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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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Children’s Hospital Colorado Declares A State Of Emergency Over Kids’ Mental Health
May 25, 2021Department of Psychiatry faculty member Jenna Glover, PhD attributes current pediatric mental health crisis to ongoing stresses of COVID-19Full story -
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Mind the Brain: Dr. Joseph Schacht on the Clinical Neuroscience of Substance Use Disorders
May 25, 2021On this episode of Mind the Brain, Dr. Neill Epperson has a conversation with Dr. Joseph Schacht about neuroimaging in clinical research, the part that genetics play in alcohol and substance use disorders, and how genetics can be used to target treatments for these disorders.Full story -
Mind the Brain: Vincent Atchity on Building Mental Health Support Systems and Brain Health Throughout the Lifespan
May 18, 2021On this episode of Mind the Brain, Dr. Neill Epperson talks with Dr. Vincent Atchity (President and CEO of Mental Health Colorado) about the need to advance community mental health support systems and why brain health is imperative to a healthy and abundant life.Full story -
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Mind the Brain: Breast Cancer and Brain Health in 2021 with Dr. Anosheh Afghahi and Cancer Survivor Kristi Wilson
May 11, 2021On this episode of Mind the Brain, Dr. Neill Epperson explores the intersection of breast cancer and brain health with her two guests: Dr. Anosheh Afghahi, the Medical Director of the Hereditary Cancer Program at the University of Colorado and an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the division of Medical Oncology, and Dr. Kristi Wilson, a breast cancer survivor—and one of Dr. Afghahi’s patients.Full story -
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Mind the Brain: Dr. Michelle West on Early Assessment and Care of Psychosis
May 4, 2021On this episode of Mind the Brain, Dr. Michelle West, the Director of the Program for Early Assessment, Care, and Study (PEACS) here in our Department of Psychiatry and the University of Colorado, talks to Dr. Neill Epperson about joining the Department of Psychiatry and starting PEACS mid-pandemic, and how to assess for and treat early psychosis.Full story -
Mind the Brain: Chancellor Michelle Marks on the Inequitable Impact of COVID-19 on Low-Income and Underrepresented College Students
Apr 27, 2021On this premiere episode of Mind the Brain Season two, Chancellor Marks talks with Dr. Neill Epperson about what makes CU Denver’s student body unique—and uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19—and how faculty and staff can support their students through extreme crisis while still taking care of their own stress.Full story