Exit Plan

Dr. Kathleen Mackenzie, LICSW is an award-winning Clinical Social, Senior Lecturer in Behavioral Sciences at Northeastern University, and author of Exit Plan: Mapping a Way Out of the Youth Mental Health Crisis.  Dr. Mackenzie received a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University, a Masters in Social Work from Boston University and a Doctorate in Education from Northeastern University.  In 2013 Dr. Mackenzie received the Hubie Jones Award from Boston University for her ongoing dedication to working with underserved and disenfranchised urban communities and the Dean’s Medal from Northeastern University for her doctoral thesis entitled Teaching English Language Learners Within the General Education Setting: A Phenomenological Study. In 2025 she was recognized as a Woman of Distinction within her community by the YWCA and on May 1, 2026 she published her first book on youth mental health.

Kathleen has 34 years of clinical experience within a variety of settings including a domestic violence and sexual assault program, federal prison, outpatient mental health clinic, inpatient psychiatric hospital, K-12 public school system, and an undergraduate program in behavioral science.  In 2025 she retired from her K-12 district administrator position to advocate for better online protections for youth.  She also has a small private practice servicing clients in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.