November 2019

Dear Friends of the Robert D. Sutherland Memorial Foundation and Sutherland Bipolar Center,

The Robert D. Sutherland Memorial Foundation (RDS Foundation) Board of Directors has made a determination that the current funding model of the Sutherland Bipolar Center is no longer sustainable.

The success of our clinic has outlived the availability of financial resources, and therefore, the Board has decided to fund the Sutherland Center through May 2020. The Sutherland Center will suspend services at that time.

The RDS Foundation Board of Directors is still very committed to our mission and is currently exploring new ways for how we might move forward beyond May 2020 as a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with bipolar disorder. We will continue to serve our current clients as well as assist those seeking treatment to find other resources in the community until the end of May.

The RDS Foundation has remained the primary funder of the Sutherland Center, providing approximately 80% of the Center’s operating budget. We have worked tirelessly, applying for grants from foundations, hosting fundraising events, and nurturing relationships with potential and repeated donors. Despite our dedication and hard work, we have struggled each year to raise enough money to support the essential operations of the Center. Without adequate funding from the RDS Foundation, the Sutherland Center cannot continue to effectively provide treatment to our community members who are impacted by bipolar disorder.

We hope you will join us in celebrating the successes of the Sutherland Center at CU. Over the past 17 years, this bipolar specialty clinic has served over 2100 Coloradans affected by bipolar disorder. We have provided diagnostic evaluations, evidence-based psychotherapy (individual, family and group), medication management, healthy lifestyle coaching, and community education to people regardless of their ability to pay for services. The Sutherland Center has also played a significant role in training the next generation of clinical psychologists, providing intensive training to 38 graduate student and post-doctoral therapists.

We thank our donors for their generosity and genuine care and support of our mission. We are grateful to our community partners who provided in-kind support, like hosting our Seminar Series or lending us meeting rooms. We appreciate and will continue to communicate with, the many mental health organizations and area agencies and their leadership who we’ve collaborated with and come to know over the years.

We will be reaching out to our network connections to help us determine how we can best use our experience, assets, and resources to fill the gaps in bipolar mental health treatment. We welcome anyone in the community who would like to assist our Board as we “re-group” and restructure our program. Thank you once again for your support and for being a part of our mission. We look forward to bringing a new,  improved and sustainable model for addressing the needs of people with bipolar disorder along the Front Range.

With deep gratitude and committed energy,

Bob Sutherland Jr
Sutherland Foundation
Board President

Rachel Cruz
Sutherland Foundation
Executive Director

Dr. Alisha Brosse
Sutherland Bipolar Center
Director