The Robert D. Sutherland Center for the Evaluation and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder is housed in the University of Colorado at Boulder's Department of Psychology (CU). The Sutherland Center at CU was established in 2001 with an initial gift from the Sutherland Foundation. Annual gifts from the Foundation and in-kind contributions from CU have sustained and expanded the Center.

The Center’s Director is David J. Miklowitz, Ph.D., an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of bipolar disorder. The Center is managed by Associate Director Alisha Brosse, Ph.D., a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Treatment is provided by Dr. Brosse, several therapists under her supervision, and several psychiatrists. For a complete staff listing, please click here.

Mission

The Sutherland Center at CU’s mission is to provide expert psychiatric and psychological care to individuals and families with bipolar disorder who are unable to pay for services in the community. The Center offers a sliding-fee scale, with the majority of the treatment costs being paid with grants from the Sutherland Foundation. Center staff is also committed to educating the public about bipolar disorder and to training mental health professionals.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The Sutherland Center at CU both diagnoses and treats bipolar disorder. The Center adheres to a comprehensive collaborative care model in which the bipolar person has continual input into decisions about his or her pharmacological and psychosocial treatments. Treatment is tailored to the individual/family, but in all cases is heavily based on treatments with empirical support.

Individuals who have either not been diagnosed or are not confident of previous diagnoses will receive a formal diagnostic evaluation complete with a written report. For individuals diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, comprehensive care can include individual psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, a psychoeducation group, a skills training group, and/or medication management services. Determinations about what therapy is appropriate are made in partnership with ones treatment provider and are tailored to match a patient’s individual needs. For more information about these services, please click here.

Since its inception the Center has received nearly 1000 inquiries. At any one time the Center is likely to have 30 active individual and family therapy cases, 20 patients enrolled in on-going medication management, and 8-10 patients enrolled in the weekly skills training group. Each year approximately 45 people attend the Center’s 6-week psychoeducation group. Unfortunately, due to the high demand for the Center’s services, there is a waiting list for all services. The Foundation and Center hope to be able to serve people more quickly as additional funding becomes available.

Similarly, the Sutherland Center at CU currently serves older adolescents and adults of all ages. If sufficient additional funding becomes available, the Center will expand its staff to include providers with expertise in treating pediatric bipolar disorder so that individuals of all ages can be served.

Education

Community and student education is a central component of the Sutherland Center at CU’s mission. Center staff is available for speaking engagements sponsored by community organizations. The Center is also committed to training health professionals, which can include workshops and/or presentations.