Deep brain stimulation zaps OCD - UCHealth Today
by Jan 14, 2020 School of MedicineStandard treatments for his obsessive-compulsive disorder hadn't provided relief, so UCH doctors offered up one last option: deep-brain stimulation for OCD.
NEWSROOM
Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy is traumatizing kids. Bring asylum seekers here to heal.
by Jan 6, 2020 School of MedicineOpinion column by Steven Berkowitz, professor of psychiatry and the director of the Stress, Trauma, Adversity Research and Treatment Center at the CU School of Medicine, and co-author: “As these children and parents arrive at our doorstep seeking asylum, as is their legal right, it is wrong for this administration to knowingly place them in dangerous environments when safe alternatives exist and their presence in the United States has no negative impact on our society. It is our duty to protect them.”
USA Today, Jan. 6, 2020
Top Research Achievements of 2019
by Dec 19, 2019The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation in December announced that the top research achievements of 2019 include an investigation led by CU faculty members. The work by Robert Freedman, MD, professor and former chair of psychiatry, M. Camille Hoffman, MD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the division of maternal fetal medicine, and seven other CU faculty members found that during pregnancy, the presence of adequate levels of the nutrient choline in the mother’s system has a protective role in the development of the fetal brain and on behavior in children following birth. The results of the study are described in an article published in May 2019 in The Journal of Pedicatrics. The Brain & Behavior Research Foundaiton is the world’s largest private funder of mental health research grants and has awarded more than $408 million to more than 4,800 scientists around the world.
988 national suicide prevention hotline one step closer to reality
by Dec 23, 2019 School of MedicineMichael Allen, a professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, has been working on the idea with stakeholders nationwide for years. “Part of the desire is not just to create a simpler number but to develop a better system,” Allen told FOX31.
Fox31, Dec. 12, 2019
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.