University Of Vermont - Department of Psychiatry

The Department of Psychiatry is in collaboration with a number of other health systems in the state of Vermont and offers a broad array of clinical services, from inpatient care to highly-specialized outpatient clinics and in-depth research focused on four major areas.

Message from the Chair

The Department of Psychiatry has a three-part mission to provide regional leadership in clinical care, to educate and train medical students and residents, and to sponsor nationally recognized research. We are able to achieve these goals through our collaboration with The Robert Larner, M.D., College of Medicine, and the State of Vermont.

Our faculty are enthusiastic teachers. We are proud of our rich tradition in training residents and now offer a unique integrated child and adolescent residency training program emphasizing family-based pediatric psychiatry and research. A culture of curiosity and learning is evident in all our academic activities, from core medical student rotations to departmental conferences to resident seminars. We expect our residents to learn and to teach, which in turn enhances their professional development.

The Department of Psychiatry has substantial depth in four research areas substance abuse, child psychopathology, adult psychiatry, and neuroimaging, all supported by numerous NIH grants. Our substance abuse research focuses on the behavioral and biological basis of dependence; novel treatments for alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, opioid and nicotine dependence; and the treatment of demographically-unique populations.

Research in child psychopathology has produced the internationally recognized Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) and investigates the genetics of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders. Research in geriatric psychiatry utilizes functional MRI to investigate the neurobiology of aging and develop cognitive enhancing agents. Research in chronic pain includes the use of functional neuroimaging to study the effects of CBT on the neural correlates of chronic pain. Resident participation is strongly encouraged with significant research selective time allowed in the the second and fourth years of training.

We provide clinical care in a variety of settings. Multidisciplinary child, adult, and geriatric psychiatry clinical teams evaluate and treat patients of all ages in our newly renovated outpatient clinics. Our state-of-the-art Inpatient Psychiatry Unit accepts both voluntary and involuntary admissions. The Psychiatric Consultation Service cares for medical and surgical patients that need our expertise, while the Crisis Service and First Call responds to adult and child emergencies in the community. Seneca Center offers group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in three levels of treatment a Partial Hospital Program, an Intensive Outpatient Program, and a new Mood and Anxiety Disorders Clinic. DayOne integrates comprehensive individual and family treatment of substance abuse disorders with practices derived from intensive research.

Regards,

Robert Pierattini, M.D.
Professor and Chair