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Welcome to the Department of Psychiatry
The Department of Psychiatry is a diverse community of staff and faculty dedicated to our mission. It is comprised of over 300 regular, affiliate, and volunteer clinical faculty, working at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, UCHealth/University of Colorado Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver Health Medical Center, and the VA Medical Center, as well as at the Department of Corrections and the Colorado Mental Health Institutes at Pueblo & Ft. Logan. Currently, the general adult psychiatry residency is ACGME accredited for 45 positions, the child and adolescent psychiatry residency is ACGME accredited for 14 positions, the addiction psychiatry fellowship is ACGME accredited for 3 positions, the consult-liaison psychiatry fellowship is ACGME accredited for 3 positions and the forensic psychiatry fellowship is ACGME accredited for 4 positions. The department is dedicated to serving a community in which we value all people and have a continued commitment to diversity and inclusion in our clinical, research, treatment and educational activities.
Dr. Neill Epperson
Chair, Department of Psychiatry
Our Vision
The CU Department of Psychiatry sets the standard for Education and Training of leaders in psychiatry and mental health care, conducts ground-breaking Research that aims to eradicate suffering due to psychiatric and substance use disorders, provides ready access to state of-the-art mental health preventions and interventions across the continuum of care, and collaborates with the community and other key stakeholders to promote well-being among all Coloradans. We accomplish this vision in a manner that respects, values and advocates for the dignity and worth of each individual and family.
Our Mission
Core Mission: We provide a safe, equitable and inclusive environment for trainees, faculty, staff, and patients. We bridge the gaps of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, gender, gender identity, ability status, religion, political beliefs, socioeconomic status and any other factors related to systemic oppression by trusting and honoring each other and our differences. Our Department promotes unbiased recruitment of qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds in all mission areas. We focus on retention, career advancement and promotion through empowering individuals and creating an environment that facilitates continuous growth and success.
Education and Training Mission: Through our educational programs, we train medical students, graduate students, residents, psychology interns, fellows, and practicing health care professionals to be future leaders in mental health and behavioral health disciplines. We train leaders who recognize and work to eradicate health inequities that weaken families and communities.
Research Mission: Our interdisciplinary research programs produce new knowledge regarding the causes of mental illness and substance use disorders as well as the psychosocial, behavioral and sociocultural aspects of physical and mental health conditions. We identify, develop, and implement new, early prevention strategies and novel interventions to improve the lives of all human beings. We seek to be rigorous and inclusive in all of our scientific endeavors.
Clinical Care Mission: Through state-of-the-art clinical services, we deliver a full range of mental health and behavioral health interventions for patients and their families. These include neurobehavioral assessments, psychotherapy, behavioral change and health promotion strategies, neuromodulation and psychopharmacology services that recognize the wealth of cultural knowledge on how social contexts impact physical and psychological well-being.
Community and Advocacy Mission: We work with our local communities, affiliated institutions, and state and federal government agencies to promote strategies for increasing mental health awareness, reducing stigma, identifying and eliminating health disparities, and standing against discrimination and harassment to all members in our community.
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Get Psyched
Jan 13, 2022Get Psyched will showcase members of the Department recently featured in the media, their scholarly publications, presentations, or other community engagement. Please follow the links included in this article to check out their work and click "Share Your Good News" at the bottom of the article to let us know what you've been up to.Full story -
CDC Adds Mood Disorders to List of Conditions Putting Individuals at Higher Risk of Developing Severe Illness from COVID-19
Dec 13, 2021Individuals with mood disorders became a prioritized group for vaccines and boosters in early October, underscoring the continued need for effective and accessible mental health care.Full story -
In Memoriam: Dr. Robert Emde
Oct 6, 2021Dr. Robert Emde passed away on July 20th in the loving presence of his children Charles, Anne and Elizabeth as well as his granddaughters following a courageous battle of cancer. He is survived by his three children and five grandchildren, Jessica, Alexandra, Kathryn, Charles Jr. and William, in which they shared a life of laughter, love and puns.Full story -
Mind the Brain: Dr. Thida Thant and Dr. Rose Mauch on Pandemic Brain and Post-COVID Brain
Jun 29, 2021This week on Mind the Brain, Dr. Neill Epperson is joined by Drs. Thida Thant and Rose Mauch. Dr. Thant is the director of the University of Colorado Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service and the Psychiatric Consultation for the Medically Complex clinic. She has expertise in the evaluation and management of psychiatric symptoms in the context of medical and neurological illness. Dr. Mauch is currently a 3rd year psychiatry resident at the University of Colorado, and is interested in how long-term effects of early childhood trauma on psychiatric and medical illness. Together, they discuss a phenomenon many of us have experienced – a phenomenon called ‘pandemic brain.’Full story -
Emily Hemendinger Featured on CU Anschutz 360 Podcast | "How Does Social Media Affect Our Mental Health?"
Jun 8, 2021In this episode of CU Anschutz 360, Emily Hemendinger, LCSW, explores the positive and negative consequences of social media use on our mental health. She asserts that the COVID-19 pandemic, when social media use skyrocketed, caused a mental health crisis.Full story -
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Mind the Brain: Dr. Robert Werthwein on Colorado’s Behavioral Health Task Force
May 25, 2021This week on Mind the Brain, Dr. Neill Epperson is joined by Dr. Robert Werthwein, Director of the Office of Behavioral Health at the Colorado Department of Human Services, to talk about the work of Colorado’s Behavioral Health Task Force and behavioral health reform efforts in our state.Full story