ROBERT D SUTHERLAND MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The NIMH states that 2.6% of the US population have bipolar disorder. That figure amounts to 6,500 people in the Boulder County area. Of that number 51% are not getting the treatment they need. Reasons include being underinsured, uninsured or experiencing stigma.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Individual Bipolar Diagnosis & Treatment
The RDS Foundation exists to raise money for and to support the services provided at the Robert D. Sutherland Center for the Evaluation and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder at the University of Colorado Boulder. Under the direction of Dr. David J. Miklowitz, Ph.D., an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of bipolar disorder, the Sutherland Center offers the following services: telephone consultation, evaluation, individual psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, a skills training group, and an educational seminar series. Each of these initiatives improves the lives of individuals and families affected by bipolar disorder through diagnosis, comprehensive treatment, and education.
Sutherland Seminar Series and Community Outreach
Sutherland Seminar Series are weekly seminars on topics related to bipolar disorders. Seminars are primarily designed for adults with a bipolar disorder and their family and friends, but are open to anyone in the community who wants to better understand the disorders. People can attend only one session or can come each week; no commitment or pre-registration is required. A $10 donation per session is recommended but no fee is required.
The ABC’s of Living Well with Bipolar Disorder
This is an on-going, weekly, skills-based psychotherapy group that meets for 1.5 hours and is co-lead by two graduate student therapists and supervised by a licensed clinical psychologist. Participants have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and have limited financial means. The group is based on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), an empirically supported treatment for bipolar disorder, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Skills modules include Behavioral Strategies, Cognitive Strategies, Acceptance & Defusion Strategies and Mindfulness & Self-Compassion. These skills help individuals with bipolar disorder decrease symptoms (such as depression, hypomania/activation, anxiety, irritability/anger, and insomnia) and enhance their quality of life (e.g., by encouraging engagement in productive, values-congruent action regardless of mood).
CU Graduate Education
Doctoral students learn specific skills to diagnose and treat bipolar disorder. They assist in lectures and community outreach.
Where we work
External reviews
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The RDS Foundation and Sutherland Bipolar Center have identified three goals to help maintain and improve the overall services offered to the Boulder County community and beyond:
1. Continue to provide high-quality, individualized, evidence-based comprehensive care to all of our clients with bipolar disorder.
2. Increase the number of providers that have intimate knowledge and experience diagnosing and treating bipolar disorder - We will achieve this by continuing to train doctoral psychology students at the Sutherland Center in state-of-the-art, research-based practices.
4. Enhance and expand community outreach - We will educate our surrounding community about bipolar disorder and continue to market services to those that otherwise cannot get what they need to manage bipolar disorder.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Generally, patients first come into contact with us through a telephone consultation. Our clinical staff collaborates with individuals to determine the services that are best suited to each patient's unique needs. For those seeking an initial diagnosis or second opinion, we offer psychodiagnostic evaluations.
Individual and family therapy sessions offer structured, goal-oriented psychotherapy that targets symptom reduction, relapse prevention, and improved quality of life. The family therapy sessions provide valuable insight for family members struggling to learn how to help their loved ones cope with bipolar disorder.
The Center is committed to increasing awareness and community knowledge of bipolar disorder through its seminar series. Our team educates more than 200 people annually through free seminars open to anyone interested in learning about bipolar disorder. The series covers issues such as: diagnosis of bipolar disorder, available treatments, relationships and bipolar disorder, and lifestyle changes that can help manage the disorder. The Center's staff members often speak at community events as part of our vision to reduce the stigma surrounding this disorder.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The Sutherland Bipolar Center could not exist without its partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and its corporate sponsorship from Sutherlands Lumber. CU Boulder allows the Sutherland Center to operate on campus free of charge. In order to create a truly mutually beneficial partnership with the university, the Center allows doctoral students studying clinical psychology at CU to work at the clinic. As a model-training site, we offer advanced doctoral students in CU's Clinical Psychology program the opportunity to work as therapists at the Sutherland Center, where a licensed clinical psychologist closely supervises them. This in-depth training and extensive interaction with patients with bipolar disorder is extremely valuable to the students' educational experiences. In this way, the Center shapes the practice, beliefs and values of advanced doctoral students and, through them, influences future generations of clinicians, therapists and patients.
Sutherlands Lumber sponsors the Foundation's Executive Director position, a significant expenditure that would otherwise be almost 30% of the organization's overall budget.
The Sutherland Center partners with many other organizations in Boulder County to ensure that patients get connected to the services they need. We exchange referrals with private mental health practices, Mental Health Partners, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Boulder County probation officers. These relationships facilitate our outreach and, ultimately, help those with bipolar disorder get connected to the resources and support they need.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
After over 15 years of serving the community, we are a well-established clinic that has helped hundreds of people impacted by bipolar disorder. And yet, we struggle with funding despite our low operating budget. $100,000 per year to run the clinic does not seem like much compared to many other non-profits, but our services directly treat the patients who need help the most. Being fully funded for the year allows us to treat over 50 patients for a year, and that is a very significant effect on the local community.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
ROBERT D SUTHERLAND MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
Board of directorsas of 03/15/2019
Robert D. Sutherland Jr.
Sutherland Lumber Co
Term: 2000 -
Linda Cain
Cain Travel
Rachel Cruz
RDS Memorial Foundation
Julie Imig
David Link
JDB Advocates
Amy Metz
Lat Epps
Bob Sutherland Jr
Sutherlands Lumber
Lance Powers
Sigmend
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No