SWAMPSCOTT — When Jeffrey Robbins first arrived at Boston University, he thought he was going to be an actor.
As a theater student, Robbins landed a lead role in a main stage production as a sophomore — an unusual achievement for someone so early in the program. But the experience left him questioning whether the stage was where he really belonged.
Ultimately, he decided to transfer to BU’s College of Liberal Arts and switched his major to psychology, setting in motion a career that would eventually span nearly five decades and improve the lives of countless people across Massachusetts and beyond.
Now, Robbins, a Swampscott resident since 1982, is being recognized for that work. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, honoring a career that has included clinical practice, teaching, program development, and community service.
“I was bowled over,” Robbins said. “I never imagined that I would get nominated for such an award, let alone be selected to receive it. I feel very humbled.”
After graduating from BU, Robbins earned his master’s degree in social work at Smith College. He then began his career at the Greater Lynn Community Mental Health Center, where he gained experience with family therapy and was able to run a group for adults with severe mental health challenges. Robbins later joined the staff at Harvard Community Health Plan in Peabody before accepting what he calls one of the best opportunities of his professional life: a position in the neurology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Robbins has worked at Brigham and Women’s since 1997 and currently serves as a clinical social worker in the hospital’s Center for Brain-Mind Medicine, helping patients and families navigate conditions ranging from ADHD and traumatic brain injuries to dementia and stroke recovery.
“I’m sort of a tour guide companion,” he said. “I help patients and families learn how to live with this in a way that they are able to maintain a good quality of life.”
Some of Robbins’ most meaningful work has been shaped by personal experience.
When his mother, Eleanor, developed Alzheimer’s disease, Robbins and his father saw firsthand how isolated many nursing home residents could become. One bright spot came when a college student began visiting Eleanor weekly.
One day, Robbins’ father arrived for his usual visit and found his wife in deep conversation with the student.
“She looks up and says, ‘Honey, could you come back a little later? I’m busy right now,’” Robbins recalled.
The experience inspired the creation of the Eleanor Robbins Community Program: Caring for Each Other, which paired high school students with nursing home residents living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The program launched at Swampscott High School and later evolved into Harvard College Alzheimer’s Buddies during Robbins’ time as a lecturer at the University. Eventually, the program expanded to become the National Alzheimer’s Buddies, a nonprofit that now operates on over 60 college campuses across the country.
Another project close to Robbins’ heart was Camp Wee-Kan-Tu, the first overnight summer camp for children with epilepsy in New England. As a co-founder, he spent 15 years helping create an environment where children with epilepsy could connect with peers who understood their experiences.
“We had kids who had a lot in common,” Robbins said. “They thought they were the only person in the world who had seizures. … There was no opportunity for them to socialize with their peers. Here, they got to be in an environment where they could say … ‘I have friends.’”
For Robbins, creating that sense of belonging, acceptance, and companionship has defined a career. In his decades of social work, he’s traveled all over the country building community programs that strengthen the well-being of patients and families. His work has brought him even as far as Ethiopia, where he spent time shifting the culture around mental health in Jimma, a culturally diverse city.
Even now, Robbins continues to work full-time at Brigham and Women’s Hospital while maintaining a private practice in Danvers, seeing about 20 patients a week. He also remains active in teaching, research, and mentoring future social workers.
When asked why he continues to keep such a demanding schedule, Robbins laughed.
“It keeps my brain active and healthy,” he said. “And I love the work.”
