Germaine Lawrence's David Hirshberg Retires After 33 Years of Helping Troubled Girls

David Hirshberg, of Watertown, retired Sunday after 33 years of service as CEO of the Germaine Lawrence treatment campus for troubled girls. 

Hired in 1979 to save the struggling St. Anne’s School in Arlington, Hirshberg dedicated his career to turning the school into the premier residential treatment center for troubled girls in New England. 

Hirshberg answered some questions for Patch about his career in helping troubled girls — and about what seem to be the biggest problems today.

Patch: What first led you to start a center to help troubled girls?

I was hired in 1979 to lead St. Anne's School, a private boarding school for teenage girls. Many of the girls at the school had behavioral issues and troubled families. The school was struggling and needed to change its program to address the needs of the girls and families. I worked with state agencies to transform the school into a treatment center. A few years later we changed the name to Germaine Lawrence.

Patch: What are the primary problems facing girls today, and has it changed over the years?

The girls who come to the Youth Villages-Germaine Lawrence Campus for help have a variety of emotional and behavioral issues and learning disabilities, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, substance abuse, running away, self-harm and eating disorders. Most have experienced significant abuse and neglect in their lives. Their issues have not changed much over time, but the girls we help now have more acute problems that can be challenging to treat. Our goal has been to specialize in the treatment of girls and their families, especially girls who have been unsuccessful in other programs.

Patch: Can you estimate how many girls you have helped over the years, and how does that make you feel?

We helped more than 5,000 girls and their families during my tenure. I am very proud of being part of helping turn around the lives of so many girls and helping so many families.

Patch: The Germaine Lawrence Campus merged with national non-profit Youth Villages; what will that mean for the center you founded?

Through the merger with Youth Villages, our Arlington campus is able to be part of a larger organization, which means we can provide more services to more girls over the years to come. Germaine Lawrence has always been focused on providing the very best services possible, and Youth Villages does the same. It’s a good fit for our two organizations and for the girls we help.

Patch:  Is there anything that you hoped to accomplish before retiring that you were not able to do?

I would have loved to have expanded our community-based services more than we did. Working with children and their families in their own homes and communities is a highly effective way of helping troubled girls find long-term success. However, the merger with Youth Villages accomplishes this to a great extent.

Patch: Do you have plans for your retirement?

I hope to work part-time in the not-for-profit world while spending more time with my family, especially my grandchildren.