CHANCELLOR'S COMMUNIQUE

Dear colleagues,

Since 2008, the CU Depression Center has been working to improve the lives of people with depression and mood disorders through clinical excellence, innovative research, community programs and education.

Today, we’re announcing that the center’s valuable work will be immeasurably bolstered by a $10 million grant from the Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation. This investment is one of the largest program gifts in the history of this campus, and represents an extraordinary commitment to mental health care in Colorado.

To honor the gift, the Board of Regents voted last week to rename the center the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center. I believe this is a fitting tribute to the Johnson family’s decades-long dedication to enriching the quality of life of the people of Colorado.

The center is at the forefront of increased national recognition of mental health as a major concern for individuals, families and communities. It delivers and promotes state-of-the-art, evidence-based approaches to diagnosing and treating mood disorders. The center’s community programs educate the public on mental health issues and improve awareness that mental health is as essential to healthy living as physical health. This generous grant will support center programs in areas including team-based integrated clinical care, research, telehealth, and outreach and education programs.

Philanthropy has been an integral part of the Depression Center since its inception with financial support from George Wiegers. This grant will enable the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center to have an incredible impact on public understanding of the importance of mental health care and will enhance the research and treatment our center can provide. I am hopeful that the model we build here can be replicated across the country to help reduce the harmful stigma that keeps so many people from seeking help with all-too-common mood disorders and depression.

Best,

Don Elliman
Chancellor