The Sturm Center
A Behavioral Health Center for Veterans, Service Members and their Families
The Sturm Center is part of the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. The clinic is both an academic clinical training site and a community behavioral health center for Veterans, Service Members and their families.
The Sturm Center provides high-quality, evidence-based and confidential behavioral health services on the University of Denver Campus in the Ammi Hyde Building. We welcome all Veterans (no matter discharge status, era or combat status), Service Members (including Guard and Reserve), and their families. We provide a wide range of behavioral health services and a variety of psychological assessments.
To help with the cost of these services we operate on a sliding-scale payment model and accept Medicaid, Medicare and V.A. Community Care/Triwest. We have also received several grants which can assist in payment for services for those clients who are unable to pay for services. We provide appointments in the daytime and during evening hours to increase accessibility to services.
Our Services
Services we offer include:
- Adult Individual Therapy
- Family/Couples Therapy
- Child/Adolescent Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Referrals to Community Resources
- Psychological Assessments (Objective Medical Evidence, Cognitive, Personality, Learning Disorders, Clarification of Diagnosis)
These services can help with:
- Military readjustment
- Grief and loss
- Depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress
- Family, parenting and relationship stress
- Trauma (combat, sexual, first responder, childhood)
- Adjustment to medical conditions and sleep problems
- Anger management
- Occupational/educational stressors
- Obtainment of academic or workplace disability-related accommodations
- Evidence for VA Disability Claims and Military Discharge Status Upgrade cases
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Advisory Council Spotlight
Leanne Wheeler - Former Advisory Council Chair
What is your personal motto, mantra or quote that you live by?
My personal motto is simple: Integrity First. And I operationalize it by telling my truth, as things or situations occur for me.
What three traits best describe you?
First, I am always for the underdog, hands down, which translates to compassion. Second, I am bold. Lastly, I am a problem solver.
What draws you to your work as an ambassador for the Military Psychology Specialty and the Sturm Center, along with mental health in general?
We have a propensity to use people up. This society was founded on such usury. When our citizens serve, and we cause harm to their physical person or their psyche, then We, the People have an obligation to see about their needs. With Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, our young service members – with war being their FIRST job – have endured multiple deployments and now suffer emotional and mental health injuries. We need service providers who understand such injuries, Sturm endeavors to provide them.
People would be surprised if they knew what about you?
I like this question. There are a lot of things that people would be surprised to know about me, but I am going to land on, I have trypanophobia. I also have a mean (amateur) Tango, and that I believe ballroom dance is absolute life!
What is your industry or professional role?
I am a Desert Storm Air Force Veteran, and spent 22+ years in the defense industry, before standing up my management consultant business, Wheeler Advisory Group. I am now blessed to serve as legislative advocate and educator and have entered the Permanent Supportive Housing development arena. My first project, Providence at the Heights (a 50-unit building), is now fully occupied by our former unhoused neighbors, and are thriving. I will be taking on a second project in the coming months.
What would you do (as a career) if you weren’t in that job?
This question is interesting. It was my intention to be a Chemical Engineer, as I graduated from a STEM school before that was a thing. I believe my life is shifting into what I will do next, write books and engage my neighbors to step into the civic and legislative arenas. We elect representative government, but we are not to abdicate our own responsibilities to our society.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
First, I am old enough to remember Black History Week! I have distinct memories of the fight to secure the month of February as Black History Month, and the overt efforts to prevent a Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, at all.
I was intentional about re-educating myself about Black History, during my year of Jubilee (50th), as it was growing more and more clear that our history in this country has been grossly underestimated.
As for the celebration of Black History Month, I believe it to be an opportunity to educate non-Black Americans about the impact and influence of Black Americans in the formation of this country and our contributions to innovation and industry.
It has been said that Black History is America’s History. I wholly believe that.
What did you learn in the military that affected your leadership skills in the community today?
I was given an awful lot of responsibility at an incredibly young age. By 19-years-old, I was responsible for millions of dollars of communications equipment. My mentoring was stellar. My education was stellar. My first “boss” was Technical Sergeant Bell. He praised in public and chastised in private. He poured into his young troops. And he took the time to know us, what motivated each of us as individuals, and met us there. I endeavor to be this kind of leader, in all of my community work.
Meet GSPP's Military Psychology Advisory Council
The Sturm Center is proudly supported by:
