance
What the anxiety associated with school avoidance looks like, and how families and schools can work together—staying away from blame and shame—to help students best.
Understanding Chronic Sorrow

Have you ever wondered about the grief and loss that caregivers supporting a child with mental illness experience? It's called chronic sorrow—and it needs to be talked about.

Have you ever wondered about the grief and loss that caregivers supporting a child with mental illness experience? It's called chronic sorrow—and it needs to be talked about.

Supporting the Whole Child

We know supporting the whole child is best practice. How do we ensure systems and professionals who care for them can continue this?

We know supporting the whole child is best practice. How do we ensure systems and professionals who care for them can continue this?

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March 2025 magazine cover
March 2025
Are You Too Nice?

Being overly polite might seem kind, but it often leads to problems anyway, in relationships, with friends, and at work.

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Self Tests are all about you. Are you outgoing or introverted? Are you a narcissist? Does perfectionism hold you back? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today.