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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

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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.

Mind the Brain: Dr. Tracy Bale on Epigenetic Research of Stress Across the Lifespan

Jun 7, 2022

This week on Mind the Brain, Dr. Epperson is joined by Dr. Tracy Bale, Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Director of the Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development. Dr. Bale and Dr. Epperson discuss early childhood stress, and the benefits of using mouse models to study stress responses neuroscientific and psychiatric research.
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Mind the Brain: Dr. L. Helen Coons on Infertility and Mental Health

May 24, 2022

This week on Mind the Brain, Dr. Epperson is joined by Dr. Helen L. Coons, a board-certified clinical health psychologist. Dr. Coons is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at CU Anschutz and the Clinical Director for the Women's Behavioral Health and Wellness Service Line. For the past two decades, she has collaborated with healthcare providers to treat women and couples coping with infertility and other health and mental health concerns. On this episode, Dr. Epperson shares a riveting conversation with Dr. Coons about her work with patients experiencing fertility challenges, and discuss the impact of infertility and fertility treatment on women’s health and emotional well-being.
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Get Psyched

May 23, 2022

Dr. Rob Rosenthal authored an article titled "These strategies and life hacks can help anyone with ADHD, as well as those who struggle with attention problems but don't have a diagnosis" for The Conversation...
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Get Psyched

May 9, 2022

Dr. Helen L. Coons was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article titled "The Window to Enjoy your Empty Nest is Shrinking." This article was published April 25th...
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Mind the Brain: Dr. Kent Hutchison on Cannabidiol (or CBD) Research

May 10, 2022

On this episode of Mind the Brain, Dr. Epperson is joined by Dr. Kent Hutchison to discuss Cannabidiol (or CBD) research. Dr. Hutchison is a professor at the CU Anschutz Department of Psychiatry, and also works as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Boulder in their Psychology and Neuroscience department. He is affiliated with the CU-Boulder Institute of Cognitive Science, where he conducts research on combining neuroimaging, epigenetic, pharmacological, and clinical perspectives to develop more effective addiction intervention and prevention strategies. Most recently, he is conducting alcohol and cannabis research, neuroimaging, and blood-based biomarkers under one conceptual framework that emphasizes the cannabinoids, endocannabinoids, inflammation, and the brain. On this episode, Dr. Epperson and Dr. Hutchison discuss CBD research in Psychiatry.
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Mind the Brain: Lily Luo and Emmaly Perks on the PURPLE Program

Apr 19, 2022

This week on Mind the Brain, Dr. Epperson is joined by Emmaly Perks and Lily Luo – the directors behind the CU Psychiatry PURPLE program. PURPLE stands for Psychiatry Undergraduate Research Program and Learning Experience, and is designed to introduce young people to the field of mental health by encouraging participation in supervised research activities. On this episode, Dr. Epperson and her guests talk about this program and how it has opened a pathway to careers in medicine for many students.
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