2014 Fall RDSF Newsletter

by

Fall 2014

In this issue:
> Living Better Lives: The 5th Annual Evening with the RDS Foundation
> The Whisper of Suicide by Dr. David Miklowitz
> Changing Lives for the Better
> Ariana Huffington on the death of Robin Williams
> Why going public will make a difference

There are
lots of ways to give:
CU Foundation
RDS Foundation
Razoo
Coming soon – Colorado Gives Day!

Bob Sutherland Jr.,
RDS Foundation President 
“I established the RDS Foundation to alleviate the suffering and confusion that people with bipolar disorder often experience.”
Visit our new website!

Julie Imig
Board Member since 2012
“I chose to be on the Board of the RDS Foundation because I have been close to people with mental illness so I appreciate the importance of having access to treatment.  The RDS Foundation prioritises using funds to provide care for those in the community who otherwise could not afford it.  Only 8% of funding goes to administration, and the rest goes directly to patient treatment.  Last year, we reached 77 patients in the community who would have gone without care were it not for the foundation.”
Share

Forward to Friend

David Link,
Board Member since 2007
“I choose to be on the board of RDS because we set a standard for serving others who struggle with mental health, through an institution, the Psychology Dept at University of Colorado, that I have life long ties to.  RDS is a great example of why it is powerful to take the focus off of ourselves and our own problems, and instead focus on reaching out to someone else.  I also embrace the challenge of sorting out how we finance the Foundation for the long-haul.  Oh, and because my good friend Bob Sutherland asked me to.”
Donate here

Dear Friends,

The Sutherland Center is in its 13th year at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and I have to tout that we have done a lot for the community. In raising over $1 million dollars for the Center in the past dozen years, we have educated hundreds of people in our community with the free multi-week informational Sutherland Seminar Series (there is one happening now). We have helped to train over 50 graduate students to enhance their skills and gain expert knowledge to treat patients with research-supported therapies. And most importantly, the Center has directly helped over 1200 people impacted by bipolar disorder. Your donation and support has made a difference!

In this newsletter you’ll hear from the Center’s Director, Dr. David Miklowitz as he addresses suicide, what to look for and what to do if your loved one feels suicidal. You’ll get a sneak peek at some of our Board Members and why they are so dedicated to this mission. And you’ll learn about the revitalized connection that we have to the CU Foundation and our shift to becoming a public foundation and why it’s important to the Center and RDS Foundation’s future.

In addition, National Bipolar Awareness day is this Friday, October 10, 2014. In recognition of this day, the International Bipolar Foundation is introducing their own version of Pay it Forward > “Say it Forward!” Take the time on Friday to educate one person about bipolar disorder. If that person does the same, and so on, think of how much change we can create.

Finally, we are celebrating our 5th Annual Fundraising Event, “Living Better Lives,” on Sunday October 26th in Boulder. If you haven’t been to any of our events, this is the time! The evening is informative, the food and drink are delicious, the community caring and engaged, and the program fun and entertaining! We have internationally renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Richard Warner, who will speak about the over- and under-diagnosis of bipolar disorder. You can buy tickets online. We hope to see you on the 26th!

Wishing you and your family well,

Bob Sutherland Jr

Sunday, October 26, 6:00-9:00pm
Rembrandt Yard & Art Gallery, 1301 Spruce St, Boulder
Special Guest Speaker: Dr. Richard Warner
from the Colorado Recovery Treatment Center
$65/person or $100/you and a friend
More information and purchase tickets here
The Whisper of Suicide
David J. Miklowitz, Ph.D.
Professor, UCLA School of Medicine and University of Colorado, Boulder
 
Following Robin Williams’s tragic death, the media exploded with opinion pieces on why people commit suicide, the stigma that keeps people from talking about it, and what might have driven someone as talented as Mr. Williams to take his own life.  I was (and still am) a big admirer of Mr. Williams, and reading about him was painful. I was particularly struck by an incident on the set of “Mork and Mindy” in 1978, where, on a break between takes, Williams saw a rope dangling from the rafters offstage. […]

Stable Ground for Bipolar Disorder: Sutherland Center Is Changing Lives for Patients and Families

“The Sutherland Center saved my life.” Coleen Matlock* has uttered these words many times since seeking services at the Robert. D. Sutherland Center for the Evaluation and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Matlock’s life completely changed nearly 20 years ago when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a chronic illness characterized by recurring episodes of extreme highs (mania) and extreme lows (depression). (Read article)

Robin Williams, Connectedness and the Need to End the Stigma Around Mental Illness
The first response most of us have to news of a suicide is: Why? And certainly the tragic death of Robin Williams was no exception. […]
We’ve Gone Public and Strengthened Our Ties!
Rachel Cruz, RDS Foundation Secretary

When the RDS Foundation was established in 2001, it did so as a private foundation. Two years ago, in December 2012, we changed our tax status to a public foundation in keeping with the shift in increased donor activity and our more active fundraising efforts. Our change in status allowed us to apply for several grants this year and even try our hand at crowdfunding sites like Razoo and (soon) Colorado Gives Day, which is on December 9th this year. We are hoping that our dedication in reaching out to donors like you and showing you the Center’s accomplishments year after year, will help to maintain your support, financial and otherwise.

We’re also working closer than ever with our liaison at the University of Colorado Foundation over the past few months, reaching out to the Psychology Department’s Alumni for support and connection. These are exciting times for the Foundation, and we await the outcome of all our efforts over the coming months.

Thank you for your continued support and generosity!