Hanley Center Beginnings

Mary Jane and Jack Hanley had an idyllic life: Jack at the helm of a major American corporation, and Mary Jane, raising three children while keeping the affairs of a busy family in immaculate order.

The future was bright, even limitless for Mary Jane and Jack. But something was not right. With an active social calendar, entertaining became an increasingly frequent part of the Hanleys’ lives, and alcohol crept quietly into their home. Mary Jane was drinking, and like so many who suffer with alcoholism, her drinking gradually progressed from social to heavy, exacting a significant toll on her and her family.

A strong woman who could accomplish most anything she set her mind to, Mary Jane thought she should be able to stop. But she could not stop.

For the Hanley’s, there was a happy ending. With the support of her loving husband and children, Mary Jane and, in her inimitable fashion, mastered the tools that today help her live an alcohol-free life. Experiencing firsthand how proper diagnosis, treatment and care can save lives and mend families, Jack and Mary Jane Hanley chose to dedicate their lives to sharing with others what they had learned and founded the Hanley Center. Hanley Center opened in 1986 in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the result of one family’s gratitude for addiction treatment and recovery. The story of the Hanley Center’s start is one of hope and a desire to help others.